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Mohamed
Any differences between aim and target?
Mar 27, 2016 10:09 PM
Answers · 5
4
Hi
aim is the action/verb
target is the object..
you AIM at a TARGET.
So, if you point your gun at a frog, you are AIMing, and the frog is the target.
hope this helps
March 27, 2016
2
To add to Kieron (whose explanation I agree with), "aim" can also be a noun which is synonymous with "target". Consider this example: e.g. The aim (goal/objective) of the course is to teach students English to B2 level. The first target is to teach students all the verb tenses.
"Target" has a more specific feeling than "aim" "goal" "objective". "Aim" as a noun has the sense of a wider strategy.
March 27, 2016
1
Hello, there is a slight difference. I will try to explain with examples.
You could say something like: "My aim is to learn English." In this way aim is is used to mean "goal".
However you would not say: "My target is to learn English."
Again you could rephrase the sentences like this:
"To learn English is my aim." Sounds fine.
"To learn English is my target." Sounds incorrect.
Another example:
"My target for learning English is next year." This sounds fine.
"My aim for learning English is next year." This sounds wrong. But you could rephrase it like this,
"My aim is to learn English by next year." And that sounds fine.
I am not a linguist or an English teacher however "aim" seems to be related to things which are more personal and "target" is used for things which are more impersonal. Perhaps an actual English teacher can help here.
The two words are closely related but not interchangeable. Consider when they are used as verbs.
"He aims at the target." This is fine.
"He targets at the aim." Not correct. In this sentence aim would have to be changed to something more specific like:
"He targets the tree." Sounds fine. But notice that we remove "at".
I wish I could explain it better but I don't know the rules for why we do this in English. I hope this helps. Good luck!
March 27, 2016
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Mohamed
Language Skills
Arabic (Egyptian), English
Learning Language
English
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