What does take apart mean in the following sentence?

[Akbari]

Dear Alan,,

The 1st question:
I want to know what the different meanings of " take apart" are. What does "take apart" mean in the following sentences.
"One day a man put a puzzle in Washoe's cage. Washoe had to take the puzzle apart. Each time she did it right, the man gave her a slice of banana. It was her reward."
Is it correct to say "take the puzzle apart" here means "do or solve the puzzle"?

The 2nd question:
What's your idea about the following test?
A: "Can you ... this problem?"
B: "No, it is a difficult problem."
a. turn on b. keep on c. take apart d. give back
What's the correct choice? Is it possible to take "keep on" as a correct choice? If not why?

Yours
Akbari

[Alan]

Hi Akban,

'Take apart' usually means 'separate into different pieces'. If you have a machine that doesn't work, you have to take it apart (take to pieces) in order to find what is wrong.

Alan
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Vchandana]

Hi Alan, i see that you havent answered the question fully. What does 'take apart' mean in the sentence "One day a man put a puzzle in Washoe's cage. Washoe had to take the puzzle apart. Each time she did it right, the man gave her a slice of banana. "
Is that improper usage of 'take apart'?

The person who posted this question sure already knows what you had to say and wants to know if 'take apart' can also be used to mean 'resolve a prooblem'

[Akbari]

Hi Alan,
I think you didn't get my question. I know "take apart" means separate sth into parts.
I want to know what it means in the this sentence. "Washoe had to take the puzzle apart. Each time she did right the man gave her a reward." (here Washoe is a monkey )
And you did answer my second question.


Thanks
Akbari

[Jamie (K)]

"Take apart" doesn't mean to resolve a problem. It means to disassemble things. You've misunderstood the sentence.

[Jamie (K)]

Akbari, I don't know how we can make it any clearer. This is a response to your private message. I know who Washoe was.

The man gave Washoe the type of puzzle that has to be dismantled. Being able to disassemble it correctly showed that Washoe was intelligent, I suppose. Washoe did not assemble the puzzle, but disassembled it.

You seem to want us to say that "take apart" means the same thing as "put together" in this instance, but it doesn't. "Take apart" means to dismantle or disassemble.

[Besho0o]

Hi there!!
I think I can help in this ^^
In the 1st one it means :
to win in the game .. or as u said to solve the puzzle .. because take apart could mean to defeat sb easily in a game or competition

In the 2nd one :
it could mean to remove or separate ..

that's all^^

Besho0o

[Jamie (K)]

[Besho0o]

I think u r right "i haven't read your previous replies lol"
that's y i misunderstood it .. but u make it clear now ..

thanks a lot