Given the sentence "An older man is trying to figure out what a sewing machine is." is it true that "The gentleman wants to learn how to use a sewing machine."? Now, let's be accurate as possible. Some thinking first:
Not every older man is a gentleman. Just because the man is trying to figure out what a sewing machine is does not mean that he wants to learn how to use it. So, the answer is it is not possible to tell.