Page 120 - Basic English Usage

157-159 120

157 hear and listen (to)

Hear is the ordinary word to say that something ‘comes to our ears’.
Suddenly | heard a strange noise.
Can you hear me?
Did you hear the Queen's speech yesterday?
Hear is not used in progressive tenses (see 225). When we want to say
that we hear something at the moment of speaking, we often use can
hear. (See 81.)
| can hear somebody coming. (NOT +anrhearing ... )

We use /isten (to) to talk about concentrating, paying attention, trying to
hear as well as possible. Compare:
| heard them talking in the next room, but | didn’t really listen to what
they were saying.
‘Listen carefully, please.’ ‘Could you speak a bit louder? | can't hear
you very well.’
We use /isten when there is no object, and /isten to before an object.
Compare:
Listen! (NOT tisterte?)
Listen to me! (NOT tisterrme?+)
The difference between hear and listen (to) is similar to the difference between
see and /ook (at). See 196.
+
infinitive
For | hear or -ing form | see 182.6.
158 help

We can use | object infinitive | after help.
+
Can you help me to find my ring?
In an informal style, we often use the infinitive without to.
Can you help me find my ring?
Help me get him to bed.
We can also use | help + infinitive | without an object.
Would you like to help peel the potatoes?

159 here and there
We use here for the place where the speaker is, and there for other
places.
(on the telephone) ‘Hello, is Tom there?’ ‘No, I'm sorry, he’s not here.’
(NOT ... he‘snetthere-)