Page 148 - Basic English Usage
P. 148

196  —  197                     148


                  Look  can  also  mean  ‘turn  your  eyes  towards  something’.  It  can  be  used
                  with  adverbs.
                    The  boss  looked  at  me  angrily.
                    She  looked  excitedly  round  the  room.
                  For  the  difference  between  look,  watch,  and  see,  see  196.


            196   look  (at),  watch  and  see

                  See  is  the  ordinary  word  to  say  that  something  ‘comes  to  our  eyes’.
                    Suddenly  |  saw  something  strange.   Can  you  see  me?
                    Did  you  see  the  article  about  the  strike  in  today’s  paper?
                  See  is  not  used  in  progressive  tenses  with  this  meaning  (see  225).  When
                  we  want  to  say  that  we  see  something  at  the  moment  of  speaking,  we
                  often  use  can  see.  (See  81.)
                    !  can  see  an  aeroplane.  (NOT  +amrseeing  ...)

                  We  use  /ook  (at)  to  talk  about  concentrating,  paying  attention,  trying  to
                  see  as  well  as  possible.  Compare:
                    |  looked  at  the  photo,  but  |  didn't  see  anybody  |  knew.
                    ‘Do  you  see  the  man  in  the  raincoat?’  ‘Yes.’  ‘Look  again.’  ‘Good
                    heavens!  It’s  Moriarty!’
                  We  use  /ook  when  there  is  no  object,  and  /ook  at  before  an  object.
                  Compare:
                    Look!  (NOT  teekat!)   Look  at  me!  (NOT Leek  e+)

                   Watch  is  like  look  (at),  but  suggests  that  something  is  happening,  or
                  going  to  happen.  We  watch  things  that  change,  move  or  develop.
                    Watch  that  man  —   |  want  to  know  everything  he  does.
                    /  usually  watch  a  football  match  on  Saturday  afternoon.

                  We  watch  TV,  but  we  see  plays  and  films.  Compare:
                    Did  you  watch  ‘Top  of  the  Pops’  last  night?  (TV)
                    ‘Have  you  seen  any of  the  Chaplin  films?’  ‘Where  are  they  on?’  ‘At  the
                    cinema  in  High  Street. '
                  The  difference  between  see  and  /ook  (at)  is  similar  to  the  difference  between  hear
                  and  listen  (to).  See  157.
                  For  structures  with  the  infinitive  and  the  -ing  form  after  these  verbs,  see  182.6.


            197   marry  and  divorce

                  Marry  and  divorce  are  used  without  a  preposition.
                    She  married  a  builder.  (NOT  She+married-with-ebuitder)
                    Will  you  marry  me?  —  Andrew's  going  to divorce  Carola.
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