Page 148 - Basic English Usage
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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.