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ESL forum >
Grammar and Linguistics > what is the difference between watch , see and look ?
what is the difference between watch , see and look ?
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RabbitWho
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Do you realize that websites are made up of explanations made by teachers? Just because it �s on a website doesn �t mean it �s right. At least here we can discuss it and people can make their own decisions.
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6 Jan 2010
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vardaki
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Ok friends. I will not search any websites. I �ll just ask you!
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6 Jan 2010
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Zora
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Hi there,
This might be a little late but I always tell my student that a very "loose" rule is this:
Watch: usually used when we are looking at things that are in movement that we are interested in like: a movie, a match, a parade, a sunset...
Look: is for something not in movement or that you are only slightly interested in. - You look at a painting, look at a pair of Prada shoes. You look at the child dancing... (this would mean that you just glance at the child for some reason but you are not "watching her".)
Now "see" is slightly more complex:
See can be used like "watch" but not in the present continuous form.
You can "see" a film. But you would never say - We "are seeing a film" now. It should be - We are watching a film.
Also "see" is used like look, but only when it means that you are actually interested in what you are looking at but you don �t spend a lot of time contemplating it.
"I see the children playing in the park everyday". - you obviously noticed this, it was more than just a quick glance but you didn �t spend time watching the children.
Hope I haven �t confused anyone! lol
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6 Jan 2010
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yanogator
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First, Zora, that should be "every day", not "everyday". This is something that many people here in the US have trouble with.
I want to add one unusual use for "watch." The others are right, that it is usually used for an observation of something moving, and for a period of time. However, we use "watch" with a thing that isn �t moving, if we are expecting something to happen. For example, I might ask you to watch this egg (which isn �t moving, but I know that the bird will be hatching in a short time, so I am expecting something to happen). We have an expression, "A watched pot never boils." We use "watch", although the water isn �t moving, because we are expecting the water to boil.
Bruce |
6 Jan 2010
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Zora
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Actually, my typing isn �t the greatest so the everyday is a typo... I know the difference :)
And I could refute your logic since the egg is alive and therefore does move to some extent. lol - Also, the water is in movement. It �s molecules are moving as it heats up. So is paint as it �s drying. It is experiencing a change and it is in essence "moving"... lol ;)
But anyways, have a great evening.
Linda
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7 Jan 2010
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darryl_cameron
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I believe this is what you are looking for
Watch: A wrist mounted timepiece
Look: What women say to get their husband/boyfriend to go shopping with them but will end up spending money on shoes anyway. As in, "I just want to look" followed by "I �ll just try them on" finished off with "Oh these are perfect, but won �t be here if I wait to buy them another day".
See: Something my mother would say to me after I hurt myself as in, "see, I told you not to play with matches" or "See, i told you not run down the stairs". |
7 Jan 2010
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Zora
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Watch - a way of shrugging responsibility to go shopping :) - "Honey, could you watch the kids for an hour (i.e. three). I want to look at the hand bag I saw in Harrods and see if I can �t find another pair of shoes to go with my new dress. - 
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7 Jan 2010
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zola1975
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watch and look are voluntary actions= doing them with your own will.See and look ,however, are unvoluntary actions ;occur in spite of you:
e.g. you might see someone killing another, but you,certainly,wouldn �t like to watch them or look at them. get it? |
11 Jan 2010
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douglas
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You watch the shoes or eggs (or the stock market) to see if they change state--a form of movement. Normally you watch a pair of shoes to see if the price drops or they get sold, become popular etc..
Douglas |
11 Jan 2010
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