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What's the difference between 'look', 'see' & 'watch'?

Average: 3.3 (148 votes)

 

'Look', 'see' and 'watch' can easily confuse students of English as they all relate to actions done with our eyes. The difference between the three verbs can be explained in the following way...see if you can undertand!
 
  

Look - to look at something for a reason, with an intention.

 ‘Look at that strange man.’
‘Look at the pictures I took on holiday.’
 


See -to ‘see’ something that comes into our sight that we weren’t looking for.

 ‘Did you see that bird? – I wasn’t looking for it,  it just appeared.
‘I saw you driving to work today.’
 


Watch - to look at something carefully, usually at something which is moving.

 ‘Watch TV’- the TV doesn’t move, but you watch the moving images carefully.
‘Watch here you are going! You almost stepped on my foot!’