BBC Learning English - Learners' Questions / 'See', 'look' or 'watch'?

This week's question

What's the difference between 'see', 'look' and 'watch'? - Shanu

Answer this

How many verb forms does the verb 'lie' have?

Language points

See - perceive
See can mean 'perceive' or 'receive information via your eyes'. See in this meaning is a state verb (so no seeing!)

If you look here, you will see me!

See - imagine
See can mean 'imagine'. You can see something happening, see someone as something or see yourself as something.

Where do you see yourself in five years' time?
In five years' time, I see myself as a serious news reporter.

Look - direct your eyes
Look means 'direct your eyes to see something'.

If you look here, you will see me!

Look - appear
Look can mean 'appear'. It's usually followed by an adjective. Combine look with 'at', 'into' or 'over' to mean 'examine' or 'investigate'.

That book looks interesting.
Your meal looks delicious.
Police are looking into reports of fraud at a local bank.

Watch - observe
Watch can mean 'fix your vision on something to observe it'.

You are watching me.

Watch - be careful of something
Watch can mean 'be careful of something'. We watch for something, watch out for something or watch + question word.

Watch what you say about him. He sees everything.

Watch - guard
Watch can mean 'guard' or 'protect'. We can also use watch over.

Please watch my bag while I go to the toilet!

The answer

It has two sets of verb forms: 1 - 'lie', 'lay' and 'lain'. 2 - 'lie', 'lied' and 'lied'. Be careful! They have different meanings.

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