watch

When the word "watch" is used as a verb, it means that a person is actively looking at something and paying attention while looking. It’s a little different from the verbs "look" or "see."

• I saw a movie at the movie theater.
• I watched a movie on TV.
• I looked at the TV.

Generally, we use the verb "see" for films and movies, and we use "watch" for entertainment on a television or large-screen TV.

Here are some more examples of how the word "watch" is used as a verb:

• Who watches your kids while you are away from home? (watch = baby sit)
• Investors watch changes that occur in the stock market.
• Consumers watch for prices to drop in the form of a sale.
• One way to learn how to play baseball is to watch people play it.
• The police are watching the man who lives in the house down the street. (watch = follow; monitor)
• What do you like to watch on TV?
• You have to watch out for other people. (watch out = pay attention to what people are doing)
• The Superbowl is the most watched television program of the year. (The word "watched" is an adjective in this sentence.)
• The pirates watched as their ship sank. (This sentence is in the past tense.)

The word "watch" can be used as an interjection:

• Hey, watch out! (watch out = be careful)
• Watch it! (watch it = I’m giving you a warning.)
• Watch. (watch = pay attention)

When the word "watch" is used as a noun, it can refer to a device used for telling time:

• He’s wearing a watch.
• Maria looked at her watch to see what time it was.
• A Rolex is a nice watch.
• Do you wear a watch?

As a noun, the word "watch" is also used when there’s a concerted effort to pay attention to something:

• A tornado watch was announced on television a few minutes ago. (tornado watch = conditions are good for a tornado to form)
• A neighborhood watch group was formed by neighbors concerned about crime.
• People whose names are on a terrorist watch list are prevented from boarding airplanes.

Learn more vocabulary here.

May 28, 2018