See, Look, and Watch

A very common question that I get is, what's the difference between "see," "look" and "watch?" All three of them require us to use our eyes but there are some small differences that you should remember.

See:
When we see something, we do it naturally and automatically. We don't have to move our head or body to see something, it just happens.
For example: "When I open my front door every morning, I always see the newspaper in front of me."
I don't plan to see the newspaper but can't avoid it because it's in front of my door.

Just like the young girl in the picture above, she didn't choose to see the burglar but she saw him naturally when riding her bike.

Look:
When we look at something it usually requires some action and physical movement. It means to see but with some intention and plan for a short time.
For example: "Look at the camera!"
You're telling someone to physically turn their body or their head to the camera for a picture.

In the picture above, the man is trying to get his friend to pay attention, turn his head to see the burglar.

Watch:
To watch something is the same as to look but for a longer period of time, with much more concentration.
For example: "Let's watch a movie together"
It means we plan on seeing something for a longer period of time.


A good way to remember the difference between the three is to think of the two O's in LOOK. One is on the left and the other on the right. So, when we LOOK at something, we requires movement, left, right, up, down etc.

By the way, I hope someone reported the burglary to the cops!