Keep an eye on / out

The expressions 'keep an eye on' and 'keep an eye out' both involve being watchful and paying attention, but in different ways.

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Keep an eye on / out

“Keep an eye out” and “keep an eye on” are two similar expressions in English that are both about paying attention , being watchful , and being alert .

“Keep an eye out” means to stay alert for something that might happen. “Keep an eye on” means to give a little bit of your attention to something, to make sure it’s going smoothly and that nothing bad happens.

Both expressions are about staying aware without giving your full attention to something.

Keep an eye on

Let’s take a closer look at “keep an eye on.” We say this when we’re watching something to make sure that everything goes smoothly . If we’re keeping an eye on something, we’re ready to intervene —we’re ready to take action if needed—but the situation doesn’t really require our full attention or even a lot of work. It’s about checking in on something now and then; it’s about being aware .

I recently started making black beans on the stove . There’s no comparison with beans in a can, let me tell you that. If you make beans on the stove, you know it takes a while, a few hours. And you have to add water to the pot every so often . Some water boils off , you add more; do that a few times until the beans are soft and ready to go.

What do I do when I’m cooking beans on the stove? I keep an eye on them. I don’t stare at them for three, four hours. I’m not in the kitchen the whole time they are on the stove. But I don’t forget about them either . I monitor them . I check in occasionally . I get up every few minutes to stir them. I add more water when needed. I test them to see when they’re done. I keep an eye on them. It’s about giving a little bit of attention over a period of time to make sure nothing bad happens.

If you babysit a very young child, you probably need to devote your full attention to the child, all the time, at least while he’s awake . But if you’re watching older children, you need to keep an eye on them. You can be in the kitchen while they watch TV; you can read a book while they’re on the playground . Your eyes don’t have to be on them the whole time. But you can’t ignore them for hours at a time either. You have to keep an eye on them; check in; make sure nothing’s going wrong.

If you keep an eye on the stock market , you’re generally aware of what’s going on. You check in every so often , but you’re not a day trader with 5 screens showing constantly-updated quotes , charts , and news all day.

On Election Day in the United States, some people stare at their screens , their TV’s, their phones, all night, watching the results come in . Others pay no attention. But a lot of people keep an eye on the election results over the course of the night. They check in on the news, they check in on how things are going, but it’s not their only activity for the evening. That’s what I’m like. I keep an eye on it, but I don’t give election results my full attention all night long. I keep an eye on it as it happens because there’s plenty of time to read about it the next day.

Keep an eye out

So now that you know “keep an eye on,” let’s talk about “keep an eye out.” You can use “keep an eye out” when you’re staying alert or watching for something you think will happen. You usually say, “keep an eye out for,” plus the thing that you’re watching for.

Imagine you’re expecting an important delivery . You might keep an eye out for the delivery truck . So you’ve got something that you think will happen: the delivery truck will come. You don’t know when. But you’re pretty sure it will happen. When you keep an eye out for the delivery truck, you’re staying aware so that when the truck arrives, you’re ready and you’ll know about it.

Now listen, this doesn’t mean you sit at the door and stare out the window . Your dog can afford to spend the whole day doing that; you can’t. You just keep an eye out for the delivery truck while you do other things. You stay aware and alert .

If you’re in the car on a long road trip , maybe you’ve been on the road for a few hours, you’re ready for a break. You might keep an eye out for a gas station or a rest stop . Again, here’s something that you know, or you suspect will happen: you will see a gas station or rest stop or McDonald’s eventually . You don’t know when, but you know you’ll see it.

If you keep an eye out for somewhere to stop, you’re aware, you’re ready. When you get close to an exit, you’re looking at the signs . You’re paying attention. It’s not the only thing you’re concerned about , but you are aware. You’re keeping an eye out for a place to stop.

Other quick examples. If you go to the mall around the holidays, you might keep an eye out for some good discounts . If your lease is expiring in a few months, you might keep an eye out for “for rent” signs in your neighborhood. If you’re thinking about maybe getting a new job, you might keep an eye out for job postings in your industry . It’s not a full time search, but keep an eye out for something.

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Story: Lesson