Look on
Today we’ve got a great phrasal verb for you advanced listeners. If you’re an advanced English speaker, then you’re probably an expert at the word look. Some beginners confuse the words “watch” and “look.” But this phrasal verb is for those of you who already know “look.” Today I am going to teach you how to use the phrasal verb “look on.”
When you use “look on,” you’re typically describing a bystander—someone not involved—observing an activity. And it’s very common to use the word “as” just afterward. My neighbor looked on as I was shoveling snow from my driveway. That means my neighbor was watching me from the comfort of his own home—he’s a bystander, not involved in the main activity, but interested in it. That’s look on, so here’s how you heard it before: The world’s biggest and most popular sporting event is starting in t-minus three years and the sports world is looking on nervously. The sports world is watching what’s going on. They have an interest. Most of the sports world can’t really do anything about what’s happening. But they are watching, and they are nervous. They are looking on nervously.
I would not say that FIFA is looking on, because FIFA has some control over what happens in Qatar. Some control. The broadcast partners might have some say in the matter. But everyone else—the media, the players, the teams, the regional or country leagues, fans, sponsors, merchandise companies: they are looking on nervously. What is going to happen at this World Cup? Will Qatar figure out how to grow sturdy grass in the desert? Will fans want to travel to a country where alcohol is banned? What about the temperature? Most of the people who will be affected by this don’t have a say in it. But they are looking on nervously as Qatar prepares to host the World Cup.
If there’s ever a karaoke competition, you won’t find me on stage. I’ll be looking on from the back of the room. I’ll be watching, but I won’t be participating. I’ll be looking on, hoping not to get called to the stage!
I want to also specify that you never put an object after “on.” You don’t say “I looked on him” or “I looked on it.” Just, “I looked on” or “I looked on as…” and then an action.
A couple in a restaurant might start getting into a fight, right there at the table. What happens? Everyone else looks on awkwardly. You can say a couple got into a fight as the whole restaurant looked on. Not a good scene.
If there’s a car crash, it might draw a crowd, as the police come and try to clean things up. People might look on as police question the drivers and witnesses. That brings up another point: the people who look on are sometimes called “onlookers.” A crowd of onlookers formed as the tow trucks came to take away the wrecked cars.
The Washington Nationals just won the World Series in baseball last week, and they won the last game on the road, in the stadium of the Houston Astros. It was the last game—the winner of Game 7 would win the series. Houston, the home team, had the lead for seven innings. But then a stunned crowd looked on as Washington came back to score six runs, win the game, and win the World Series. The Astros fans were stunned: they looked on as their team blew a lead and lost the championship in the final innings of Game 7.
Quote of the week
The quote of the week for you is often attributed to John Lennon, one of the Beatles. In English, when people say a quote is “often attributed to” a person, that’s a bit of a cop-out. That’s kind of like cheating. It’s when you know that the person probably didn’t say that quote—but it is so often attributed to him or her that you may as well join the crowd, too, and attribute it to that person. This is a quote “often attributed” to John Lennon. But it’s often attributed to him unfairly. The origin of the quote is Fernando Sabino, a Brazilian writer. This is translated from Portuguese: “In the end, everything will be okay. If it’s not okay, it’s not yet the end.”
JR was looking nervously on as I showed him the new process for sending out the emails each week—but then I think—I think—he came around because this email program is a lot easier to use. Remember, if you want to get some of our best tips for practicing English online, join our e-mail list and you’ll get tons of great resources straight from JR and me. Go to PlainEnglish.com/mail and enter your details.
That’s all for today, thanks for joining us once again for Plain English. Next episode is on Thursday. See you right back here then.
Use realistic expressions like a native speaker
