Look after our place for me vs Supervise

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Look after our place for me

Top 5,000 (fairly common)

Supervise

Top 2,000 (common)C1verb
Most common: Supervise
 Look after our place for meSupervise
Pronunciation🇬🇧 //lʊk ˈɑːftər aʊər pleɪs fɔː mi//🇺🇸 //lʊk ˈæftər aʊr pleɪs fɔr mi//🇬🇧 /["/ˈsuːpəvaɪz/","/ˈsuːpəvaɪzɪz/","/ˈsuːpəvaɪzd/","/ˈsuːpəvaɪzɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ˈsuːpərvaɪz/","/ˈsuːpərvaɪzɪz/","/ˈsuːpərvaɪzd/","/ˈsuːpərvaɪzɪŋ/"]/
MeaningTake care of our home for me.To watch over and manage people or activities.
ExampleCan you look after our place for me while I’m on vacation?to supervise building work
RegisterNeutralNeutral
How commonTop 5,000 (fairly common)Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR level-C1
Part of speechverb
Collocationslook after children, look after pets, look after someone's needs, look after your belongings, look after a housecarefully, closely, directly, appoint somebody to, be responsible for supervising something
Antonyms-neglect, ignore
Common mistakesConfused with 'look for', which means to search., Omitting 'our place' can make it unclear whose home is being referred to., Using 'look after' incorrectly in a business context instead of personal.Confused with 'supervisor' - remember 'supervise' is the action, while 'supervisor' is the person., Using 'supervise' in informal contexts where 'help' or 'watch' would be better., Omitting the object - 'supervise' should always have something that is being supervised.
Usage notesUse this informal phrase when asking someone to take care of your home or belongings. Suitable for friends or family, but avoid in formal situations.Used in professional or educational contexts. Avoid using it in casual conversations where simpler terms like 'watch' may be more appropriate.

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Look after our place for me
Supervise

Frequently asked questions: Look after our place for me vs Supervise

What's the difference between Look after our place for me and Supervise?

Look after our place for me: Take care of our home for me. Supervise: To watch over and manage people or activities.

Which is more common: Look after our place for me and Supervise?

Supervise is the most common in everyday English.

Can you show an example of each?

Look after our place for me: Can you look after our place for me while I’m on vacation? Supervise: to supervise building work

Can I use Look after our place for me and Supervise interchangeably?

Not always. Look after our place for me and Supervise are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.

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