Cool MateLooks at this vs Show
When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.
Looks at this
Top 3,000 (common)
Show
High-frequency chunkA1verb
Most common: Show
| Looks at this | Show | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | 🇬🇧 //lʊks æt ðɪs//🇺🇸 //lʊks æt ðɪs// | 🇬🇧 /["/ʃəʊ/","/ʃəʊz/","/ʃəʊd/","/ʃəʊn/","/ˈʃəʊɪŋ/"]/🇺🇸 /["/ʃəʊ/","/ʃəʊz/","/ʃəʊd/","/ʃəʊn/","/ˈʃəʊɪŋ/"]/ |
| Meaning | To direct one's gaze towards something. | to let someone see something |
| Example | She said, 'Looks at this!' as she showed me the beautiful sunset. | Can you show me how to solve this math problem? |
| Register | Neutral | Neutral |
| How common | Top 3,000 (common) | High-frequency chunk |
| CEFR level | - | A1 |
| Part of speech | verb | |
| Collocations | Looks at this picture, Looks at this document, Looks at this issue, Looks at this situation | clearly, conclusively, convincingly, appear to, seem to, go to, to, a chance to show something, clearly, conclusively, convincingly, appear to, seem to, go to, to, a chance to show something, clearly, conclusively, convincingly, appear to, seem to, go to, to, a chance to show something, clearly, conclusively, convincingly, appear to, seem to, go to, to, a chance to show something, clearly, conclusively, convincingly, appear to, seem to, go to, to, a chance to show something, hardly, begin to, let something, hardly, begin to, let something, clearly, conclusively, convincingly, appear to, seem to, go to, to, a chance to show something, clearly, conclusively, convincingly, appear to, seem to, go to, to, a chance to show something, clearly, conclusively, convincingly, appear to, seem to, go to, to, a chance to show something |
| Antonyms | - | hide, conceal, cover |
| Common mistakes | Overusing in formal situations., Confusing with 'look at this' without the correct context., Using with incorrect verb tense. | Confused with 'exhibit' in formal contexts, Using incorrectly as a noun instead of a verb, Confusing the past tense 'showed' with 'shown' |
| Usage notes | Used to draw attention or point out something. Appropriate in informal contexts when showing someone something visually. | Use 'show' when presenting something to someone. Avoid in very formal contexts; instead, use 'demonstrate'. Common in everyday conversation. |
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Frequently asked questions: Looks at this vs Show
What's the difference between Looks at this and Show?
Looks at this: To direct one's gaze towards something. Show: to let someone see something
Which is more common: Looks at this and Show?
Show is the most common in everyday English.
Can you show an example of each?
Looks at this: She said, 'Looks at this!' as she showed me the beautiful sunset. Show: Can you show me how to solve this math problem?
Can I use Looks at this and Show interchangeably?
Not always. Looks at this and Show 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.