Look, Appear and Seem

 

Welcome to Ask a Teacher –? a new program where readers ask questions and teachers answer them.

Have you noticed that English is full of words that have similar meanings? In today’s Ask a Teacher, Mika from Japan asks how to decide among three verbs that all mean “give an idea about something.”

Here is her question:

Question:

I don’t understand the difference between "look," "appear" and “seem." If I say, “His new haircut makes him appear younger,” is it correct? - Mika, Japan

Answer:

Hello Mika and thanks for your question!

You can use “appear” in that situation, but the better verb would be “look.”

Let me give you the reasons why.

Look

We use both the verbs “look” and “appear” to talk about a condition we have observed. In your sentence, you can see with your eyes how stylish¹ the man’s new haircut is. You also see that it gives his face a more youthful² shape.

But “look” is more informal than the verb “appear.” Your sentence sounded informal, as if you were talking to a friend.

Appear

In contrast, you might see the word “appear” in writing, or hear it in formal speech, such as an official news report. For example, a news reporter might say, “The suspect appeared to be fleeing the scene.”

As that example shows, “appear” is commonly used to talk about events and facts.

Seem

Your third choice, “seem” also means “to create an idea or impression.” But “seem” does not suggest a direct observation. For example, you and I may have talked on the phone, and you told me about your great new job and recent vacation. Afterward³, I could say, “Mika seems happy,” even though I never saw you smile.

Take Note

Keep in mind one other difference among the three words. “Seem” and “appear” are often followed by an infinitive⁴ verb, such as “The baby seems to want her bottle…” or “The man appears to be waving.”

But, in everyday English, the verb “look” is often followed by an adjective⁵. For example: “He looks tired.”

And that’s Ask a Teacher.

I’m Alice Bryant.

Words in This Story

haircut – n. the act or result of cutting and shaping someone's hair

informal – adj. having a friendly and relaxed quality

formal – adj. suitable for serious or official speech and writing

impression – n. an appearance or suggestion of something

1 stylish   

adj.流行的，时髦的；漂亮的，气派的

参考例句：

• He's a stylish dresser.他是个穿着很有格调的人。
• What stylish women are wearing in Paris will be worn by women all over the world.巴黎女性时装往往会引导世界时装潮流。

2 youthful   

adj.年轻的，有青春活力的

参考例句：

• Exercise will keep you youthful.体育锻练会使你充满活力。
• The boy looked very youthful.这孩子看起来岁数很小。

3 afterward   

adv.后来；以后

参考例句：

• Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏，然后吃饭。
• Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来，这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。

4 infinitive   

n.不定词；adj.不定词的

参考例句：

• The use of the split infinitive is now generally acceptable.分裂不定式的用法现在已被广泛接受。
• Modal verbs generally take the bare infinitive.情态动词通常用不带to的不定式。

5 adjective   

n.形容词；adj.形容词的，用作形容词的

参考例句：

• Don't apply that adjective to me.不要用那个字眼来形容我。
• The adjective loose has several senses. 形容词loose有几个义项。