{"id":8129,"date":"2026-08-08T23:07:54","date_gmt":"2026-08-08T23:07:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/phrasal-verbs-with-look\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T23:09:37","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T23:09:37","slug":"phrasal-verbs-with-look","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/fr\/phrasal-verbs-with-look\/","title":{"rendered":"Phrasal Verbs with LOOK: How Native Speakers Use Them | LOOK\u82f1\u6587\u7247\u8a9e\u52d5\u8a5e\u6307\u5357"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>\u672c\u6587\u91cd\u9ede:<\/strong>\u672c\u6587\u6df1\u5165\u4ecb\u7d39\u82f1\u6587\u7247\u8a9e\u52d5\u8a5eLOOK\u7684\u5b8c\u6574\u7528\u6cd5\uff0c\u6db5\u84cblook up\u3001look after\u3001look forward to\u3001look into\u7b49\u9ad8\u983b\u8868\u9054\uff0c\u5e6b\u52a9\u53f0\u7063\u4e0a\u73ed\u65cf\u638c\u63e1\u8077\u5834\u82f1\u6587\uff08\u5546\u696d\u82f1\u6587\uff09\u8207\u65e5\u5e38\u82f1\u8a9e\u6703\u8a71\u6280\u5de7\uff0c\u4e5f\u662f\u591a\u76ca\uff08TOEIC\uff09\u8003\u8a66\u5fc5\u5099\u8a5e\u5f59\u3002<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you could master only one verb&#8217;s phrasal forms in English, <em>look<\/em> would be an excellent choice. It appears constantly in everyday conversations, business emails, meetings, and casual exchanges \u2014 and each particle it pairs with creates a completely different meaning. Look <em>for<\/em> something. Look <em>into<\/em> something. Look <em>after<\/em> someone. Look <em>forward to<\/em> something. Same base verb, four entirely different actions. This guide walks through the essential LOOK phrasal verbs in English, explaining exactly how each one works in real situations so you can use them naturally and confidently.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-2.jpg\" alt=\"Magnifying glass focuses on a dictionary page.\" class=\"wp-image-8122\" srcset=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-2.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-2-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-2-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-2-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-2-16x12.jpg 16w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-2-600x450.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Magnifying glass focuses on a dictionary page.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why LOOK Creates So Many Different Meanings | \u70ba\u4ec0\u9ebcLOOK\u80fd\u7d44\u6210\u9019\u9ebc\u591a\u4e0d\u540c\u610f\u601d\u7684\u7247\u8a9e\u52d5\u8a5e<\/h2>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe width=\"560\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CIT0MPkw5xI?feature=oembed\" title=\"Phrasal Verbs with LOOK: How Native Speakers Use Them\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In English, phrasal verbs (\u7247\u8a9e\u52d5\u8a5e) are formed when a base verb combines with one or more particles \u2014 prepositions or adverbs like <em>up, out, after, into, over, through<\/em>. With <em>look<\/em>, the particle isn&#8217;t decorative. It fundamentally transforms the action into something new. Consider these three sentences: &#8220;I looked for my passport.&#8221; &#8220;I looked up my passport details.&#8221; &#8220;I looked after my passport.&#8221; The first means you searched for it. The second means you found information about it in a reference. The third means you kept it safe and protected. Same verb, radically different meanings.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This is precisely why Taiwanese learners sometimes find LOOK phrasal verbs difficult. In Mandarin Chinese, each of these actions would likely require a completely different verb. In English, one verb plus one particle handles the job. Once you internalize the logic of each key combination, the patterns become easier to remember \u2014 and the errors become easier to avoid.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"764\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-3.jpg\" alt=\"Caregiver assisting elderly couple with coloring\" class=\"wp-image-8123\" srcset=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-3.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-3-300x212.jpg 300w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-3-1024x724.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-3-768x543.jpg 768w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-3-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-3-600x424.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Caregiver assisting elderly couple with coloring<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Searching and Finding: LOOK FOR, LOOK UP, LOOK INTO | \u641c\u5c0b\u8207\u67e5\u8a62\u985eLOOK\u7247\u8a9e\u52d5\u8a5e<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The most common reason native English speakers reach for a LOOK phrasal verb is when someone is trying to find something \u2014 an object, a piece of information, or an answer. Three phrasal verbs dominate this category, and they are not interchangeable. Understanding the differences between them is one of the highest-value grammar lessons you can get for practical English use.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Look for | \u5c0b\u627e\uff08\u641c\u5c0b\u67d0\u4eba\u6216\u67d0\u7269\uff09<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Look for<\/strong> means to search for something or someone \u2014 it describes the act of trying to find. &#8220;I&#8217;ve been looking for my passport all morning.&#8221; &#8220;She&#8217;s looking for a new job.&#8221; &#8220;They&#8217;re looking for someone with five years of experience in finance.&#8221; Notice that <em>look for<\/em> focuses on the search process itself. You don&#8217;t necessarily find what you&#8217;re looking for. This nuance matters: <em>look for<\/em> does not mean <em>find<\/em>. A common learner error is saying &#8220;I looked for the answer and found it in the dictionary&#8221; \u2014 more natural English would be &#8220;I looked the word up in the dictionary and found the answer.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Look up | \u67e5\u8a62\uff08\u5728\u5b57\u5178\u6216\u8cc7\u6599\u5eab\u4e2d\u641c\u5c0b\uff09<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Look up<\/strong> has a specific and concrete meaning: to search for information in an organized reference source \u2014 a dictionary, an online database, a contact list, a spreadsheet. &#8220;Look up this word in the dictionary.&#8221; &#8220;I&#8217;ll look up his number.&#8221; &#8220;She looked up the company&#8217;s address before heading to the interview.&#8221; In the smartphone era, this phrasal verb is used dozens of times a day. Importantly, <em>look up<\/em> implies the reference exists and the search is purposeful \u2014 it&#8217;s not wandering through information hoping to stumble onto something. This verb is separable, meaning the object can go between <em>look<\/em> et <em>up<\/em>: &#8220;Look it up&#8221; or &#8220;Look up the word&#8221; are both correct. However, when the object is a pronoun, it must go in the middle: &#8220;Look it up&#8221; \u2713 \u2014 &#8220;Look up it&#8221; \u2717.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Look into | \u8abf\u67e5\uff08\u6df1\u5165\u7814\u7a76\u554f\u984c\u6216\u60c5\u6cc1\uff09<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Look into<\/strong> means to investigate or examine a problem, situation, or issue in depth. It implies more thorough analysis than a quick search. &#8220;The manager is looking into the complaint.&#8221; &#8220;We need to look into why sales dropped last quarter.&#8221; &#8220;The committee will look into the incident and report next month.&#8221; This phrasal verb is especially common in formal and professional settings (\u5546\u696d\u82f1\u6587 \/ \u8077\u5834\u82f1\u6587). If your boss asks you to look into something, they expect research, analysis, and a follow-up \u2014 not a thirty-second Google search. The phrase signals serious, methodical attention.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"608\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-4.jpg\" alt=\"Stressed guy reading business contract shaking head throwing pen in office\" class=\"wp-image-8124\" srcset=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-4.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-4-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-4-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-4-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-4-18x10.jpg 18w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-4-600x338.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Stressed guy reading business contract shaking head throwing pen in office<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Observation and Review: LOOK OVER, LOOK THROUGH, LOOK AROUND | \u89c0\u5bdf\u8207\u6aa2\u8996\u985eLOOK\u7247\u8a9e\u52d5\u8a5e<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A second major category covers how we observe, examine, or browse things. These phrasal verbs are slightly more passive than the searching group \u2014 you&#8217;re examining what&#8217;s in front of you rather than actively hunting for a specific answer. Each one describes a different depth and type of attention.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Look over | \u5feb\u901f\u5be9\u95b1\uff08\u6587\u4ef6\u6216\u8a08\u756b\uff09<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Look over<\/strong> means to review or examine something, often to check for errors or problems. &#8220;Can you look over this report before I send it to the client?&#8221; &#8220;She looked over the contract one more time before signing.&#8221; &#8220;He quickly looked over his notes before the presentation.&#8221; This is one of the most useful phrasal verbs for professional communication (\u82f1\u6587\u5bb6\u6559 students often underuse it). When you email a colleague &#8220;Could you look this over?&#8221;, you&#8217;re asking for a review \u2014 not a deep analysis, but careful enough to catch mistakes. Compare this with <em>look into<\/em>, which suggests a thorough investigation of a specific problem. <em>Look over<\/em> is more about general review; <em>look into<\/em> is about targeted research.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Look through | \u7ffb\u95b1\uff08\u5feb\u901f\u700f\u89bd\u4e00\u6279\u8cc7\u6599\uff09<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Look through<\/strong> means to scan or examine a collection of things, moving through them page by page or item by item. &#8220;I looked through all my emails but couldn&#8217;t find the attachment.&#8221; &#8220;She looked through the catalog for something in the right price range.&#8221; &#8220;He looked through the textbook before class to get an overview.&#8221; The key sense is of scanning rather than reading carefully \u2014 you&#8217;re moving through material without stopping at every detail. It suggests volume: there&#8217;s a lot to go through.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Look around | \u56db\u8655\u770b\u770b\uff08\u74b0\u9867\u6216\u96a8\u610f\u700f\u89bd\uff09<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Look around<\/strong> means to observe your surroundings or browse a place without a specific goal in mind. &#8220;Let&#8217;s look around the night market first before we decide where to eat.&#8221; &#8220;She looked around the office before her interview started.&#8221; &#8220;Can I just look around for a few minutes?&#8221; This suggests casual, unhurried observation. When used figuratively, it can mean exploring options generally: &#8220;I&#8217;m looking around for a better English course&#8221; implies browsing the market without having committed to a specific school.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-5.jpg\" alt=\"Meeting in progress\" class=\"wp-image-8125\" srcset=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-5.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-5-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-5-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-5-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-5-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-5-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Meeting in progress<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Care and Anticipation: LOOK AFTER, LOOK FORWARD TO, LOOK OUT FOR | \u7167\u9867\u8207\u671f\u5f85\u985eLOOK\u7247\u8a9e\u52d5\u8a5e<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Some of the most emotionally significant LOOK phrasal verbs describe caring for others and feeling positive anticipation about what&#8217;s coming. These are among the most common in both personal conversations and professional correspondence \u2014 and one of them contains a grammar trap that catches even advanced learners.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Look after | \u7167\u9867\uff08\u8ca0\u8cac\u7167\u6599\u67d0\u4eba\u6216\u67d0\u4e8b\uff09<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Look after<\/strong> means to take care of someone or something, especially when ongoing responsibility is involved. &#8220;She looks after her parents on weekends.&#8221; &#8220;Can you look after my cat while I&#8217;m traveling?&#8221; &#8220;He looks after the company&#8217;s major client accounts.&#8221; In professional contexts, saying you &#8220;look after&#8221; a client or a project portfolio implies ownership, dedication, and sustained attention \u2014 not just a single task. This is a genuinely warm, responsible-sounding phrase, and it&#8217;s frequently used in performance reviews and team discussions to praise someone who takes ownership seriously.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Look forward to | \u671f\u5f85\uff08\u67d0\u4ef6\u4ee4\u4eba\u958b\u5fc3\u7684\u672a\u4f86\u4e8b\u4ef6\uff09<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Look forward to<\/strong> expresses positive anticipation about something in the future. It is one of the most frequently used phrases in business email (\u5546\u696d\u82f1\u6587\u96fb\u5b50\u90f5\u4ef6) and professional correspondence in English: &#8220;I look forward to hearing from you.&#8221; &#8220;We look forward to your visit.&#8221; &#8220;I&#8217;m really looking forward to the conference next month.&#8221; Here is the grammar rule that trips up many \u591a\u76ca (TOEIC) test-takers and learners at every level: <em>look forward to<\/em> must be followed by a noun or a gerund (verb + -ing), never a bare infinitive. &#8220;I look forward to meeting you&#8221; \u2713 \u2014 &#8220;I look forward to meet you&#8221; \u2717. The reason is that <em>\u00e0<\/em> here is a preposition, not part of an infinitive construction. Prepositions are always followed by nouns or gerunds. Commit this rule to memory \u2014 it appears in professional emails every day.<\/p>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Look out (for) | \u5c0f\u5fc3\u6ce8\u610f\uff08\u8b66\u544a\u6216\u4fdd\u8b77\u67d0\u4eba\uff09<\/h3>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Look out<\/strong> used alone is an exclamation warning of immediate danger: &#8220;Look out! There&#8217;s a motorbike coming!&#8221; But <em>look out for<\/em> (with the preposition <em>for<\/em>) means to stay alert for something, or to watch over someone&#8217;s interests. &#8220;Look out for suspicious emails from unknown senders.&#8221; &#8220;She always looks out for the newer team members.&#8221; &#8220;Look out for signs that the project timeline is slipping.&#8221; In professional settings, <em>look out for<\/em> expresses vigilance, protective attention, and a proactive mindset \u2014 qualities any employer values.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"719\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-6.jpg\" alt=\"Filing cabinet\" class=\"wp-image-8126\" srcset=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-6.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-6-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-6-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-6-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-6-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-6-600x399.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Filing cabinet<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">LOOK Phrasal Verbs in Professional English | \u8077\u5834\u82f1\u6587\u4e2d\u7684LOOK\u7247\u8a9e\u52d5\u8a5e\u5be6\u969b\u904b\u7528<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For Taiwanese professionals preparing for the \u591a\u76ca (TOEIC) exam or working in international business environments, LOOK phrasal verbs appear across all forms of workplace communication. Recognizing and using them correctly makes your English sound markedly more fluent and natural.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In emails, these phrases do real work. &#8220;I&#8217;ll look into this and get back to you by Friday&#8221; signals that you&#8217;re taking a problem seriously and have a timeline in mind. &#8220;Please look over the attached proposal before tomorrow&#8217;s call&#8221; is cleaner and more direct than asking someone to &#8220;read and check&#8221; it. &#8220;I look forward to your feedback&#8221; is a polished, professional way to close correspondence \u2014 much warmer than simply writing &#8220;Please reply.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In meetings, these verbs help you respond gracefully under pressure. &#8220;Let me look into that figure \u2014 I don&#8217;t have it in front of me right now&#8221; buys time without sounding evasive. &#8220;Could we look over the timeline again?&#8221; raises concerns diplomatically. &#8220;I&#8217;ll look into the client&#8217;s request and follow up by end of week&#8221; assigns clear ownership to a task.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In performance reviews or team conversations, these phrases carry genuine weight. &#8220;She really looks after her team members&#8221; is a meaningful compliment for a manager. &#8220;He looked into the technical problem before it became critical&#8221; highlights initiative and foresight. Native English speakers use these phrases because they&#8217;re natural \u2014 not because they&#8217;re sophisticated. Knowing them makes your English sound like it belongs in the room.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-7.jpg\" alt=\"person writing on glass whiteboard with diagrams\" class=\"wp-image-8127\" srcset=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-7.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-7-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-7-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-7-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-7-16x12.jpg 16w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-7-600x450.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">person writing on glass whiteboard with diagrams<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them | \u53f0\u7063\u5b78\u7fd2\u8005\u5e38\u898b\u932f\u8aa4\u89e3\u6790<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Several LOOK phrasal verb errors come up repeatedly among English learners (\u82f1\u6587\u5b78\u7fd2\u8005) in Taiwan. Knowing these pitfalls in advance can prevent awkward miscommunication before it happens.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Confusing &#8220;look for&#8221; with &#8220;look up.&#8221;<\/strong> Many students say &#8220;I looked for this word in the dictionary&#8221; when the intended meaning is &#8220;I looked this word up in the dictionary.&#8221; The difference is subtle but real. <em>Look for<\/em> in the dictionary suggests you searched and possibly didn&#8217;t find it. <em>Look up<\/em> in the dictionary means you used it as a reference tool \u2014 the implied result is that you found your answer. When retrieving specific information from an organized source, <em>look up<\/em> is almost always the right choice.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Forgetting the gerund rule with &#8220;look forward to.&#8221;<\/strong> This is one of the most common errors in professional emails written by non-native speakers. The phrase ends with the preposition <em>\u00e0<\/em>, which must be followed by a noun or gerund \u2014 never a bare infinitive. &#8220;I look forward to working with you&#8221; \u2713 \u2014 &#8220;I look forward to work with you&#8221; \u2717. Many learners confuse this with verb patterns like &#8220;I want to work with you,&#8221; where a bare infinitive is correct. Remember: the <em>\u00e0<\/em> dans <em>look forward to<\/em> is a preposition, not part of an infinitive construction.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Using &#8220;look at&#8221; when you mean &#8220;look into.&#8221;<\/strong> &#8220;Look at&#8221; simply directs your eyes toward something \u2014 it carries no implication of investigation or understanding. &#8220;We looked at the problem&#8221; could mean you glanced at it for two seconds. &#8220;We looked into the problem&#8221; means you investigated it. In professional reporting or when explaining what action you&#8217;ve taken on an issue, <em>look into<\/em> is almost always what you intend to say.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Trying to separate inseparable phrasal verbs.<\/strong> Most LOOK phrasal verbs are inseparable \u2014 the object must come after the complete phrasal verb, not between the verb and its particle. &#8220;Look after her&#8221; \u2713 \u2014 &#8220;Look her after&#8221; \u2717. &#8220;Look into the issue&#8221; \u2713 \u2014 &#8220;Look the issue into&#8221; \u2717. &#8220;Look forward to the meeting&#8221; \u2713 \u2014 &#8220;Look the meeting forward to&#8221; \u2717. The separable exceptions are <em>look over<\/em> et <em>look up<\/em>: &#8220;Look it over&#8221; and &#8220;Look it up&#8221; are both natural and correct.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1080\" height=\"720\" src=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-8.jpg\" alt=\"man in grey shirt using grey laptop computer\" class=\"wp-image-8128\" srcset=\"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-8.jpg 1080w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-8-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-8-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-8-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-8-18x12.jpg 18w, https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-8-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">man in grey shirt using grey laptop computer<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Putting It All Together: A Real Workplace Exchange | \u7d9c\u5408\u61c9\u7528\uff1a\u8077\u5834\u5c0d\u8a71\u5be6\u4f8b<\/h2>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The best way to cement these expressions is seeing them work together in a realistic context. The following short exchange naturally uses six different LOOK phrasal verbs \u2014 pay attention to how smoothly they fit into ordinary professional conversation:<\/p>\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p><strong>Manager:<\/strong> &#8220;I heard there&#8217;s an issue with the Johnson account. Can you look into it?&#8221;<\/p><p><strong>Employee:<\/strong> &#8220;Sure. I already looked over the recent correspondence, and I noticed a billing discrepancy. I&#8217;m still looking into exactly when it started.&#8221;<\/p><p><strong>Manager:<\/strong> &#8220;Good. While you&#8217;re at it, look through the other accounts from that quarter too \u2014 there might be a pattern. And look out for anything that could affect our Q3 numbers.&#8221;<\/p><p><strong>Employee:<\/strong> &#8220;Understood. I&#8217;ll look up the client&#8217;s main contact and reach out today to let them know we&#8217;re on it.&#8221;<\/p><p><strong>Manager:<\/strong> &#8220;Perfect. Make sure someone looks after them in the meantime \u2014 keep the relationship warm. I look forward to your update at Friday&#8217;s meeting.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In just a few exchanges, you get <em>look into, look over, look through, look out for, look up, look after,<\/em> et <em>look forward to<\/em> \u2014 all used naturally, in sequence, by people in a realistic situation. None of them feel formal or forced. That&#8217;s the mark of phrasal verbs that are truly embedded in the language: they&#8217;re not literary or elevated, they&#8217;re simply the most natural way to say these things in English.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As you continue your English learning (\u82f1\u6587\u5b78\u7fd2) journey, notice LOOK phrasal verbs in the emails you receive, the podcasts you listen to, and the business content you read. Each time you spot one in context, you&#8217;re reinforcing the pattern. Over time, using them correctly will stop feeling like a grammar exercise and start feeling like the obvious, natural choice \u2014 which is exactly what fluency looks like.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sources | \u53c3\u8003\u8cc7\u6599<\/h2>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Oxford Learner&#8217;s Dictionaries<\/a> \u2014 phrasal verb definitions and usage examples<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.britishcouncil.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Conseil britannique<\/a> \u2014 English language teaching and grammar resources<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cambridge.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cambridge University Press<\/a> \u2014 English grammar and phrasal verb references<\/li><\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Master phrasal verbs with LOOK \u2014 from look up and look into to look forward to and look after. Real examples, grammar rules, and professional usage for Taiwan ESL learners.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8121,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kadence_starter_templates_imported_post":false,"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"_kad_post_classname":"","rank_math_title":"Phrasal Verbs with LOOK: Complete Usage Guide | \u82f1\u6587\u5b78\u7fd2","rank_math_description":"Master LOOK phrasal verbs in English. Learn look up, look after, look forward to, look into with real examples for Taiwan ESL learners. \u82f1\u6587\u7247\u8a9e\u52d5\u8a5e\u5b78\u7fd2\u6307\u5357","rank_math_focus_keyword":"Phrasal verbs (most common 50, 100)","rank_math_canonical_url":"","rank_math_pillar_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[207,161,531,2288,1185,1160,201,2113,206,248,2111],"class_list":["post-8129","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-article-posts","tag-business-english","tag-english-grammar","tag-esl-vocabulary","tag-look-phrasal-verbs","tag-phrasal-verbs","tag-1160","tag-201","tag-2113","tag-206","tag-248","tag-2111"],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":23,"label":"Articles"}],"post_tag":[{"value":207,"label":"Business English"},{"value":161,"label":"English grammar"},{"value":531,"label":"ESL Vocabulary"},{"value":2288,"label":"look phrasal verbs"},{"value":1185,"label":"phrasal verbs"},{"value":1160,"label":"\u53f0\u7063\u82f1\u6587\u5b78\u7fd2"},{"value":201,"label":"\u5546\u696d\u82f1\u6587"},{"value":2113,"label":"\u591a\u76ca\u5099\u8003"},{"value":206,"label":"\u8077\u5834\u82f1\u6587"},{"value":248,"label":"\u82f1\u6587\u5b78\u7fd2"},{"value":2111,"label":"\u82f1\u6587\u7247\u8a9e\u52d5\u8a5e"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/phrasal-verbs-with-look-1-1024x683.jpg",1024,683,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"18K Staff","author_link":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/fr\/author\/admin\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":23,"name":"Articles","slug":"article-posts","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":23,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":347,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":23,"category_count":347,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Articles","category_nicename":"article-posts","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":[{"term_id":207,"name":"Business English","slug":"business-english","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":207,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":106,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":161,"name":"English grammar","slug":"english-grammar","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":161,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":62,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":531,"name":"ESL Vocabulary","slug":"esl-vocabulary","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":531,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":17,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":2288,"name":"look phrasal verbs","slug":"look-phrasal-verbs","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2288,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":1,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":1185,"name":"phrasal verbs","slug":"phrasal-verbs","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1185,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":13,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":1160,"name":"\u53f0\u7063\u82f1\u6587\u5b78\u7fd2","slug":"%e5%8f%b0%e7%81%a3%e8%8b%b1%e6%96%87%e5%ad%b8%e7%bf%92","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1160,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":19,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":201,"name":"\u5546\u696d\u82f1\u6587","slug":"%e5%95%86%e6%a5%ad%e8%8b%b1%e6%96%87","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":201,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":76,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":2113,"name":"\u591a\u76ca\u5099\u8003","slug":"%e5%a4%9a%e7%9b%8a%e5%82%99%e8%80%83","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2113,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":206,"name":"\u8077\u5834\u82f1\u6587","slug":"%e8%81%b7%e5%a0%b4%e8%8b%b1%e6%96%87","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":206,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":28,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":248,"name":"\u82f1\u6587\u5b78\u7fd2","slug":"%e8%8b%b1%e6%96%87%e5%ad%b8%e7%bf%92","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":248,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":103,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":2111,"name":"\u82f1\u6587\u7247\u8a9e\u52d5\u8a5e","slug":"%e8%8b%b1%e6%96%87%e7%89%87%e8%aa%9e%e5%8b%95%e8%a9%9e","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":2111,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":8,"filter":"raw"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8129","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8129"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8129\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8130,"href":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8129\/revisions\/8130"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8129"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8129"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/18kenglish.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8129"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}