Động từ của tiếng anh có thể kết hợp với các từ khác để tạo nên nghĩa mới. Điều này làm phong phú cách dùng và là cách để mở rộng vốn từ mà không phải phát sinh ra từ mới
Động từ Look có nghĩa là nhìn, ngắm, tuy nhiến khi nó kết hợp với các giới từ (Preposition) và các particles như up, on, in, at... thì nó có nghĩa mới.
1. Look after. Chăm sóc
"Look after" có 3 loại tân ngữ như oneself, something và somebody.
Ý nghĩa:
- Chịu trách nhiệm để chăm sóc ai đó, hoặc chăm lo điều gì đó
Ex: Who's going to look after the children while you're away? (Somebody)
I'm looking after his affairs while he's in hospital. (something)
Don't worry about me—I can look after myself (= I don't need any help).
- Chịu trách nhiệm đảm bảo mọi thứ tốt đẹp đến với ai đó
Ex: He's good at looking after his own interests.
2. look ahead (to something): to think about what is going to happen in the future
Tiên đoán, dự đoán điều sắp xảy ra trong thời gian tới
look back (on something): to think about something in your past
Ex: He usually looks back on his childhood whenever he's sad.
3. look for something: to hope for something; to expect something
Tìm kiếm, mong ngóng điều gì đó
Ex: We shall be looking for an improvement in your work this term.
4. look forward to
- look forward to something: to be thinking with pleasure about something that is going to happen (because you expect to enjoy it)
Trông mong điều gì đó.
Ex: I'm looking forward to the weekend.
Động từ đi theo sau phải ở dạng hiện tại phân từ (V-ING)
- look forward to doing something
Ex: We're really looking forward to seeing you again.
5. look on: to watch something without becoming involved in it yourself
Ex: Passers-by simply looked on as he was attacked
Khi "look on" có tân ngữ đi kèm thì nghĩa của nó hơi khác một chút.
- look on somebody/something as somebody/something: to consider somebody/something to be somebody/something
Ex: She's looked on as the leading authority on the subject.
- look on somebody/something with something: to consider somebody/something in a particular way
Ex: They looked on his behaviour with contempt.
6. look down on somebody/something: to think that you are better than somebody/something
Ex: She looks down on people who haven't been to college.
7. look up: to become better or Improve: Tra cứu
Ex: At last things were beginning to look up.
- look up (f-rom something): to raise your eyes when you are looking down at something: Ngước nhìn
Ex: She looked up f-rom her book as I entered the room.
- look somebody up: to visit or make contact with somebody, especially when you have not seen them for a long time
Ghé thăm ai đó, đặc biệt khi bạn không gặp họ trong thời gian dài
Ex: Do look me up the next time you're in London.
- look something up: to look for information in a dictionary or reference book, or by using a computer
Tra cứu thông tin, từ điển
Ex: Can you look up the opening times on the website?
Ex: I looked it up in the dictionary.
8. look in (on somebody): to make a short visit to a place, especially somebody's house when they are ill/sick or need help
Ghé qua nhà ai đó (Khi họ bị ốm hoặc cần sự giúp đỡ)
Ex: She looks in on her elderly neighbour every evening.
Ex: Why don't you look in on me next time you're in town?
9. look into something: to examine something:
Điều tra
Ex: A working party has been set up to look into the problem.
Note: "Look into" Có nghĩa khác nếu into là một giới từ
Ex: He looks into her eyes as if to ask for a kiss.
10. look out: used to warn somebody to be careful, especially when there is danger = Watch out
Là cách nói dùng để cảnh báo ai đó phải cẩn thận, đặc biệt khi có nguy hiểm sắp đến gần
Ex:Look out! There's a car coming.
- look out for somebody: to take care of somebody and make sure nothing bad happens to them
Ex: This usage is the same with Look after.
- look out for somebody/something:
+ to try to avoid something bad happening or doing something bad:
Cố tránh xa điều xấu sắp xảy ra hoặc cố tránh làm điều xấu
Ex: You should look out for pickpockets.
Ex: Do look out for spelling mistakes in your work.
+ to keep trying to find something or meet somebody:
Cố tìm kiếm hoặc gặp gỡ ai đó
Ex: I'll look out for you at the conference.
- look out for somebody/yourself: to think only of somebody's/your own advantage, without worrying about other people:
Tự phụ
Ex: You should look out for yourself f-rom now on.
- look something out (for somebody/something): to search for something f-rom among your possessions:
lục lại, tìm lại
Ex: I'll look out those old photographs you wanted to see.
11. look something over: to examine something to see how good, big, etc. it is: Khám xét
The particle "over" can come right after the verb if the object is long.
Ex: We looked over the house again before we decided we would rent it.
12. look round: to turn your head to see somebody/something behind you:
Nhìn quanh
Ex: She looked round when she heard the noise.
13. look through:
- look through somebody: to ignore somebody by pretending not to see them
Phớt lờ ai đó
Ex: She just looked straight through me.
- look through something: to examine or read something quickly:
Xem hoặc đọc điều gì đó rất chóng vánh
Ex: She looked through her notes when making speech.
Tác giả: Minh Phú