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"To Look Over," "To Oversee," and "To Overlook"

The three verbs above are very similar, but they actually have completely different meanings. Luckily, with a few examples from Yabla English, we can quickly clarify the difference. 

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The verb "to oversee" is synonymous with "to supervise," and means to watch over what someone is doing or something that is happening. 

 

Lee oversees the four restoration technicians we have in the museum. 

Caption 19, Motorcycle Masters: Birmingham Alabama

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The verb "to overlook," on the other hand, means to fail to see or notice something. It's almost the opposite of "to oversee"!

 

A gem of a park, it's often overlooked.

Caption 4, America's National Parks: Saguaro

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Cinderella was delighted, but there was still a small detail that the Fairy had apparently overlooked.

Captions 47-48, Yabla Fairy Tales: Cinderella

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And overlook this supposed crime

Caption 8, Alanis Morissette: Hands Clean

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The phrase "to look over" means to examine, review, check, or inspect something. 

 

There is nothing out of the ordinary, but we always recommend that you look over it closely.

Captions 30-31, The Company: Starting on a New Job

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Further Learning
Try writing your own sentences in different tenses. If you get stuck, look for examples with the root verbs "to see" and "to look" on Yabla English, as these can be used as a guideline.

Pronouncing "ough"

The syllable "ough" can be truly maddening for those who are learning English.. "Oh," "ooh," "off," "ow," "uff," and "aw" are only some of the ways that it's pronounced. It's simply a matter of memorizing relevant words, so here are some you need to know: 

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The words "dough" and "though" both rhyme with "low." 

 

Even though it was stressful, it's delightful.

Caption 17, Abiventures: Happy New Year

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Pull our dough out and weigh it up.

Caption 36, Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives Cookie Jar

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The word "through," however, rhymes with "you," and the word "cough" rhymes with "off." The word "bough" rhymes with "cow."

 

The color of the sky is gray, as I can see through the blinds.

Caption 23, 10,000 Maniacs: Like the Weather

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So, while in the US, I bought a totally normal bag of cough drops at the store.

Caption 36, Wanted Adventure: You Know You're IN THE USA WHEN...

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Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.

Caption 21, Christina Perri: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

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The words "rough," "tough," and "enough" all rhyme with "stuff." 

 

This way the characteristic rough cliff could form.

Caption 5, Evolution: On Land

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The roadrunner is a tough old bird.

Caption 44, America's National Parks: Saguaro

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Now for a pattern you can actually depend on: When a "t" is added to the end, the word will rhyme with "lot." 

 

I thought we were practicing.

Caption 60, Accents: One language, three accents

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A new breed of activists fought to protect Yosemite from development.

Caption 37, America's National Parks: Yosemite

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They're sought-after delicacies for sharks and humans alike.

Caption 2, Nature & Wildlife: Wild Sharks

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Further Learning
Alongside all of the lessons we publish, you'll find this one here, where you can also access caption playback directly! And you'll find many examples of these words in use on Yabla English