Listen To, Look At, Wait For

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Listen To, Look At, Wait For

In this lesson, you can keep to, at or for after the right verb.

Created by , British English teacher.

I’m studying:

Try the activities, then check your answers.

Choose a short recording.

Before you start

Say something you listen to.

See one possible response

I listen to music.

A visitor joins a short audio tour and needs to follow simple instructions.

What you will practise
  • Keep to, at or for after the right verb.
  • Use it, them and other short object words.
  • Use the patterns in questions and negatives.

Say your answer. Then check the model. Your answer can be different if it fits the task.

Learn the whole phrase

Learn listen to, look at and wait for as small units. The preposition connects the verb to the next person or thing. Use listen to the guide, not listen the guide. Listen and look can also stand alone when there is no following object.

Please listen to the guide.

Look at the number on your ticket.

A call, or a phrase with an object

Call for attentionLook!

There is no following object in this short call.

Name what to look atLook at this photo.

At connects look to the thing you want someone to see.

Learn look at together when you name the object. Look can also stand alone as a short instruction.
The guide speaks while pointing to a small historical object model and a folded route map. Both women turn toward him and listen attentively, with natural expressions of interest. No location scenery or large lecture crowd.
Please listen to the guide.To connects listen to its following object.

Put pronouns after the preposition

A name or thing can become a pronoun: wait for Sara becomes wait for her. Keep the preposition before the pronoun. Do not move her between wait and for.

Please wait for me.

I listen to him every morning.

Questions and everyday statements

Keep the same unit in a statement, negative or simple question: Do you listen to music? I don’t wait for the bus here. The helper do or does changes the question; it does not remove the preposition.

Do you listen to the radio?

We don’t wait for the tour inside.

The Asian woman asks the same guide and lace-reference woman to wait for her while she fastens her compact bag clasp. They pause and look back kindly. Keep the bag and small folded guide map as the only props. The waiting is requested, not already an extended completed wait.
Please wait for me.The object pronoun follows for.

Guided practice

Say or write your answer first. Then compare the meaning and grammar with the model.

1. Please look ___ the map.

Compare a model and explanation

at

The phrase is look at something.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

2. I listen music in the evening.

Compare a model and explanation

I listen to music in the evening.

Add the required to before music.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

3. We wait for Leo. Use him.

Compare a model and explanation

We wait for him.

The object pronoun comes after for.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

4. me / wait / Please / for

Compare a model and explanation

Please wait for me.

For stays before its object.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

5. You listen to the radio. Ask about this habit.

Compare a model and explanation

Do you listen to the radio?

Add do without removing to.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

6. We wait for the bus here. Say this is not true.

Compare a model and explanation

We don’t wait for the bus here.

The negative helper does not change wait for.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

7. Listen! Listen to the teacher! Does the first sentence need an object?

Compare a model and explanation

No. Listen can be a complete instruction on its own.

To is needed when this pattern has a following object, not after every occurrence of listen.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

8. A visitor needs to see a sign and wait for the guide. Give two instructions.

Compare a model and explanation

Look at the sign. Wait for the guide.

Each verb keeps its appropriate preposition.

Accept a grammatical alternative that satisfies the stated prompt and this item’s explanation; the model is not an exhaustive exact-string key.

A short conversation

Listen to the exchange, then take one role. The speaker labels identify roles; do not narrate them.

Open the conversation transcript

Guide: Please look at the blue sign.

Visitor: Is that our meeting place?

Guide: Yes. Wait for me there and listen to the recording.

Visitor: Okay. I can listen to it on my phone.

Listening checks

Listen to each extract, then choose the best answer. These three questions have their own score.

1. Who should the listener wait for?
Read the listening transcript

Look at the small map. Then wait for the guide by the door.

2. What does the speaker listen to in the evening?
Read the listening transcript

I listen to the radio in the morning. In the evening, I listen to music.

3. What does the speaker ask the listener to do?
Read the listening transcript

Please wait for us. We’re near the shop.

Answer key with explanations

  1. Who should the listener wait for?

    The guide.: For the guide identifies the person to wait for.

    Compare all choices
    • The guide.: For the guide identifies the person to wait for.
    • The map.: The map is something to look at.
    • A taxi driver.: No taxi driver is mentioned.

  2. What does the speaker listen to in the evening?

    Music.: The second sentence gives the evening activity.

    Compare all choices
    • A teacher.: No teacher is mentioned.
    • Music.: The second sentence gives the evening activity.
    • The radio.: The radio is the morning choice.

  3. What does the speaker ask the listener to do?

    Wait for the speaker’s group.: Us includes the speaker and others.

    Compare all choices
    • Look at a shop window.: The shop gives their location, not this instruction.
    • Listen to a shop recording.: There is no recording in the message.
    • Wait for the speaker’s group.: Us includes the speaker and others.

Mastery quiz

Choose the best answer for each situation. The score is out of eight.

1. Complete: Listen ___ the instructions.
2. Complete: Look ___ the photo.
3. Complete: Please wait ___ me.
4. Replace Sara: I listen to Sara.
5. Choose the neutral question.
6. Choose the negative.
7. Which instruction can stand alone?
8. Choose two instructions for a visitor.
Answer key with explanations

  1. Complete: Listen ___ the instructions.

    to: Listen to connects the verb to the instructions.

    Compare all choices
    • at: Look takes at in the taught pattern; listen takes to.
    • for: Listen for can mean trying to hear a particular sound, but not attending to these instructions in the requested pattern.
    • to: Listen to connects the verb to the instructions.

  2. Complete: Look ___ the photo.

    at: Look at directs attention to the photo.

    Compare all choices
    • at: Look at directs attention to the photo.
    • for: Look for means search for, not examine the visible photo.
    • to: To does not give the intended ordinary look-at pattern here.

  3. Complete: Please wait ___ me.

    for: Wait for identifies the person you are waiting for.

    Compare all choices
    • at: At can introduce a location, not the person in this pattern.
    • for: Wait for identifies the person you are waiting for.
    • to: Wait to normally introduces an action, not me as the waiting target.

  4. Replace Sara: I listen to Sara.

    I listen to her.: The object pronoun follows to.

    Compare all choices
    • I listen to she.: She is the subject form, not the object form.
    • I listen her to.: Her cannot be moved before to in this pattern.
    • I listen to her.: The object pronoun follows to.

  5. Choose the neutral question.

    Do you listen to music?: Do is added and listen to stays intact.

    Compare all choices
    • Do you listen to music?: Do is added and listen to stays intact.
    • Do you listen music?: The object music needs to in this pattern.
    • Listen you to music?: A present-simple question normally needs do here.

  6. Choose the negative.

    We don’t wait for him.: The complete verb–preposition pattern is preserved.

    Compare all choices
    • We not wait for him.: Use don’t for this present-simple negative.
    • We don’t wait for him.: The complete verb–preposition pattern is preserved.
    • We don’t wait him.: Him needs for after wait in this meaning.

  7. Which instruction can stand alone?

    Listen!: Listen can be used without a following object.

    Compare all choices
    • Listen to!: To is left without its required complement here.
    • For wait!: This reverses the words and does not form an instruction.
    • Listen!: Listen can be used without a following object.

  8. Choose two instructions for a visitor.

    Look at the screen and listen to the guide.: Both objects have the appropriate preposition.

    Compare all choices
    • Look at the screen and listen to the guide.: Both objects have the appropriate preposition.
    • Look to the screen and listen at the guide.: These are not the intended patterns for looking at and attending to the visible guide.
    • Look the screen and listen the guide.: Both required prepositions are missing.

Use it in your own words

A simple tour

Give three instructions using look at, listen to and wait for.

Reveal a possible response

Look at the entrance. Listen to the guide. Wait for your friend.

  • Use all three complete units
  • Give each a suitable object

Use a real or invented place.

Your habits

Say what you listen to, then ask a partner about their listening.

Reveal a possible response

I listen to music in the morning. Do you listen to the radio?

  • Retain to in statement and question
  • Ask a clear question

Accept other familiar listening objects.

Put it all together

A colleague joins a video call for the first time. Tell them what to look at, who to listen to and who to wait for. Replace one person with a pronoun.

Reveal a possible response

Look at the screen. Listen to our manager. Please wait for her before you start.

  • Give practical instructions
  • Keep all prepositions
  • Use one object pronoun correctly

The final detail can be simpler: Please wait for her.

Take it with you

Keep the preposition with listen to, look at and wait for. Use an object pronoun after it. Keep the whole pattern in questions.