Look on its own means direct your eyes. Add a particle and the phrase becomes a new verb with a new meaning. "Look after" means take care of. "Look for" means search. "Look forward to" means wait with pleasure. The verb looks the same, but the job is different.
Most look phrasal verbs are not separable, so the particle stays next to look: "look after the children", never "look the children after". One common phrase is different: "look up" is separable, so a pronoun goes in the middle: "look it up".
This page groups the look phrasal verbs by meaning, shows the word order that trips learners up, and finishes with a 20-question drill. Every answer comes with the rule in one sentence.
The rule
Look after, look at and look for
- Look after means take care of someone or something: "She looks after her grandmother."
- Look at means direct your eyes at a thing: "Look at the photo."
- Look for means search: "I am looking for my glasses."
- The particle changes the whole meaning, so learn each phrase as one unit.
Look forward to
- Look forward to means wait with pleasure: "I look forward to the summer."
- To is a preposition here, so a following verb takes -ing: "I look forward to hearing from you."
- The base verb after to is a classic mistake: "I look forward to see you" is wrong.
- The phrase is common at the end of letters and emails.
Look up, look out and look into
- Look up means search for information: "Look up the address."
- Look out is a warning meaning be careful: "Look out! The step is broken."
- Look into means investigate: "The bank is looking into the problem."
- Look up is separable: "look it up", never "look up it".
Look like, look as if and look through
- Look like compares appearance and takes a noun: "She looks like her mother."
- Look as if introduces a clause: "It looks as if it will rain."
- Look through means read or check quickly: "Look through your notes."
- Look plus an adjective describes appearance: "You look tired today."
Word order and the pronoun rule
- Look up is separable, so a pronoun goes between verb and particle: "look it up".
- With a noun, both orders work: "look up the word" or "look the word up".
- Look after, look for, look into and look forward to are not separable.
- Keep the preposition with its object: "look after him", never "look him after".
Examples
- She looks after her little brother after school.Look after means take care of.
- I am looking for a new job.Look for means search.
- We look forward to hearing from you.To is a preposition, so the verb takes -ing.
- Look up the address before you leave.Look up means search for information.
- Look out! There is a car coming.Look out is a warning.
- The police are looking into the accident.Look into means investigate.
- He looks like his father.Look like compares appearance and takes a noun.
- It looks as if it is going to snow.Look as if introduces a clause about how things seem.
- Look at the picture and describe it.Look at means direct your eyes at something.
- She looked through the report in ten minutes.Look through means read or check quickly.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: I look forward to see you. Right: I look forward to seeing you.
- To in look forward to is a preposition, so the following verb takes the -ing form.
- Wrong: She looks her brother after. Right: She looks after her brother.
- Look after is not separable. The particle stays next to look.
- Wrong: Please look up it in the dictionary. Right: Please look it up in the dictionary.
- Look up is separable, so a pronoun goes between the verb and the particle.
- Wrong: He looks as his father. Right: He looks like his father.
- Look like compares appearance and needs like before a noun. As if needs a full clause.
- Wrong: They are looking the problem into. Right: They are looking into the problem.
- Look into is a fixed phrase and is not separated.
Practice drill
Answer all 20 questions. Each answer is marked at once, and the rule is explained under the question.
Can you ___ my dog while I am away?
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. look after Look after means take care of, so it fits caring for the dog while you are away.
I am ___ seeing you next week.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. looking forward to Look forward to means wait with pleasure, and to takes the -ing form seeing.
She ___ her keys everywhere, but they were in her bag.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. looked for Look for means search, so looked for describes the search for the keys.
The police are ___ the robbery.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. looking into Look into means investigate, which is what the police do with a robbery.
___! There is a car coming.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. Look out Look out is a warning meaning be careful.
If you do not know the word, ___ in the dictionary.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. look it up Look up is separable, so the pronoun it goes between look and up.
My sister ___ our grandmother every weekend.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. looks after Look after means take care of, and every weekend shows a habit with looks.
He ___ his watch and saw that it was late.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. looked at Look at means direct your eyes at something, so looked at his watch fits.
It ___ it is going to rain.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. looks as if Look as if introduces a clause about how something seems.
You ___ your father in that photo.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. look like Look like compares appearance and takes a noun after it.
I am looking ___ a job with better hours.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. for Look for means search, so looking for a job is the correct phrasal verb.
We must ___ this complaint before Friday.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. look into Look into means investigate, which is the work the complaint needs.
She ___ the letter and smiled.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. looked at Look at means direct your eyes at something, so looked at the letter fits.
___ your notes before the exam.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. Look through Look through means read or check quickly, which is what notes need before an exam.
___ the word "ocean" in your dictionary.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. Look up Look up means search for information, here a word in a dictionary.
The children are ___ the school trip.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. looking forward to Look forward to means wait with pleasure, so the children are excited about the trip.
Nurses ___ patients all day.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: A. look after Look after means take care of, which is a nurse's job.
The manager promised to ___ the problem.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B. look into Look into means investigate, so the manager will examine the problem.
I ___ hearing from you soon.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: C. look forward to Look forward to means wait with pleasure, and the -ing form hearing follows to.
She ___ her mother; they have the same smile.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: D. looks like Look like compares appearance and takes a noun, so looks like her mother is correct.
Drill complete
You answered every question.
Next topic: Phrasal verbs with take: off, up, after and overTake the level test
Questions learners ask
What is the difference between look after and look for?
Look after means take care of a person, an animal or a thing, as in "she looks after the garden". Look for means search, as in "she is looking for her keys". The first is about responsibility and the second is about finding something.
Why does look forward to take an -ing verb?
In this phrase, to is a preposition, not part of an infinitive. Prepositions are followed by a noun or a gerund, so the verb after look forward to takes -ing: "I look forward to meeting you". The same pattern appears in "interested in learning" and "good at drawing".
Can I say "look up it"?
No. Look up is a separable phrasal verb, so a pronoun object must go between the verb and the particle: "look it up". With a full noun phrase, both orders are fine: "look up the word" or "look the word up".
More grammar topics
Phrasal verbs with take: off, up, after and over
The particle decides whether take means removing clothes, leaving the ground, starting a hobby, resembling a parent or gaining control.
Unless: if not, and how to use it
Unless introduces the one condition that stops something: "Unless you hurry, we will be late." The clause stays in the present simple, even about the future.
Wish and if only: past, present and future regrets
Wish moves the tense one step back to show that the situation is unreal: past simple for now, past perfect for then, and would for what annoys you.
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