look out
๐ Pronunciation
/lสk aสt/
Stress: primary stress on particle 'out'
particle 'out' often emphasized for warning function
๐จโ๐ฉโ๐งโ๐ฆ Word Family
| Word Class | Forms |
|---|---|
| Verbs | look out, looks out, looked out, looking out |
| Nouns | lookout, outlook |
Noun form 'lookout' is common in compounds
๐ Phrasal Verb Structure
Base verb: lookParticle: out
Transitivity: both
๐ Meanings
Meaning 1
to be careful or vigilant about danger
Formal equivalent: beware
SEMI-LITERAL
“Look out! There's a car coming!”
“You need to look out for ice on the road.”
“She always looks out for her younger siblings.”
Meaning 2
to take care of or be responsible for someone
Formal equivalent: protect, care for
ABSTRACT
“Friends look out for each other.”
“Who's looking out for the children while you're away?”
“He always looks out for his elderly neighbors.”
โ ๏ธ Separability Rules
Rule: OPTIONALLY SEPARABLE
Pronoun Placement
โ look out for it
โ look it out
โ look out it
๐ก Think of it Like This
Imagine someone standing at a watchtower, looking outward for danger
Memory aid: Think of a lookout post at a castle
Related to historical watchman role in communities
๐ Usage Patterns
Grammatical Contexts
Imperative: “Look out for that hole!”
Continuous: “I'm looking out for suspicious activity”
Perfect: “She has always looked out for me”
Passive: “The children are being looked out for”
Modal: “You should look out for scammers”
Question: “Who's looking out for you?”
Negative: “Nobody was looking out for them”
Common in:
โ ๏ธ Common Errors
โ Look for out dangerโโ Look out for danger
Particle order confusion
Common for: SOV languages
High impact
โ Look out the windowโโ Look out of the window
Missing preposition for literal meaning
โ He looks out his sisterโโ He looks out for his sister
Missing preposition 'for'
โ Look out it!โโ Look out for it!
Missing 'for' with pronouns
โ I am looking out youโโ I am looking out for you
Preposition omission
๐ Register & Alternatives
Formality: informal to neutral
Single-verb alternatives
Formal: beware, exercise caution, safeguard
Neutral: protect, watch, guard
Informal: keep an eye on
Use phrasal verb: casual conversation, immediate warnings
Use single verb: formal writing, legal contexts
๐ Etymology
Origin: From literal meaning of looking outward for danger