Hear vs.listen

Tommy: Hello, guys! Welcome to our grammar lessons!

My best friends Maddie, Kristie and Martin will help me make our lessons useful and enjoyable.

- Hmm… I can hear a loud music in the next room.

- Oh, that’s Maggie. She’s listening to her favourite rock band.

Hear and Listen

What is the difference?

Many students are confused about when to use the verb "hear" and when to use the verb "listen."

This is may be because in Russian the same word is used for both English words – слушать, слышать.

When do you use each one?

These words both talk about using our ears!

They can be applied to same things (music, a conversation, etc.), but they have different meanings.

We'll look at explanations about what each word means and review some example sentences to see how each one works.

Hear

Hear is a verb that means to sense a sound with our ears.

When we hear something, it is by chance. – слышать случайно, ненарочно, без цели.

This poor cat didn't expect the girl's scream, but he heard it!

Remember that hear is an irregular verb in the simple past: hear – heard – heard.

Examples:

I hear the dog barking outside.

Я слышу, как собака лает на улице.

(He wasn't expecting the barking, but the sound reached his ears.)

I heard the baby crying.

Я слышал, как плакал малыш.

(You didn’t expect or wait for the crying.)

I heard a really good song on the radio this morning.

Я слышал отличную песню по радио утром.

(You did not expect exactly that song, but they played it.)

Did you hear the circus is coming to town?

Ты слышал, что в город приезжает цирк?

(You did not ask about a circus, but the news reached you.)

You called earlier? I heard the telephone ring, but I didn't answer in time.

Ты звонил? Я слышал звонок, но не успел подойти вовремя.

(She wasn't waiting for the telephone to ring, but the sound reached her ears.)

Listen

Listen is a verb that means to give your attention to a sound. When we listen, we are actively concentrating on the sound. – «слушать»: намеренно, специально, с какой-то целью, сосредоточиться на звуке.

Remember that listen is a regular verb in the simple past: listen – listened –listened

Examples:

Please listen to your teacher very carefully.

(The speaker wants you to concentrate on what the teacher says.)

She likes to listen to music on her iPod while she is at work.

(She pays attention to the music while she works.)

After this recording ends, listen for the beep. Then leave a message.

(You should wait quietly, expecting the beep.)

It's easier to do sports if you're listening to some good music!

(You put on the music that you like best for exercise and pay attention to it while you exercise.)

The doctor is listening carefully to the girl's heart!

Доктор внимательно слушает сердцебиение девочки.

(He pays attention to the sound of her heart.)

Pay attention to the preposition to after listen: listen to music, listen to the song.

Never use to after hear!

These were the differences between hear and listen. Now that you understand, it's time to practice with Martin!

Complete the sentences with hear or listen.

1.                Don’t bother me, I’m listening to my favorite television show.

(The speaker is concentrating on the show.)

2.                Hey! Can you speak a bit louder? I can’t hear you!

(I can’t sense a sound with my ears.)

3.                You don’t need to shout! I can hear you well.

(I can sense a sound with my ears.)

4.                You should listen to your heart.

(You should concentrate/focus on your feelings.)

5.                She heard about a new cafe from a friend.

(She did not ask about the cafe, but the news reached her.)

6.                My father is glad to hear that my brother is doing well.

(In this sentence hear means to know.)

7.                Listen! There's someone at the door.

(Here listen means to pay attention.)

That`s all for today.

I hope that you listened to the lesson very carefully.

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