See and Watch

Question

What is the difference between 'see' and 'watch?
And how to tell if one is more suitable in a context than the other?

For example, in the following sentence which is correct?

Have you 'seen' this movie/TV series/drama.
Or
Have you 'watched' this movie/TV series/drama.

Thank you.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

aoymee2which is correct?

You can use either one, but most people classify 'see a movie' as an accomplishment (whereas 'watch a movie' is thought of as an activity), and the present perfect often asks about accomplishments, so the two go together well:

Have you (ever) seen that movie?

But if you walk into a room where people are gathered around a TV, you can ask

What movie are you watching? (not are you seeing?)

because you're asking them about their activity of watching TV. The movie they are watching has not finished yet.

CJ

Aoymee2 · Answer

Hi CalifJim,

If see is more of

CalifJiman accomplishmen

, and watch is

CalifJim thought of as an activity)

What about this :
1. Have you finished watching Elementary? - here uses both present perfect and watch

2. I'm watching/looking at the stars.
I have watched the stars. - If this is grammatically correct, does it mean the action of watching the stars is done,finished?
I have seen the stars. - And if this is grammatically correct, does it mean you looked up the sky and saw the stars.

I hope I'm making sense.
Thank you

CalifJim · Answer

aoymee2What about this :1. Have you finished watching Elementary? - here uses both present perfect and watch

It's fine. Has the activity of watching reached its end? is the idea. This question reveals that the speaker is aware that the person he is speaking to intended at one time to watch Elementary and suspects that this activity has already started.

aoymee22. I'm watching/looking at the stars.

It's doubtful that you're watching the stars. They are essentially stationary, and they don't need to be guarded.

There are two shades of meaning for 'watch':

Either we watch things that are in obvious motion, in which case we observe them attentively,
or we watch stationary things in order to guard and protect them.

So you are looking at the stars, passively observing them. You are not watching them in either sense of the word 'watch'.

aoymee2I have watched the stars.

As explained above, this is not meaningful even though it is grammatically correct.

aoymee2I have seen the stars. - And if this is grammatically correct, does it mean you looked up at the sky and saw the stars.

Yes. You looked up at the sky and saw the stars at some time in your life. It is an experience that you have had.

CJ

Aoymee2 · Answer

Thank you for the detailed explanations! It helped a lot!

See and Watch

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