How a sentence is built · CEFR A2 · Everyday
seem, look, feel, sound — English sentence structure
These verbs work like be: an adjective follows them, not an adverb. They report an impression rather than an action.
The shape
seem / look / feel / sound / taste / become + adjective
Say how something seems without sounding certain.
In Hindi
ये क्रियाएँ be की तरह काम करती हैं — इनके बाद विशेषण आता है, क्रियाविशेषण नहीं।
CoCap explains every structure in both languages, because a rule you understand in Hindi is a rule you can use in English.
The mistake to fix first
The sentence Indian-English speakers actually produce, and the reason it is wrong.
| Commonly said | Correct English |
|---|---|
She looks angrily. | She looks angry. After look meaning "seem", use an adjective — angry, not angrily. |
seem, look, feel, sound examples
Easiest first. Every sentence is authored, with the Hindi it comes from.
This jacket is warm.
यह जैकेट गर्म है।
I feel good.
मैं अच्छा महसूस कर {रहा|रही} हूँ।
I feel ill.
मैं बीमार महसूस कर {रहा|रही} हूँ।
also correct: I feel sick.
You look good today.
तुम आज अच्छे लग रहे हो।
This looks easy now.
अब यह आसान लग रहा है।
The food is very tasty.
खाना बहुत स्वादिष्ट है।
I do not feel well.
मैं ठीक महसूस नहीं कर {रहा|रही} हूँ।
also correct: I don't feel well.
I feel better now.
अब मैं बेहतर महसूस कर {रहा|रही} हूँ।
He looks like his brother.
वह अपने भाई जैसा दिखता है।
This question looks very difficult.
यह सवाल बहुत मुश्किल लग रहा है।
Easy to confuse with
Close enough to be mixed up with this one. Knowing the difference is most of knowing either.
- Saying what something isA1Describe a person or a thing in one short sentence
- seem, tend to, appearC1Make a claim you can defend
Questions people ask
- What is the seem, look, feel, sound used for?
- These verbs work like be: an adjective follows them, not an adverb. They report an impression rather than an action. In practice: say how something seems without sounding certain.
- How do you form the seem, look, feel, sound?
- seem / look / feel / sound / taste / become + adjective.
- What is the most common mistake with the seem, look, feel, sound?
- Saying “She looks angrily.” instead of “She looks angry.”. After look meaning "seem", use an adjective — angry, not angrily.
Where seem, look, feel, sound fits
Where this structure sits in the ladder, and what surrounds it.
seem, look, feel, sound is a CEFR A2 structure — the everyday band — and it belongs to how a sentence is built. CoCap’s syllabus files every structure this way so you can learn in order instead of jumping between whatever a search happened to return.
Reading it is not the same as saying it.
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