Peep vs Peer vs Glimpse - English In A Minute

54,636 views ・ 2020-06-01

BBC Learning English


Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.

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Hi, everyone. Welcome back to English In A Minute.
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'Peep', 'peer' and 'glimpse' are all verbs of sight
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that mean 'look at something', but are used
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in different situations. Let's look at some examples:
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'My friend peeped at my test answers.'
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This verb means
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'to look at something quickly and secretively'.
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'I peered at the document trying to understand it.'
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'Peer' means 'to look at something intently
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or carefully in detail'. It can also be used in another way.
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'I was peering at the clock in the distance.'
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This example means that I had difficulty reading
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the clock. Maybe the clock was very small
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or I have bad eyesight.
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'I glimpsed the sunlight through the trees.'
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'Glimpse' means 'to see something for a short time'
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or 'to only see part of something'.
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We often use 'glimpse' as a noun with the verb 'catch'.
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For example, 'I caught a glimpse of Phil as
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he left the office.' Bye, everyone.
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