(To) “Watch” vs (To) “See”

A Film / Movie

(Today’s “Tid-Bit“)

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In “normal” speech – to say that one “sees” something is a very general way of saying that:  The image of some “thing” is registered by the visual sensory apparatus – while, to “watch” something means:  To be focused on that “thing” which one sees (but is usually something which is moving.)

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However, when using these two verbs to talk about “Movies” or “Films” (whichever term you prefer) – they have slightly different meanings…

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To “See A Movie” is the phrase used to refer to the event of actually going to the theater or cinema to view the movie in that facility…

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To “Watch A Movie” is the phrase used to refer simply to the act of viewing that movie (wherever it may be.)…

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Also Note:

The phrase, “To see a movie” is always used with either “going to”, “off to” or some other verb phrase, putting the subject in the future – and, thus, acting as an infinitive phrase.

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Finally:

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To say that one “has seen” a movie, carries the natural meaning one would expect from a sentence in the present perfect tense.

In other words – that it has actually happened at some point in past – when it happened is either not known or not important – and that the action has an affect on the the present state… (because one can not “un-watch” a movie.)

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Have An Excellent Day!

😉