If you keep an eye on something, you observe it carefully.
For example:
“The mahouts are stoking the campfire, and on the hillside opposite, four elephants – matriarch Thong Kam and three younger ones – keep a benign eye on the handful of humans temporarily sharing their forest home.”
“Parents are being encouraged to keep an eye on what their kids watch on YouTube after sick cartoons were found online.”
If, however, you keep an eye open or out for something, you watch for it.
“When this doesn’t happen, anxiety is raised for the children and the parents who have to keep an eye open for any messages or phone calls in case they haven’t got on the bus.”
“People living in Norfolk are being advised to keep an eye out for a cold caller carrying a large holdall.”
Photo credit: Alper Çuğun
I blog about editing, proofreading, and the English language.
Comments and suggestions are welcome.
Many of the phrasal verbs and idioms addressed in this blog were highlighted during an English conversation class I ran a few years ago. I’m grateful to those who attended this for helping me see my native language from a different perspective.
Most of the examples used are quotes from news articles. Click on the links (in yellow) to view the full article.
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