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Listen to/for

britdam007

britdam007

India

If you’ve never ridden a train, maybe now’s the time for you to have an adventure! Head to the station, book a ticket, and listen for the conductor to call, “All aboard!”


I’d like to know instead of using the preposition “for” followed by listen, could we use the preposition “to”?



Best regards,



Abhishek

04:56 PM Jan 16 2014 |

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Teacher AmySuper Member!

United States

“Listen to” usually means that the thing being heard (e.g. speech, person) is ongoing. I could listen to a CD or I could listen to my friend telling me about her problems.


If I am expecting to hear something, usually a short cue or noise, I am listening for it. For example, “The runner listened for the gunshot that signaled the start of the race,” or, “I was expecing a call, so I listened for my phone all day, but I never heard it ring.”


When a train conductor calls, “All aboard!” it’s a short sentence. He says it once, and then he’s done. Therefore, only listen for works in this context.


Best,


Amy

03:45 PM Jan 18 2014 |