pay attention to

IPA/pˈeɪ ɐtˈɛnʃən tuː/
IPA/pˈeɪ ɐtˈɛnʃən tuː/

pay attention to — idiom

1. to watch, listen to, or think about someone or something with full concentration

1.慣用語A2
釋義

to watch, listen to, or think about someone or something with full concentration, rather than letting your mind wander to other things.

例句

The teacher asked the class to pay attention to the instructions on the front board.

pay attention to + noun phrase (instructions)

Rohan did not pay attention to the speed limit and received a large fine.

同義詞
  • concentrate on

    more active and effortful; suggests blocking out distractions

  • focus on

    very similar in meaning; more common in technical or professional contexts

  • heed

    formal; often implies acting on the warning or advice, not just listening

反義詞
  • ignore

    the opposite action; deliberately not paying attention

  • disregard

    formal; choosing to treat something as unimportant

文法句型

pay attention to + noun phrase

pay attention to + wh-clause

用法筆記

Commonly used with the intensifier 'close' (pay close attention to) for emphasis. The object can be a noun phrase or a wh-clause starting with how, what, where, or when.

常見錯誤

❌I paid attention on the news this morning.
✅I paid attention to the news this morning.
💡The correct preposition is 'to', not 'on'.
❌She paid attention me during the meeting.
✅She paid attention to me during the meeting.
💡The preposition 'to' is required even before a personal pronoun.