Hello everyone,
1. The sentences "I listen to music" or "I listen to country music" are common idiomatic.
2. "Hear" isn't the best verb in the sentences above.
3. My question: Why is the sentence "this is the best song I've ever heard" more common/natural than "this is the best song I've ever listened to?''
Thank you in advance!
"To hear" is a comprehensive term that covers 100% of the auditory input to your brain. You can hear a pin drop, and you can hear the sound of distant thunder. If you "listen to" something, then you are hearing it with a degree of intention and sustained concentration. I hear country music when my next door neighbour plays it. I listen to music by Led Zeppelin on my own stereo and I play it loud enough so that I can't hear music coming from next door.
I suggest that we have to say "the best song I've ever heard", rather than "the best song I've ever listened to", in order to include every song that you have ever experienced, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. I have listened to the Doors' song "LA Woman" hundreds of times. I think it's the best song I have ever heard.
Last edited: Jun 12, 2012
If you "listen to" something, then you are hearing it with a degree of intention and sustained concentration.
Thank you.
Yes, in this case listen to is the correct option because she stopped and listened to the songs voluntarily.
I suggest that we have to say "the best song I've ever heard", rather than "the best song I've ever listened to", in order to include every song that you have ever experienced, whether voluntarily or involuntarily.
I agree with DocPenfro's post from 2012. I don't imagine you are seriously implying that, when I say "the best song I ever heard", I am mentally sorting the songs known to me into two categories: those I heard by chance and those I sat down to listen to deliberately.
I agree with DocPenfro's post from 2012. I don't imagine you are seriously implying that, when I say "the best song I ever heard", I am mentally sorting the songs known to me into two categories: those I heard by chance and those I sat down to listen to deliberately.
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vb , has, having, had mainly tr
1 to be in material possession of; own
he has two cars
2 to possess as a characteristic quality or attribute
he has dark hair
3 to receive, take, or obtain
she had a present from him, have a look
4 to hold or entertain in the mind
to have an idea
5 to possess a knowledge or understanding of
I have no German
6 to experience or undergo
to have a shock
7 to be infected with or suffer from
to have a cold
8 to gain control of or advantage over
you have me on that point
9 usually passive
Slang to cheat or outwit
he was had by that dishonest salesman
10 foll by: on to exhibit [mercy, compassion, etc., towards]
have mercy on us, Lord
11 to engage or take part in
to have a conversation
12 to arrange, carry out, or hold
to have a party
13 to cause, compel, or require to [be, do, or be done]
have my shoes mended
14 takes an infinitive with: to used as an auxiliary to express compulsion or necessity
I had to run quickly to escape him
15 to eat, drink, or partake of
to have a good meal
16 Taboo slang to have sexual intercourse with
he had her on the sofa
17 used with a negative to tolerate or allow
I won't have all this noise
18 to declare, state, or assert
rumour has it that they will marry
19 to put or place
I'll have the sofa in this room
20 to receive as a guest
to have three people to stay
21 to beget or bear [offspring]
she had three children
22 takes a past participle used as an auxiliary to form compound tenses expressing completed action
I have gone, I shall have gone, I would have gone, I had gone
23 ♦ had better or best ought to: used to express compulsion, obligation, etc.
you had better go
24 ♦ had rather or sooner to consider or find preferable that
I had rather you left at once
25 ♦ have done See → done → 3
26 ♦ have had it
Informal
a to be exhausted, defeated, or killed
b to have lost one's last chance
c to become unfashionable
27 ♦ have it to win a victory
28 ♦ have it away [or off]
Taboo [Brit]
slang to have sexual intercourse
29 ♦ have it coming
Informal to be about to receive or to merit punishment or retribution
30 ♦ have it in for
Informal to wish or intend harm towards
31 ♦ have it so good to have so many benefits, esp. material benefits
a to have dealings or associate with
I have nothing to do with her
b to be of relevance to
this has nothing to do with you
33 ♦ I have it
Informal I know the answer
34 ♦ let [someone] have it
Slang to launch or deliver an attack on, esp. to discharge a firearm at [someone]
35 ♦ not having any foll by: of
Informal refusing to take part or be involved [in]
n
36 usually pl a person or group of people in possession of wealth, security, etc.
the haves and the have-nots See also → have at → have in → have on → have out → have up
[Old English habban; related to Old Norse hafa, Old Saxon hebbian, Old High German haben, Latin habere]
have-a-go
adj
Informal [of people attempting arduous or dangerous tasks] brave or spirited
a have-a-go pensioner
have at
vb intr, prep
Archaic to make an opening attack on, esp. in fencing
1 to ask [a person] to give a service
we must have the electrician in to mend the fire
2 to invite to one's home
have-not
n usually pl a person or group of people in possession of relatively little material wealth
2 usually adv to have [a meeting or engagement] arranged as a commitment
what does your boss have on this afternoon?
3 adv
Informal to trick or tease [a person]
4 prep to have available [information or evidence, esp. when incriminating] about [a person]
the police had nothing on him, so they let him go
1 to settle [a matter] or come to [a final decision], esp. by fighting or by frank discussion [often in the phrase have it out]
2 to have extracted or removed
I had a tooth out
have up
vb tr, adv; usually passive to cause to appear for trial
he was had up for breaking and entering
- corresponding adj. caused by or connected with something you have already mentioned
- it has a ring to it exp. it sounds interesting or attractive
- frame liner n. A moulding commonly used in framing oil paintings. The liner is fixed inside the frame and appears between the image and the outer frame. Generally made out of wood or some other hard material, the liner may have fabric glued down to it. Liners are to canvases what a mat/mount is to a print on paper
Polystyrene or wood liner. Fabric-covered liner. Linen liner. Gold liner.
- have a ball exp. have a great time; enjoy oneself
- have a bumpy ride v. have a difficult time
- have written a program exp. have written a computer program
- have a butcher's at sth v. have a look at sth
Comes from cockney rhyming slang for "butcher's hook" = "look" Ex.: A: "What are you looking at?" B: "I'm just having a butcher's at this butcher's hook!"
- it is what it is exp. means "that's just the way it is"
c'est comme ça, point barre
- have itchy feet v. when one really wants to travel
ex.: I've got itchy feet = I'd like to travel
- it hit me exp. it occurred to me, I suddenly thought of it, I had an idea all of a sudden
E.g: I wondered all day long how to solve this problem and it suddenly hit me...I had to talk to Marry.
- green IT n. new trend in computing to take into account the environmental aspect when designing IT systems.
- up for it exp. "to be up for it" means to be willing to participate
she's really up for it: elle est partante
- have money to burn v. used for saying that you think someone is spending too much money on things they do not need
- it's got bits in it n. means a liquid is not clear: this tea's got bits in it, I don't like yogurt with bits in it
assez proche de l'idée de 'il y a à boire et à manger'
- have a pop at someone exp. yell at someone; attack someone verbally or physically
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