hear and listen are both verbs related to sounds. The meaning of both words is therefore related but different. It is important not to confuse the meaning and use.
Hear
hear is the action of a sound coming to our ears. hearing is one of the five senses. We sense a sound. Our ears physically detect the sound. We do not have a choice. When we hear something, we are inactive. We are not trying to do something. No real effort is required to hear something.
When a doctor checks our ears, it is called a hearing test. It is not a listening test.
Examples:
I hear this bird singing every morning.
Did you hear that noise?
You are talking quietly but I can hear you.
Form of hear
Form:
hear + object
Examples:
I heard a noise.
She heard a car.
We heard an explosion.
Form:
hear + object + ing form of verb
Example:
I heard him shouting. [the action was in progress]
Form:
hear + object + base form of verb
Example:
I heard him shout. [the action was completed]
hear is a stative verb
hear is an example of a stative [or state] verb. As with all the stative verbs, hear does not usually have a continuous form.
Example:
I am hearing a noise.
We use can hear to describe hearing something at a particular moment in time.
Example:
I can hear a noise.
Expressions with hear
hear that
Meaning:
to introduce a piece of news or a rumour.
Example:
I hear that Jane is pregnant.
to hear from someone
Form:
hear from + someone
Meaning:
to receive news from someone.
Examples:
David heard from Mark yesterday. Mark called him.
Have you heard from Jane? I am worried about her.
Listen
Listen is when we are concentrating on a sound. We are active. We are paying attention to the sound. It is possible to hear without listening. But it is impossible to listen without hearing.
In a language exam, to test a students understanding of the language, the test is called a listening test. It is not a hearing test.
Examples:
Please listen to the instructions for the exam.
Mark, are you listening to me?
She didnt hear the telephone because she was listening to music.
Form of listen
When listen has an object, we use the preposition to.
Form:
listen to + object
Examples:
I listened to the radio this morning.
Please listen to me.
If there is no object, we do not use to.
Examples:
Everybody, please be quiet and listen!
listen is not a stative verb. It has a continuous form which we use to describe the action at a particular moment in time.
Example:
Jane: What are you doing?
Mark: I am listening to the radio.
listen also has a simple form to describe a regular action or habit.
Example:
I listen to the radio every morning.
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