Meaning
to suddenly see someone or something for a moment
Primary Function
describes a brief or unexpected visual encounter
Communicative Purpose
to narrate spotting something
Pattern
catch sight of
Core Structure
catch sight of
Função primária
describes a brief or unexpected visual encounter
Propósito comunicativo
to narrate spotting something
Situações de gatilho
stories, wildlife, finding lost items
Contextos
everyday, narrative
Padrão
catch sight of
Estrutura central
catch sight of
Slots de substituição
a noun phrase referring to a person, animal, or object that is seen
Colocados típicos
- suddenly
- briefly
- finally
Substituições comuns
- spot
- glimpse
- notice
Erros comuns
'catch a sight of'; 'catch sight about'
Similar / contraste
spot, glimpse, lay eyes on, clap eyes on
Interferências
French ‘apercevoir’ – single verb; learners may omit ‘of’
Família do chunk
- spot
- glimpse
- lay eyes on
- notice
Nuance
'catch sight of' suggests an active moment of seeing; 'glimpse' is briefer
Efeito pragmático
adds vividness to storytelling
Dica de memória
“I caught sight of her in the crowd.”
Nota
This chunk is used to describe a brief or unexpected visual encounter with someone or something. It is commonly used in everyday and narrative contexts to add vividness to storytelling.
Upgrade path
use ‘glimpse’, ‘spot’, ‘espy’ (literary)
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