1) Care about or Care for
We use care about or care for to talk about feeling affection for someone.
Example:
- If you really cared about/for me, you wouldn’t spend so much time away from home.
- Jim and Ann are always together. They seem to care about/for each other a lot.
ç Care about: We use care about to talk about something we are (not) concerned about.
Example:
- Frank cared about his clothes more than anything else.
- He doesn’t seem to care about the effect smoking has on him.
ç Care for: We use care for to say that we look after someone or something and keep them in good health or condition. We can use take care of in the same way.
Example:
- Jean cared for her disabled mother until her death last year. (or Jean took care of…)
- You need to consider how easy it will be to care for the garden. (or …to take care of)
NOTE 1: We also use care for to mean ‘like’, particularly in negative sentences, and to mean ‘want’ in offers. Both these uses of care for are rather formal.
Example:
- I don’t care for the theater much.
- Would you care for a cup of coffee?
NOTE 2: We use care without preposition before how, if, what, when, etc. to mean that something is (not) considered important or significant.
Example:
- I must buy it. I don’t care how much it costs.
- He often walks along the street singing loudly. He doesn’t seem to care who is around.
- I don’t care if you’re busy. I need the car today!
2) Shout at and Shout to
ç You shout at someone because you are angry with them.
Example: Don’t shout at me, I’m doing my best!
ç You shout to someone who is a long way from you so that they can hear.
Example: The taxi driver shouted to someone across the street. ‘Is the station near here?’
3) Point at and Point to
ç We use point something at when we aim a knife, camera, finger, etc. in a particular direction.
Example: She pointed the knife at me and started to laugh.
ç We use point to when we say that a particular fact suggests that something else is true or will happen.
Example: The increase in house prices points to an upturn in the economy.
NOTE: When you point at or point to something, you show where something is by holding out your finger (we can also use point towards).
Example: The food’s over there, said Toni, pointing at/to/towards the corner of the room.
4) Throw at and Throw to
ç We throw something at something or someone to try to hit them.
Example: A monkey was sitting in the tree, throwing nuts at anyone who walked past.
ç We throw something to someone for them to catch it.
Example: Fletcher picked up the ball and threw it back to the goalkeeper.
5) Wonder about and Wonder at
ç If we wonder about doing something, we think about doing it in the future, or say that we want to know about something or someone.
Example:
- I’ve been wondering about visiting
- John has looked tired recently, and I’ve started to wonder about his health.
ç If we wonder at something, we say that we are surprised at it or impressed by it. This is literary use.
Example: The children had their faces pressed to the glass of the cage, wondering at the tigers they could see only inches away on the other side.
