Meaning & use
keep an eye for
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phraseinformal
A nonstandard form of 'keep an eye out for'; used by some speakers to mean watch carefully for something.
Grammar: Standard English prefers 'keep an eye out for' or 'keep an eye on'; this wording is widely treated as an error.
Patterns
- keep an eye for something
- keep an eye for someone
Many learners write 'keep an eye for the postman', but the standard phrase is 'keep an eye out for the postman'.
She told me to keep an eye for her keys, though 'keep an eye out for' would be more natural.
Common combinations
- keep an eye out for
- Keep an eye out for the delivery van.
- keep an eye on
- Keep an eye on the soup while I answer the phone.
- keep a close eye on
- The nurse kept a close eye on the patient overnight.
Synonyms and how they differ
- watch for
- This is the plain verb phrase that fits the same meaning and is always correct.
- look out for
- More natural in everyday speech when you mean watch so you notice something.
Word family
- keep an eye on phrase
- Watch something carefully, especially something already present.
- keep an eye out for phrase
- The standard form meaning watch so that you notice something arriving.
Commonly confused: keep an eye for or keep an eye on?
keep an eye for vs keep an eye on
This means watch something that is already there, as in 'keep an eye on the children'; 'keep an eye out for' means watch for something to appear.
Practice
Which sentence uses the standard English phrase?
Choose one answer.
'Keep an eye on' is the standard phrase for watching something already present; 'keep an eye for' is a common learner error and the other prepositions do not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “keep an eye for”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.