Verbs of the senses: look, sound, feel, etc.

Verbs of the senses: Grammar chart

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Verbs of the senses

We can use the verbs look, smell, taste, sound and feel before adjectives, nouns, and clauses (subject + verb)

Look, smell, taste, sound, feel + adjective

We can use feel, smell, taste, sound, and feel + adjective to talk about how something feels, tastes, etc.

• When you use that cream, your skin feels really smooth.
• When he talked to us, he sounded nervous.

Look, smell, taste, sound, feel + like + noun

We can also use feel, smell, taste, sound, and feel + like before a noun.

• You sound like your mother. 
• This tastes like chicken.

Look, smell, taste, sound, feel + as if/as though + clause

We use feel, smell, taste, sound, and feel + as if/as though + clause (subject + verb).

• You sound as if you had a long party last night.
• You look as though you’ve just seen a ghost.

🔍 Note that in informal English, we often also use feel, smell, taste, sound, and feel + like + clause.

• You sound like you had a long party last night.
• You look like you’ve just seen a ghost.