Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[Chan-Seung Lee]

[redset]

Ok, seek and search have some overlap, but they're not interchangeable:

To search means to look for something. You can specify where you're searching ('she searched the room thoroughly'), what you're looking for ('she searched for her missing keys'), or both ('she searched the room thoroughly for her missing keys').

You can also search a person (for an item they're carrying), or search for a person (when you don't know where they are). It's possible to just search without specifying where or what the person is looking for ('she searched all day'), but there is usually some information given in the context.


To seek can also mean to look for something - in this sense seek is equivalent to search for. We never seek for an object or person, we just seek it ('she sought her missing keys'). You can add the where after this ('she sought her missing keys in the room').

• We usually use search when we're looking for something that's lost, or when we don't really know where it is - seeking sounds more methodical, following a set of clues or information, or contacting relevant people to track down whatever or whoever you're looking for. Police might search an area for a suspect, looking in every bush and in every tree, but a police dog can get the scent and seek the suspect.
  
• Use search when you need to emphasise that a person or a place is being inspected (like when your bags are checked at the airport - customs officials search them).
  
• Use seek to talk about a result or action you're trying to make happen - if someone damages your property you can seek compensation, you can seek help if you need assistance, and the loser in an election might seek a recount.
  
• Although you can't seek for something, you can still seek something for a reason, or for a person, or seek for a long time. They're two different grammatical structures, don't confuse them!

If this is helpful, see if you can work out which of your sentences are correct