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you look busy vs you seem to be busy

Both phrases are correct and are commonly used in English. They convey a similar meaning: observing someone appearing occupied or engaged in a task. The choice between 'you look busy' and 'you seem to be busy' can depend on personal preference or the level of formality desired in the conversation.

Explained by Miss E.
Editor at TextRanch

Last updated: October 15, 2024 • 14984 views

you look busy

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to convey the observation that someone appears busy or occupied.

This phrase is used to comment on someone's appearance of being busy without implying a judgment. It is a casual and straightforward way to acknowledge someone's busyness.

Examples:

You look busy with all those papers on your desk.
She looks busy preparing for the meeting.
From the way you look, you seem busy today.

Show examples from the web [+]
Last updated: November 12, 2024

Jun 29, 2016 ... Synonym for you look busy Well, the same when the person is in front of you. It's different when you don't see the person.
Jan 20, 2020 ... Great for going to a chat with a coworker. From afar.. if you are seen holding papers you look busy and it must be about work right. Thinking on ...
Jul 4, 2019 ... If you look busy, they feel better. Unfortunately, sometimes that leads to people slowing down their work, because there actually isn't enough ...
Oct 10, 2019 ... Classic trick: Carrying a piece of paper in your hand will have you look busy no matter what. On the contrary, keep your hands out of your ...
Feb 11, 2022 ... I love how having several windows of #Powershell open makes you look busy and/or like you know what you are doing. — John Dalek ...
May 24, 2013 ... I'll show you some CLI (Command Line Interface) terminal apps to "make you look busy." I won't go into the obvious like vim, emacs, and real productivity ...
Jun 9, 2015 ... George (in the middle) shows Jerry and Elaine how looking annoyed at work, by sighing and rubbing your forehead, makes you look busy.
Read 4: You look busy from the story Ashley Stark: The Infinity Witch by MsFandom3000 with 139 reads. yelenabelova, shifter, shiftingrealities.
Oct 18, 2011 ... Are you the kind of person who thinks a messy desk makes you look busy and important? I should admit from the outset that this topic is one ...

Alternatives:

You appear busy.
You seem busy.
You're looking busy.
You're appearing busy.

you seem to be busy

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to suggest that someone appears to be busy or engaged in a task.

This phrase is slightly more formal than 'you look busy' and may imply a bit more uncertainty in the observation. It can be used in situations where a more polite or cautious tone is desired.

Examples:

You seem to be busy with your work.
She seems to be busy with her phone calls.
You seem to be busy, can I come back later?

Show examples from the web [+]
Last updated: November 12, 2024

Mar 12, 2021 ... Synonym for You seem to be busy "You seem to be busy" is the grammatically correct sentence. "You seems" is not correct.
Aug 4, 2015 ... Hi there May you please tell me what the difference between the follwing examples is? 1. It seems you are busy nowadays. 2. You seem to be busy
Aug 7, 2024 ... You seem to be busy. · Tell me what people can expect from the show. · Do you have a band performing with you? · Is cabaret something you've done ...
High quality example sentences with “you seem to be busy” in context from reliable sources - Ludwig: your English writing platform.
Feb 6, 2018 ... You know those weeks where you seem to be busy doing everything, but at the end of it, you seem to have done nothing? Yep, that was last ...
Sep 19, 2014 ... Hi, Normally, I'd use an auxiliary applied to “seem” for the tag. But in the example of “to be” after “seem” like “You seem to be busy.
Sep 15, 2014 ... Almost always you seem to be busy. (Usually reading other people's email or sending email). But I will persist. My legs are slower than the ...
For whatever reason, managing your time has become a daily effort, one in which you feel that you fall short, even though you seem to be busy all day. The ...
Oct 1, 2023 ... Doing nothing is an inner resting that you can actually practice even while you seem to be busy doing things. Huh? Doing nothing is the ...
Jan 5, 2022 ... Are you really living the life that Jesus has in mind? You seem to be busy, but you don't seem to rest much.” I think I've always struggled with ...

Alternatives:

You appear to be busy.
You look like you're busy.
It seems like you're busy.
You're looking like you're busy.

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