attend to

attend to — phrasal verb

  • attend tobase form
  • attends to3rd person singular
  • attending to-ing form
  • attended topast simple

1. to give your time and effort to a job, problem, or duty that needs sorting out.

1.片語動詞及物B2
釋義

to give your time and effort to a job, problem, or duty that needs sorting out.

例句

Ignacio promised to attend to the broken heater before the cold weekend arrived.

attend to + a task that needs sorting out

There were urgent emails to attend to as soon as the office opened.

attend to + matters that need handling

同義詞
  • deal with

    more neutral and common in everyday speech

  • see to

    informal; same meaning, often spoken

  • handle

    focuses on managing the problem rather than the effort spent

反義詞
  • neglect

    to fail to deal with something that needs your attention

  • ignore

文法句型

attend to + something

用法筆記

Object is usually a task, problem, or piece of business that needs sorting out. More formal than 'deal with' or 'sort out', and common in work, service, and official contexts.

常見錯誤

❌I will attend the report tonight.
✅I will attend to the report tonight.
💡without 'to', 'attend' means to be present at an event, not to deal with a task.

2. to help someone or care for their needs, especially a customer, guest, or sick p

2.片語動詞及物B2
釋義

to help someone or care for their needs, especially a customer, guest, or sick person.

例句

The night nurse stayed late to attend to a patient who could not sleep.

attend to + a person needing care

A waiter came over at once to attend to the family by the window.

同義詞
  • look after

    more everyday; broader care over time

  • serve

    for customers or guests specifically

  • tend to

    often used for the sick or injured

反義詞
  • neglect

    to fail to give a person the care they need

文法句型

attend to + somebody

用法筆記

Distinguish from sense 1: here the object is a person whose needs you serve or care for, not a task. Common in medical, service, and hospitality settings.