attended
attended — verb
1. to go to a planned event, gathering, or place and be there — like a wedding, a m
to go to a planned event, gathering, or place and be there — like a wedding, a meeting, a concert, or a class.
Deepa attended her cousin's wedding in Mumbai last December.
attended her cousin's wedding
Luis attended every workshop the company offered that year.
Over two hundred people attended the charity dinner at the town hall.
Ayanda attended the concert even though she had a mild fever.
Jack attended the same language class every Tuesday for six months.
- go to
more general; doesn't imply the event was planned or formal
- be present at
formal; focuses purely on being there rather than the act of going
- show up at
informal; often implies arriving somewhat unexpectedly or casually
- miss
to fail to be present at an event you were expected at
文法句型
attend + [event/gathering/place]
2. to go to a school, church, or similar institution regularly as an official or en
to go to a school, church, or similar institution regularly as an official or enrolled participant.
Fatima attended the local primary school before her family moved to Nairobi.
attended the local primary school
Noor has attended the same mosque with her grandmother since childhood.
Jamal attended university in Cairo and graduated with honours.
Isabella attends church every Sunday with her whole family.
The tour guide explained that local children attend a boarding school during the week.
- go to
more casual and general; doesn't carry the sense of official enrolment
- be enrolled at
specifically for schools and courses; emphasises registration rather than daily presence
- drop out of
to stop attending a school or course before completing it
文法句型
attend + [school/church/institution]
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1 (BE PRESENT AT): this sense is about regular, ongoing participation at an institution — not a one-off event. You attend a school for years, but you attend a meeting for an hour.
常見錯誤
3. to listen with close attention and give your mind fully to what a person is tell
to listen with close attention and give your mind fully to what a person is telling you or explaining.
Ana attended closely to everything the doctor told her about the treatment.
attended closely to
Mia asked the children to attend to the safety instructions before the trip.
The students attended to the professor's lecture without once looking at their phones.
The jury attended carefully to the witness as she described what she had seen.
Nobody in the room attended to the fire alarm because it had gone off twice already.
- listen to
more general; doesn't imply the same level of focused attention
- pay attention to
very close in meaning; slightly broader — can apply to non-verbal things too
- heed
formal and often used for warnings or advice specifically
- ignore
to deliberately not pay attention to someone speaking
文法句型
attend to + [what someone says]
attend to + [person's words/explanation]
用法筆記
This sense always uses 'attend to'. Distinguish from sense 4 (CARE FOR): when you attend to a person's words, you are listening; when you attend to a patient, you are providing care or service. The object tells you which meaning is meant.
常見錯誤
4. to look after someone's needs, provide a service, or deal with a person as part
to look after someone's needs, provide a service, or deal with a person as part of your job — for example, a nurse caring for a patient or a shop assistant helping a customer.
The nurse attended the elderly patient throughout the night, checking his temperature every hour.
attended the elderly patient
The receptionist attended to a steady stream of visitors at the front desk.
Dr. Okafor attended a woman in the emergency ward who had broken her arm.
The shop assistant attended to three customers at once during the holiday rush.
A flight attendant attended the frightened child who was travelling alone for the first time.
- look after
more informal and general; can be used outside professional contexts
- care for
emphasises nurturing and wellbeing rather than professional duty
- serve
focuses on providing a service, especially in retail or hospitality
- neglect
to fail to care for or attend to someone who needs help
文法句型
attend + [patient/customer]
attend to + [someone's needs/wound/customer]
用法筆記
Can be used with or without 'to' (transitive or intransitive). Distinguish from sense 3 (LISTEN CAREFULLY): the object here is a person receiving care or service, not speech or words being listened to.
常見錯誤
5. to happen or exist together with something as a direct result or a natural accom
to happen or exist together with something as a direct result or a natural accompanying feature — often used of problems, dangers, or difficulties that follow an event or situation.
The heart surgery was attended by serious risks that the doctors explained in detail.
was attended by serious risks
The new trade policy was attended by months of public debate and protest.
A long drought attended the region's rapid growth, straining the water supply.
The military campaign was attended by widespread shortages of food and medicine.
Great celebration attended the discovery of the ancient tomb near the river.
- accompany
slightly less formal; can be used for positive or neutral accompanying features
- be associated with
broader and more neutral; used in academic and everyday contexts
- entail
focuses on something being a necessary consequence rather than just happening at the same time
文法句型
be attended by + [consequence/feature]
[consequence] + attend + [situation]
用法筆記
Almost always used in formal writing or speech. The passive form 'be attended by' is far more common than the active form. Subject is typically an abstract consequence (risks, difficulties, celebrations), not a person.