attend
/əˈtend/ (bre, ipa) · [ətˈɛnd] /əˈtend/ (ame, ipa) · [ətˈɛnd] /ə-ˈtend/ (ame, mw)
attend — verb
- attendpresent simple I / you / we / they
- attends3rd person singular
- attending-ing form
- attendedpast simple
1. to show up at a planned occasion where people gather, for instance a professiona
to show up at a planned occasion where people gather, for instance a professional meeting, a concert, a class, or a formal ceremony
Wei attended the international conference in Taipei last month.
attend + conference / event
Over five hundred local residents attended the charity concert at the Taipei Dome last spring.
Elena could not attend the wedding because her flight was cancelled.
Parents at Heping Elementary School are encouraged to attend parent-teacher meetings and school festivals.
Over ninety guests attended the opening ceremony of the new library.
- go to
more informal, used for any event including casual ones
- be present at
more formal, often used in official or legal contexts
- take part in
emphasizes active involvement rather than just being present
- miss
to fail to attend or not be present at an event
文法句型
attend + [event noun]
用法筆記
Object is usually an event noun (meeting, concert, class, ceremony, funeral, wedding). Frequently used with numbers to indicate the size of the audience or crowd.
常見錯誤
2. to go regularly to a school, college, university, or other educational instituti
to go regularly to a school, college, university, or other educational institution as a student
All children in Taiwan must attend elementary school for six years.
must attend + school (obligation)
Lin attends evening classes twice a week at the community college.
attend + classes / with frequency phrase
Kwame attended university in Ghana before moving to Canada for work.
Students who attend cram school in Taiwan often spend their evenings doing extra homework.
Amara attended a public high school where every student wore a uniform.
- go to
less formal, same meaning for educational contexts: 'go to school'
- be enrolled at
more formal, emphasizes official registration as a student
- skip
deliberately not attend a class or session
- drop out of
stop attending permanently
文法句型
attend + [institution noun]
用法筆記
No article is used before the institution name in fixed phrases: 'attend school', 'attend college', 'attend church'. This differs from sense 1, where an article is typical: 'attend a meeting', 'attend the conference'.
常見錯誤
3. to give your full focus to someone who is speaking or showing something, making
to give your full focus to someone who is speaking or showing something, making sure you hear or see every part
The students attended closely to every word the professor said.
attend to + what someone says
Nadia asked the tour guide a question but the guide did not attend to her.
Oliver attended carefully to the safety demonstration before the flight.
The journalist attended closely to every word the minister said at the press conference.
Little Yuna sat quietly and attended to her grandmother's story about the old days.
- listen to
specifically about hearing, while attend to also includes watching
- pay attention to
more common in everyday speech; 'attend to' is more formal
- heed
more formal, implies acting on what is heard
- ignore
to deliberately not pay attention
文法句型
attend to + [noun phrase]
用法筆記
Unlike senses 1 and 2, this sense takes the preposition 'to' and is intransitive. The object of attention follows 'to': attend to someone or attend to what they are saying. Frequently used in imperative: 'Please attend carefully.'
常見錯誤
4. to take care of someone who needs help, or to handle a person's needs while carr
to take care of someone who needs help, or to handle a person's needs while carrying out your duties at work
Dr. Chen attended to more than twenty patients at the clinic today.
attend to + patients (medical context)
A team of three nurses attended to the injured passengers after the crash.
The hotel staff attended to every guest with warmth and professionalism.
Pablo stayed in the hospital room to attend to his elderly mother all night.
The fire department sent a team to attend to the emergency at the factory.
The manager promised to attend to the complaint as soon as possible.
- take care of
more general, can be used in everyday and professional contexts
- look after
similar to 'take care of', more informal
- tend to
more formal, often used for medical or nurturing contexts
- neglect
to fail to care for someone properly
文法句型
attend to + [person/need/problem]
用法筆記
Like sense 3, the preposition 'to' is required. The focus here is on providing practical help or service rather than simply listening. Common in healthcare, hospitality, and customer service contexts.
常見錯誤
5. to happen alongside something else, often as a result that naturally follows fro
to happen alongside something else, often as a result that naturally follows from it
The economic crisis was attended by widespread unemployment and social hardship.
be attended by + consequence (passive)
Her sudden rise to fame was attended by constant media attention and public scrutiny.
The treaty signing was attended with great celebration and traditional music.
Each new medical discovery was attended by fresh hope among patients and their families.
The product launch was attended by a series of marketing campaigns across Asia.
- accompany
more common in everyday use; 'be accompanied by' is the standard alternative
- coincide with
emphasizes happening at the same time without necessarily implying causation
- be followed by
suggests a sequence rather than simultaneity
文法句型
be attended by + [noun phrase]
be attended with + [noun phrase]
用法筆記
Almost always used in the passive voice ('be attended by/with'). The subject is typically an event, action, or situation, and the object following 'by/with' names what accompanies it. This is a formal sense rarely used in everyday conversation.
常見錯誤
❌ 'Danger attended the journey.' — This is grammatically correct but very formal and literary. Learners should use 'was attended by' instead for natural modern English.