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Between the following two phrases:

  • "Look here"
  • "Look at here"

which one is correct?

Is it advisable to use "at" in this case?

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"At" is a preposition, and is nearly always followed by a noun phrase. As Robusto helpfully points out, there are occasional cases where "here" functions as a noun phrase, but as a rule it does not, so "at" cannot precede it. – Colin Fine Feb 9 '11 at 15:07

4 Answers

up vote 6 down vote accepted

"Look here" is correct. I would never use "Look at here" all by itself, but in sentences such as "There's not much to look at here" or "There are many things to look at here" it is certainly grammatical. Also, it is perfectly grammatical to say "Look at this".

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+1: But you left out cases like "Consider adverbs of place: specifically, look at here." (And, yes, I'm just messing with you.) – Robusto Feb 9 '11 at 13:48
up vote 2 down vote

It is incorrect to use at in this case. You could say any of the following in the imperative sense:

  • Look here
  • Look at this
  • Look at this place
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up vote 2 down vote

"Look at here!" isn't certainly correct.

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3  
"certainly isn't" is not the same as "isn't certainly". The former says "I am certain this isn't correct" while the latter says "I'm not sure, it may be correct, or it might not be". – Jürgen A. Erhard Feb 9 '11 at 12:54
You guys are just awesome.. (Please don't comment that "just awesome" is not same as "awesome").. – EmptyStack Feb 10 '11 at 3:44
up vote -2 down vote

"Look over here" also works. "Look here" can also mean "See here, Mr. Smith..." which has a tone of command.

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This is really a comment, not an answer to the question. You can always comment on your own posts, and once you have sufficient reputation you will be able to comment on any post. – kiamlaluno Aug 14 '12 at 23:16

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