What's the difference between 'see', 'look at', and 'watch'?

• "I saw a bird in the garden." (it entered my vision)
• "Can you see the sign from here?"

• "Look at that building."
• "She looked at her phone." (directed attention, but not sustained)

• "Watch the game tonight."
• "I watched him cross the street."
• "Watch this video."

• Films: "I saw a film last night" (went to the cinema) / "I watched a film" (at home, sustained attention) — both are used.
• Sport: "Watch the match" (sustained) ✓
• Notice: "Did you see that?" (sudden visual) ✓

Register: Standard English. These distinctions matter in writing and are natural in speech.

Tags: grammar, vocabulary, see vs watch vs look, perception verbs