Difference between listen to and hear

[vilmixs]

Test No. incompl/elem-4 "Listen/Hear", question 8

You've been making so much noise with your music that people at the far end of the road can ......... you.

(a) listen to
(b) listening to
(c) hear
(d) hearing

Test No. incompl/elem-4 "Listen/Hear", answer 8

You've been making so much noise with your music that people at the far end of the road can hear you.

Correct answer: (c) hear

Your answer was: incorrect
You've been making so much noise with your music that people at the far end of the road can listen to you.
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why can listen to, instead of hear

[Alan]

When you use listen to, you are talking about paying attention to something. In this sentence we are not talking about anyone wanting to listen to the music but the music is so loud that you can hear the sound/noise.
_________________
English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Make or Do?

[Adrianazografi]

I was doing the test listen & hear but I couldn't understand quite well the difference between them.

thanks for your explanation : :)

[Magaly]

it is exactly like in Spanish (in case you speak spanish) you can hear someone but you don't necessarily have to listen to them ;) isn't it?

[Adrianazografi]

[Suba1]

i did the test listen & hear but i still have confused the defference between them

[Alan]

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Hi,

Let's start again. There are two verbs 'listen' and 'hear'. Both can take an object but 'listen' uses 'to' with an object as in 'listen to music'. These two sentences have a different meaning:

1) I hear music every day from the house next door.

2) I listen to music every day before I go to work.

In sentence (1) you are saying that the sound of music comes to your ears every day because the people next door always have their radio on very loud and although you can't hear exactly which particular piece of music it is, you know it is the sound of music.

In sentence (2) you are saying that you are paying attention to the music on your radio and you know which music it is because you can hear it exactly and you are listening to it.

Hope this helps.

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Present Simple

[Adrianazografi]

thanks a lot Alan.
You have been very helpful!

[Suba1]

hi alan,

Thank u very much for your explanation. it is very helpful for me.

suba

[Torsten]

[The French]

Hello, Mr.Alan,

It's very clear, like water.

Have a nice day.

The French.

[John1975]

Hi, Torsten

why is it wrong to choose (d) answer ''hearing" instead of hear?.
Thanks,