Visit and attend
Which of the following sentences is an example of the correct use of the verb “visit”?
- I visited my grandparents in Brighton last weekend.
- I visited an interesting seminar on alternative energy last week.
- Both are correct.
If you think number one, “I visited my grandparents in Brighton last weekend,” is correct, you are right! To visit means to go spend time with a person socially or to spend time in a place as a tourist. Here are two more examples:
- William was visiting friends when the storm began.
- We hope to visit the Museum of Modern Art when we’re in New York.
If you are talking about going to a school, a university, a course, a conference, a seminar, etc., the word “visit” is NOT correct. The correct verb here would be “attend,” so in example two above, it should read “I attended an interesting seminar on alternative energy last week.” Here are a few more examples:
- Sally attended an easy high school, so she found university to be quite challenging.
- Did you attend the last trade fair in Frankfurt?