Seem 意為「似乎，好像，看起來」，僅能當連綴動詞用，其後接形容詞 (或名詞 － 接名詞的情況比較少見) 來做主詞補語，本身通常不用進行式。例如：
- Tom seemed slightly embarrassed to see me in the nightclub. (湯姆在夜店看到我好像有點尷尬) － 接形容詞。
- Mary seems very happy with her new boyfriend. (瑪麗對她的新男友似乎很滿意) － 接形容詞。
Mary is seeming very happy with her new boyfriend. (誤) － 不可使用進行式。 - Buying a new computer seems a complete waste of money to me. A used one would be just as good. (買新電腦對我來說完全是浪費金錢。二手電腦就好了) － 接名詞 (片語)。
Seem 後面經常接「to + 原形動詞」的不定詞結構，或者接「to + have + P.P.」的完成式不定詞結構來表示該完成式動作或狀態比 seem 還要早發生或出現。例如：
- She would always seem to offend people. (她過去似乎老是得罪人)
- Teresa seems to know more about me than my wife. (泰瑞莎似乎比我太太更瞭解我)
- Cindy seems to have gone out. (辛蒂似乎已經外出了)
- The professor seemed to have mistaken me for someone. (教授看來好像把我誤認為某人)