"See with your own eyes"

[Rachel Adams]

Hello.

If I don't use "own" in my sentence would it be a mistake?

"It's a place I want to see with my eyes."

 

[GoesStation]

Hello.

If I don't use "own" in my sentence would it be a mistake?

"It's a place I want to see with my eyes."

What else would you see it with?

 

[Rachel Adams]

What else would you see it with?

You are right:-D. But I was asking about "own".

 

[GoesStation]

You are right:-D. But I was asking about "own".

It's a slightly illogical but common way to say you don't want to see a picture or hear someone else's description of the lake; you want to see it for yourself.

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

Right. "See it with my own eyes" is a fixed phrase.

 

[teechar]

Refer to Charlie's post #6 above.
It's also possible to say, of course,
... saw it with her/his/your/their/our own eyes.
The point is: "own" is needed in that expression.

 

[PeterCW]

The expression sometimes implies scepticism in modern usage, meaning that you need to confirm something by personal observation rather than relying on a report.

As a set phrase I can find quotes going back to the 17th century.

 

[Yankee]

No, but in speaking you should stress "my". In a written version and based on context, how else would you see?