Ch 29 · Lesson 10English · Chapter 29 · Lesson 10 · Grammar primer
I saw him leave, or I saw him leaving
I saw him leave: the whole action. I saw him leaving: part of it, while it was happening. Both are right after see, hear, watch and feel.
The short version
I saw him leave, or I saw him leaving
singing .
Why?Hide
After see, hear, watch and feel, the verb with no to means you saw the whole action: I saw him lock the door. The -ing form means you saw part of it, while it was happening: I saw him locking the door. Both are correct.
See and hear: do or doing
After see, hear, watch and feel, both shapes are right, but they mean different things:
| Shape | Example | Means |
|---|---|---|
. | ||
| -ing | . |
- .
- .
- .
- .
You see each person in the middle of an action: reading, cooking, running and talking on the phone. So -ing: I saw her reading.
More examples:
.(from start to end)singing .(part of it).(one movement)
Common mistakes
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| want that you come | want you to come | + + . |
| made me to wait | made me wait | : . |
| let us to leave | let us leave | : . |
| got him sign | got him to sign | . |
| He was made wait. | He was made to wait. | passive . |
| said me to wait | told me to wait | . |
Going further: Want, ask, tell: person + to and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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