Grammar of 'feel something do something'
I am trying to figure out how to explain what's going on grammatically in "I felt tears well up in my eyes." It looks like it runs subject, active verb, direct object, ... prepositional phrase, but I'm not sure how to fill in the ellipsis. Can anyone help with what sort of verbal thing 'well up' is doing here? Is 'felt' acting as a helping verb, and 'well up' is the main verb? Or is 'tears well up...' actually an unsignalled dependent clause? (The formula works with "I felt something crawl up my arm" and similar sentences, as well.) Thank you!
Top answer
It's the catenative pattern for verbs of perception. Usually it involves 'see' or 'hear', but in this case it's 'feel'. SUBJ - VERB OF PERCEPTION - OBJECT=SUBJECT - VERB PHRASE The object of the main clause is simultaneously the subject of the verb phrase that follows.
- It's the catenative pattern for verbs of perception.
- Usually it involves 'see' or 'hear', but in this case it's 'feel'.
- SUBJ - VERB OF PERCEPTION - OBJECT=SUBJECT - VERB PHRASE The object of the main clause is simultaneously the subject of the verb phrase that follows.
- The final verb phrase uses the plain form or an -ing form, not an inflected form.
- I saw [David crouch down behind the bed].
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It's the catenative pattern for verbs of perception.
Usually it involves 'see' or 'hear', but in this case it's 'feel'.
SUBJ - VERB OF PERCEPTION - OBJECT=SUBJECT - VERB PHRASE
The object of the main clause is simultaneously the subject of the verb phrase that follows. The final verb phrase uses the plain form or an -ing form, not an inflected form.
I saw [Da
0
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