Hi, I know this is silly question, but it keeps me confusing...?

Question

Why is"I feel the earth move" and not "I feel the earth moves"  same question like  I see the car moves  He sees the car movesI was taking a shower when I heard the phone ring.I was taking a shower when I heard the phone ringing.I was taking a shower when I heard the phone rang.I heard the phone ringingI heard the phone rang.which of them right?Please help me with the grammar...Someone has told me that it's called a two-verb combination.  The second verb is the infinitive, not conjugated. But i still don't really understand it.Could someone Please... please help me out of this... It has been bothering me all the times...Help me, teacherssss, lecturersss...P/S: Since English is my second language, and I don't have the that structure in my First Language. So could you please explain it in more detail like I am a beginner.THANKS YOU VERY MUCH.

Avangi · Accepted Answer

I heard it.

I heard the phone.
I heard the phone ~~[to]~~ ring. (infinitive)
I heard the phone ringing. (present participle)

These are all past tense, because "heard" is past tense. "Ring" and "ringing" are verbals, and have no tense. There's no such structure as "I tried to rang your doorbell."
"Tried" is past tense, but the infinitive "to ring" doesn't change.

The four sentences above can be changed to present tense by changing only "heard" to "hear."
"I hear the phone ringing," etc. "I hear the phone ring every day at this time."

We see the car ~~[to]~~ move. Your advice is correct. "To move" is an infinitive.
It has no tense and it's not inflected (has no conjugation, as you said.)

Only the main verb "to see" is inflected.

She saw the car move.
We have seen the car move.
I am seeing the car move.
They should be seeing the car move.
He used to see the car move. (Hmmm)

Welcome to English Forums, letsaskq. Thanks for joining us!

Best wishes, - A.

Letsaskq · Answer

Oh ... thanks for the long explanation... very appreaciated !!!
Okay... I'm now digesting them but still too hard to understand whole immediately...
Could I ask any further if I still not understand?
Sorry for bothering...
Again, Thanks very much, Avangi .!!!!

Cool Breeze · Answer

AvangiI heard the phone [to] ring. (infinitive)
I heard the phone ringing. (present participle)

Hi, Avangi

Helsinki English is somewhat different. To is used after a passive verb only:

I heard the phone ring/ringing.
The phone was heard to ring.

Theoretically, there is one exception to this: to is always used before be, but such usage nearly always looks and sounds very awkward to my ear and eye:

I saw them to be in the room.
(Perhaps you can think of a natural example of to be after a verb of perception in the active voice.)

CB

This rule isn't always observed in poetry and song lyrics. I remember that Frank Sinatra violates it - or rather, the lyricist of his song violates it - in one of his songs but I just don't remember the song at the moment.

CalifJim · Answer

letsaskqSomeone has told me that it's called a two-verb combination. The second verb is the infinitive, not conjugated.

Yes. That's right.

Use the bare infinitive after the verbs let, make, have, and help and after verbs of perception (see, watch, hear, feel, ...). A noun or pronoun comes between the two verbs.

[Verb*] [Direct Object] [Bare infinitive]

*From the list above.

Examples:

I let them do whatever they wanted.

She made him work in the garden.
Karen had them stand in two lines.
We help them plant roses every year.
I saw Ken steal the wallet.
Larry watched the workers build the fence.
Peter heard them arrive late last night.
Janette felt the spider crawl up her arm.

You can even chain these together.

Ken let his daughter watch the plumber fix the sink.
Franny had her son help the neighbors trim the hedges.
Don watched the teacher make the children read their lessons.

CJ

Avangi · Answer

Cool BreezeThe phone was heard to ring.

Hi, CB. I meant to draw a line through the "to." I'm afraid the brackets make it look optional.
I was thinking of it as a stealthinfinitive marker.

My bad.

-- A.

Edit. I'm much more comfortable with "I saw them to be in the room" than I am with "I saw them be in the room."

Maybe if they were ghosts, they'd become more apparent after a few of these:

Best regards, - A.

Avangi · Answer

letsaskqSorry for bothering...

No bother.
I should have organized my reply better.
I hadn't heard the expression "two-verb combination," but I'm sure CJ has.
(I'll add it to my future corrections.)

Cool Breeze · Answer

AvangiMaybe if they were ghosts, they'd become more apparent after a few of these:

You're right as usual, Avangi. Have a dark Czech Velko...

have one now and put two in the fridge for tonight!

CB

CalifJim · Answer

Avangi"two-verb combination,"

This is just an informal way of saying you're dealing with a catenative verb. (The first in the series -- see, hear, let, ... -- is the catenative verb.)

CJ

Avangi · Answer

Thanks, CJ.
It seems as if the verbal is optional in each case.
Is the finite verb considered caternative only when followed by a verbal?

- A.

Letsaskq · Answer

Ok...
But how about
If we Interpreting this way,

(i) I feel the Earth (it) moves.
(ii) I feel the Earth it moves.
(iii) I feel the Earth, it moves.

(iv) I feel the Earth (is) moving.
(v) I feel the Earth is moving.

(OR there should be no way to interprete this way, they're all grammatically wrong?)
because I still see people saying

I think the world needs a drink.

I think the rate increases are likely to be somewhat substantial.

Or another case,
Earth move = Earthmove = Earthquake (as noun)
(let's say)

(iv) I feel the Earthquake. <=

noun? or maybe verb?

(v) I feel the Earth quake. <= If the quake now is a verb ??? Posible ?

Oh ***, why it is so confusing...

Hmm... I hope you could understand what am I trying to ask...

Hi, I know this is silly question, but it keeps me confusing...?

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