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Dear Mr. or Ms. What is answer in this question? After spending lots of time she saw a moth ( ) onto some of the wires in the printer. 1.fall 2.falling 3.be fallen 4.to fall 5.to be fall

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Use the bare infinitive after the verbs "let", "make", "have", and "help".
Also after verbs of perception ("see", "hear", "feel").

Can you answer your own question now?

Metanoeno · Answer

i know that grammar. I wonder whether answer is 1 or 3.

Miriam · Answer

Hello, metanoeno

The truth is that there are two correct answers. You can chose either #1 or #2. There is a slight difference in meaning, but both an infinitive and a present participle can be used after "see".

You can "she saw a moth fall" or "she saw a moth falling".
The only difference is that if you choose "falling", you'll be putting emphasis on the "process"; it will mean that she watched the moth, in its fall, all the way down until it landed on the wires.
If you use "fall", it will simply mean the she saw the action but didn't want to emphasise on the "duration" or the whole "process" of the action.

Options #3, #4 and #5 are incorrect.

Hope it helps.

Miriam

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