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Newguest Posted 18 years ago
Grammar
leave/leaving etc.
Hi
a) We heard you leave
b) We heard you leaving
a) We watched them play basketball
b) We watched them playing basketball
a) I saw him cross the street
b) I saw him crossing the street
a) I heard you talk about...
b) I heard you talking about...
Is the only difference between "a" and "b" in all of the above examples the fact that in the first one we put emphasis on our "hearing" and in the second one on "leaving" (it's about the first example)
what about the other examples? If I say "I watched him play basketball" AND "I watched him playing basketball" - will there be any difference in meaning?
Thank you
a) We heard you leave
b) We heard you leaving
a) We watched them play basketball
b) We watched them playing basketball
a) I saw him cross the street
b) I saw him crossing the street
a) I heard you talk about...
b) I heard you talking about...
Is the only difference between "a" and "b" in all of the above examples the fact that in the first one we put emphasis on our "hearing" and in the second one on "leaving" (it's about the first example)
what about the other examples? If I say "I watched him play basketball" AND "I watched him playing basketball" - will there be any difference in meaning?
Thank you
Top answer
The difference is in the verb that varies: a) We heard you leave -- we heard the event . b) We heard you leaving-- we heard the activity. Often, there is no real difference in the intended meaning, but sometimes one or the other is not feasible: I saw you get hit by the bullet.
- The difference is in the verb that varies: a) We heard you leave -- we heard the event .
- b) We heard you leaving-- we heard the activity.
- Often, there is no real difference in the intended meaning, but sometimes one or the other is not feasible: I saw you get hit by the bullet.
- I saw you getting hit by the bullet.
- -- Not likely, since being struck by such a missile is too fast to observe.
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8 Answers
0
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The difference is in the verb that varies:
a) We heard you leave -- we heard the event.
b) We heard you leaving-- we heard the activity.
Often, there is no real difference in the intended meaning, but sometimes one or the other is not feasible:
I saw you get hit by the bullet.
I saw you getting hit by the bullet. -- Not likely, s
The difference is in the verb that varies:
a) We heard you leave -- we heard the event.
b) We heard you leaving-- we heard the activity.
Often, there is no real difference in the intended meaning, but sometimes one or the other is not feasible:
I saw you get hit by the bullet.
I saw you getting hit by the bullet. -- Not likely, s
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What about "crossing"
I saw him cross the street
I saw him crossing the street
Doesn't the first one mean that I saw as he crossed the street from one end to the other (he completed this activity) and in the second example I just saw him in the process of crossing it (he might have been in the middle) and maybe he did not reach the other end (I didn't see it)
Is
I saw him cross the street
I saw him crossing the street
Doesn't the first one mean that I saw as he crossed the street from one end to the other (he completed this activity) and in the second example I just saw him in the process of crossing it (he might have been in the middle) and maybe he did not reach the other end (I didn't see it)
Is
00
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Yes, that's fine, but you probably saw him finish crossing in both cases.
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Yes, that's fine, but you probably saw him finish crossing in both cases.
.
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Mister Micawber.Well, I remember that I've read somewhere that when you use the continuous form you never know if something was finished or not.
Yes, that's fine, but you probably saw him finish crossing in both cases.
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For example if I said: I heard her talking about it (it would mean that I heard only a part of her speech) and wh
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Well, I remember that I've read somewhere that when you use the continuous form you never know if something was finished or not.Of course you know-- context reveals it.
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Mister Micawber.How do you know that her father had an accident?Well, I remember that I've read somewhere that when you use the continuous form you never know if something was finished or not.Of course you know-- context reveals it.
I heard her talk about it
I heard her talking about it
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.
We seem to be going in circles.
We seem to be going in circles.
is there any difference for you between these two?
The difference is in the verb that varies:
a) We heard you leave -- we heard the event.
b) We heard you leaving-- we heard the activity.
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