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Springmeans Posted 11 years ago
Grammar

Object complement

Hi all.

I'm wondering if any of those are incorrect?

(A)

I saw the house burn. (Whole scene)

I saw the house burning. (In the middle of action)

I saw the house burnt. (After burning, a burnt house)

(B)

I found the house burning.

I found the house burn.

I found the house burnt.

(I regarded the word 'found' as a sensing verb like see, smell. Would it be possible to apply the same grammar rules?)

Thanks.
  

Top answer

I found the house burning. OK I found the house burn. No.

— AlpheccaStars

  • I found the house burning.
  • OK I found the house burn.
  • No.
  • I found the house burnt.
  • OK, but not very natural.
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7 Answers
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I found the house burning. OK

I found the house burn. No.

I found the house burnt. OK, but not very natural. - I found the house burnt to a crisp. I found the house completely burnt (up).

The participles (present and past) can be used as post-modifiers.
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springmeansI saw the house burnt. (After burning, a burnt house)
Without any context, my first interpretation of this would probably be "I saw someone / some people burning down the house".
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Another opinion:

I saw the house burn. (I watched it burn.)
I saw the house burning. (I briefly saw the house during the fire.)
I saw the house burnt (or burned inUSA). (I saw the whole event.)

I saw the burnt house.

I found the house burning. (I arrived during the fire.)
I found the house as it burned.
I found the house burnt. (It was burnt when I a
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springmeansI'm wondering if any of those are incorrect?
Off topic:

^
those (above)
_________

these (below)
v
______________

You should have written "these".

CJ
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Thanks!!
so, even though I used the word 'found' to imply 'saw' in the sentence, 'burn' is wrong. Where as 'I saw the house BURN' is correct.

: )
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Yes, "burn" is an action, which you can see happening. A "burning house" is an object, which you can see or find; so you can "find a house (that is) burning" or "find a burning house" or "watch a house burn (to the ground)".
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springmeans even though I used the word 'found' to imply 'saw' in the sentence, 'burn' is wrong.
Yes. The verbs of perception involve the direct use one of the five senses: see, feel, watch, hear, smell. Where it makes sense, a bare infinitive of a dynamic verb can express an action that was observed.

I felt a caterpillar crawl up my leg.
I heard
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