Page 146 - English Grammar in Use

Unit
67 see somebody do and see somebody doing

A Study this example situation:

Tom got into his car and drove off. You saw this.
You can say:
I saw Tom get into his car and drive off .
We say ‘I saw him do something’ (= he did it
and I saw this). In the same way, you can say:
tom
hear
listen to somebody do something
watch something happen
feel

I didn’t hear you come in. (you came in – I didn’t hear this)
Lisa suddenly felt somebody touch her on the shoulder.

B Study this example situation:
Yesterday you saw Kate. She was waiting for a bus.
You can say:
I saw Kate waiting for a bus.
We say ‘I saw her doing something’ (= she was doing it and I saw this).
In the same way, you can say:

hear
listen to kate
watch somebody doing something
feel something happening
smell
find

I could hear it raining. (it was raining – I could hear it)
Listen to the birds singing!
Can you smell something burning?
We looked for Paul and finally we found him sitting under a tree eating an apple.

C Study the difference in meaning:
I saw him do something = he did something and I saw this.
I saw the complete action from start to finish:
He jumped over the wall and ran away. I saw this.
→ I saw him jump over the wall and run away.
They went out. I heard this. → I heard them go out.
I saw him doing something = he was doing something and I saw this.
I saw him in the middle of doing something (not from start to finish):
I saw Tom as I drove past in my car. He was walking along the street.
→ I saw Tom walking along the street.
I heard them. They were talking. → I heard them talking.

Sometimes the difference is not important and you can use either form:
I’ve never seen her dance. or I’ve never seen her dancing.

134 Past simple (I did) ➜ Unit 5 Past continuous (I was doing) ➜ Unit 6