Comment on a activity vs relate experience

Direct Experience THAT-CLAUSE After see and heard the subordinator that + a clause expresses someone's knowledge about something.. INDIRECT KNOWLEDGE We heard that they walked down t

Comment on a Activity vs Relate Experience

COMMENT + ACTIVITY

The verbs below express attitude or opinion about an activity The verb is complemented by a gerund (nonfinite) clause (See Verb + Gerund )

SUBJ + PREDICATE COMPLEMENT / OBJECT

We couldn't help noticing sheep as they walked by

We loved hearing them making "baaa" sounds.

SENSORY EXPERIENCE + DESCRIPTION

A similar but different meaning is expressed below The verb expreses direct observation, perception,

or experience of something The object noun is complemented by a reduced modifying clause

(participial)

SUBJ + PRED + OBJ COMPLEMENT / MODIFIER

(who were) walking… (modifies sheep)

(who were) walking by (modifies sheep)

We heard (dogs¹) barking behind the herd of sheep.

(who were) barking… (modifies dogs)

We had fun² hearing them making "baaa" sounds.

(which was) hearing them… (modifies fun)

We sat³

watching them pass by.

(and we were) watching them… (modifies we)

That-Clause vs ing-Clause

Express indirect or direct knowledge

Indirect Knowledge vs Direct Experience

THAT-CLAUSE

After see and heard the subordinator that + a clause expresses someone's knowledge about

something The source is second-hand, indirect, from someone else

INDIRECT KNOWLEDGE THROUGH EVIDENCE

We saw that they walked down the road

We came later and saw sheep droppings on the road

INDIRECT KNOWLEDGE

We heard that they walked down the road

Someone told us about it

LEARN FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

We found that it was better to take a different road in the morning

We learned this from previous experience

BELIEVE OR THINK FROM PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

We felt that the sheep had the right of way so we stopped

We believed or held this opinion

PARTICIPLE CLAUSE

After see, hear, find, or feel, a gerund-participle clause expresses someone's experience The experience is first-hand, direct, by oneself

DIRECT VISUAL EXPERIENCE

We saw them walk/ walking down the road

We saw them They were walking down the road

DIRECT AUDITORY EXPERIENCE

We heard them walking down the road

We heard them They were walking down the road

DIRECT DISCOVERY EXPERIENCE

We found them walking on the road at 7:00 a.m

We discovered them They were walking down the road

DIRECT SENSORY EXPERIENCE

We felt the car shaking as they walked by

We experienced it.The car was shaking

Sensory Verbs

Followed by -ing or base form

-ing Form vs Plain Form (Base Form)

–ING VERB FORM

A sensory verb is followed by a noun and optionally a modifying clause (particpial clause /

gerund-participle clause)

We smelled a skunk [that was] passing by

We saw an athlete [who was] running a marathon race

We heard cows [that were] mooing (making cow sounds)

We saw some birds [that were] flying away

We heard the neighbors [who were] leaving at 7:00 am

We watched our mother [who was] cooking dinner

We felt the temperature [that was] rising

We observed the doctor [who was] doing open-heart surgery

We noticed the man [who was] putting something in his pocket

The police found the thieves [who were] hiding. (found = observed)

She caught¹ her husband [who was] cheating

BARE / BASE VERB FORM

Some sensory verbs are followed by a plain form / base verb form. This form does not change the meaning

We smelled it pass[ing] by

We saw him run [ing] a marathon race

We heard themmoo [ing] (make cow sounds)

We saw them fly [ing] away

We heard them leave [ing] at 7:00 am

We watched her cook [ing] dinner

We felt it rise [ing]

Have Expressions

Followed by -ing clauses

Having a particular experience

EXPRESSING POSSESSION

When have is used to express possession, it is commonly followed by a noun (No gerund

form is possible.)

We had a mobile phone

We had a holiday

We had a frisbee

We had a karaoke machine

She had a baby

We had breakfast / lunch / dinner

They are having a party (hosting an event)

He is having a cigarette / a break (take)

Have a bite / a drink / a seat (take)

She is having a bath (take)

Have a good day / holiday / Merry Christmas (enjoy)

HAVING A PARTICULAR EXPERIENCE

When have is used to express experience, it is followed by a gerund-participle clause

(nonfinite) Typically, the speaker expresses a good or bad experience "which was"

We had difficulty finding a public phone

We had difficulty (which was) finding…

We had a hard time finding his number

They had no trouble driving to your house

They had an easy time driving to your house.

She had an awful¹ time getting a visa

We had fun skiing (pleasant)

We had a ball skiing (a ball = fun)

We experienced difficulty finding a pay phone

Passing-Time Verbs

Followed by gerunds

Spending Time (doing something)

TWO SEPARATE ACTIVITIES

With a few verbs, two activities can be combined together Note how these verbs joined by and can

be restated

He sat and ate his dinner

He stood and argued with me

He lies around and reads the newspaper (or lies down)

He wasted time and texted on his telephone

She spends hours and does her homework

SPENDING TIME VERB-ING

These verbs with the meaning of "passing time" can be followed by an activity, a gerund clause

He sat eating his dinner

He stood arguing with me

He lies around reading the newspaper

He wastes time texting on his telephone

She spends hours doing her homework

Other Verbs Followed by Gerunds

Verb + Object + Verb-ing

see I saw her

leaving / leave

feel I felt her sneezing / sneeze

have trouble I have trouble hearing

sit I sat watching the sheep

watch I watched

them falling / fall

hear I heard her coughing / cough

have difficulty I have difficulty spelling

stand I stood waiting for them

observe I saw her

leaving

smell I smelled her passing / pass by

have fun I have fun dancing

lie around I lay around relaxing

notice I noticed her

arriving

have a great time I had a great time traveling

lie He lay complaining

catch I caught them

relaxing

have an easy time I had an easy time driving

waste time He wastes time shopping

find I found her

sleeping

have a ball I have

a ball playing video games

spend time I spend time browsing

overheard We

overheard them

fighting