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    participles or infinitives after verbs of perception

    6­ Replies
    Topic

    participles or infinitives after verbs of perception

    Comment
    Hi,
    ich schreibe morgen eine Klausur. Leider liegt mir das Thema "Verbs of perception gar nicht. In der nach folgenden Übung soll entschieden werden, ob in die Lücken jeweils ein Infinitiv oder ein present participle kommt. Könnte dort mal jemand rüberschauen, damit ich weiß, ob das so richtig ist? Die in "..." verfassten Wärter musste ich einsetzen.
    Let me guess your reaction when you answer the phone and hear someone "say" the word party. You can already see yourself "dance" through the night to music! I always feel myself "get" excited, too. I like to listen to callers "talk" about parties. Every time I hear the phone "start" to ring I hope it´s someone, who wants to use my party service.
    It´s great to see people "reacting" with a ´wow!´
    You don´t often see me "stopping" to take a normal lunch.
    I don´t have to listen so someone else "tell" me what to do all the time.

    Danke schon mal für eure Mühen.
    AuthorAnonym123456 (867479) 13 Jan 13, 13:25
    Comment
    I would make four changes:
    see yourself dancing
    feel myself getting
    listen to callers talking
    listen to someone else telling ...

    I don't know the "rules" for this: someone else may be able to explain why "you hear someone say the word ..." and "I hear the phone start to ring" are OK.

    Note: I'm British, and I think American usage may be different.
    #1AuthorHecuba - UK (250280) 13 Jan 13, 14:03
    Comment
    Frankly, my dear, I couldn't give a damn...

    You will probably get as many different combinations of -ings and infinitives as there are educated native speakers contributing to this forum.

    But if you must have a rule, use the infinitive for a short or complete action, and an -ing for a long or incomplete one. Which is which in any particular situation is open to interpretation, hence my remark above.
    #2Author escoville (237761) 13 Jan 13, 15:14
    Comment
    Thank you :)
    But what is incomplete and what is complete? On which points do you recorgnize this? For example I wouldn´t know, if "listen to someone else telling ..."is complete or not.
    #3AuthorAnonym123456 (867479) 13 Jan 13, 16:22
    Comment
    But what is incomplete and what is complete?

    That is precisely the point I was making. Interpretations will differ.

    But this is not a matter to which native speakers give serious consideration, either actively or passively.
    #4Author escoville (237761) 13 Jan 13, 17:13
    Comment
    Ich würde deine Beispiele wie folgt handhaben:

    Let me guess your reaction when you answer the phone and hear someone say the word party.
    You can already see yourself dancing through the night.
    I always feel myself getting excited, too.
    I like to listen to callers talking about parties. (Aber: I like to hear callers talk about parties.)
    Every time I hear the phone start to ring I hope it's someone, who wants to use my party service.(Aber besser: Every time I hear the phone ring)
    It's great to hear people react with a 'wow!'
    You don't often see me stop (aber auch: stopping) to take a normal lunch.
    I don't have to listen so someone telling me what to do.

    Aber eine Regel so aus dem Stegreif formulieren kann ich leider nicht.
    #5Author Bob C. (254583) 13 Jan 13, 17:41
    Comment
    @ #3: I agree with escoville that interpretations will differ.

    But in the case of '... listen to someone telling me what to do all the time' it's not a short or completed action because the (hypothetical) person is doing it all the time, he/she never stops.
    #6AuthorHecuba - UK (250280) 13 Jan 13, 17:57
     
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