LONGMAN ENGLISH GRAMMAR PRACTICE

16.8 The to-infinitive or the '-ing' form?

16.2 The bare infinitive or the '-ing' form; the fo-infinitive

16.2A Verbs of perception: 'Watch him draw/drawing' [> LEG 16.9.2-3]

Study:

та

1 We can use a noun or pronoun object + the bare infinitive or -ing after these verbs:

feel, hear, listen to, look at, notice, observe, perceive, see, smell, watch [compare > 16.6В].

2 The bare infinitive generally refers to the complete action:

I watched a pavement artist draw a portrait in crayons, (i.e. from start to finish)

3 The -ing form generally refers to an action in progress:

I watched a pavement artist drawing a portrait in crayons, (i.e. I saw part of the action)

4 We often use hear, observe, perceive and see in the passsive + -ing or a io-infinitive:

They were seen waiting. They were seen to climb through the window.

Write: Join these pairs of sentences, deciding when to use a bare infinitive or -ing.

1 She crossed the road. I saw her.

I saw

2 She was crossing the road. I caught sight of her.

I noticed

3 Something's burning. I can smell it.

I can smell

4 They sang a song. I listened to them.

I listened

5 She was shouting at the children. I heard her.

I heard

6 The robbers were waiting near the bank. They were seen.

The robbers were seen

16.2B 'Have' + object: 'Have the next patient come in' [> LEG 16.10.1 -2]

Study:

Write:

1 When we cause someone to do something for us, we use have + object + bare infinitive:

Have the next patient come in, please, [compare > 12.3B]

We may also use have + know, have +believe: I'll have you know I'm the company secretary.

2 We use have + object + -ing to refer to intended results, and unintended consequences:

I'll have you speaking English in no time. You'll have the neighbours complaining.

Use the bare infinitive or the -ing form after have in these sentences.

1 Have him his car round the back, (bring)

2 'I will not have students on the walls of this college,' the principal said, (draw)

3 I'll have you I'm a qualified accountant, (know)

4 He had her he was a millionaire, (believe)

5 We have people us up all hours of the day and night, (ring)

6 The film had them right from the first few minutes, (laugh)

7 He's an excellent piano teacher. He'll have you in about a year, (play)

8 I'll have the plumber the central heating boiler, (look at)

9 The sergeant had all the recruits like real soldiers inside a month, (march)

10 He had never had anything like that to him before, (happen)