Verb + noun + -ing / verb + noun + infinitive

see a man walking / see a man walk

Verb + noun + -ing / verb + noun + infinitive

  • They saw something walking in the forest.
  • Scientists photographed an animal swimming under water.

Other verbs that follow this pattern are:

feel
find
hear
notice
observe
watch

1. Verb + noun + -ing.

Combine these two sentences to make one sentence.

 

For example:
They saw something. It was walking in the forest.
They saw something walking in the forest.

  

2. Can you remember?

Complete these sentences from the previous exercise from memory.

3. See something do vs. see something doing.

I saw the animal climb a tree.
I saw the animal climbing a tree.

In the first sentence I saw the complete action from start to finish. In the second sentence I saw the action in progress, but not necessarily all of it.

Match the sentences with the pictures.