The Senses
Verbs like see, hear, feel, watch, and notice can be followed by an object and then EITHER a Base Verb OR an -ing verb.
Two Paths
Base Verb
The -ing Form
Repeated Actions
Never use "to" after a verb of perception in the active voice!
I heard her sing. ✅
Mastery Check ⚡
Context: I watched the thief pick the lock, open the door, and...
Context: When I walked into the room...
There was an earthquake!
Mission 🎯
Mission 🎯
Mission 🎯
Senses in Action 🎬
The Director's Trick: Watch Teacher Sopheak explain the difference! Think of Base Verbs like watching a whole movie, and -ing verbs like walking into the theater halfway through the scene.
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Advanced Q&A
Great question, Sovan! With verbs like "smell" and "find", we almost *always* use the -ing form, because smelling or finding usually happens while the action is in progress. "I smelled the cake burning" is the natural choice! 🍰🔥
What happens if we use the passive voice? Like "He was seen..."
Aha! This is a very advanced B2/C1 grammar trap! 🚨 If you change a "base verb" perception sentence into the passive voice, the word "TO" magically appears!
Active: "I saw him steal it."
Passive: "He was seen TO steal it."
However, -ing stays the same: "He was seen stealing it." 🤯
Teacher, does this rule apply to "smell"? "I smelled the cake burn" vs "I smelled the cake burning"?