Grammar: ⚙️ Verbs in Depth: 🎭 Modals & 🌱 Non-Finite Verbs (Advanced) (B2) - Lesson 7: Verbs of Perception + object + infinitive/-ing (see him run / see him running)

The Grammar Lab

visibility

Verbs of Perception

កិរិយាសព្ទញ្ញាណដឹង (ឃើញ, ឮ, មានអារម្មណ៍)

Verbs like see, hear, feel, watch, and notice are special. We can use them in two different ways to change the meaning!

កិរិយាសព្ទញ្ញាណដឹងមានលក្ខណៈពិសេស។ យើងអាចប្រើវាជាមួយទម្រង់ពីរផ្សេងគ្នា ដើម្បីបញ្ជាក់ពីអត្ថន័យខុសគ្នា។

fast_forward

fast_forward Whole Action

ឃើញសកម្មភាពទាំងមូល (តាំងពីដើមដល់ចប់)

See/Hear + Object + Base Verb (V1)

I saw him run. I watched the entire race from start to finish. ខ្ញុំបានឃើញគាត់រត់តាំងពីដើមដល់ចប់។

timelapse

timelapse Action in Progress

ឃើញសកម្មភាពកំពុងកើតឡើង (មិនទាន់ចប់)

See/Hear + Object + Verb-ing

I saw him running. I saw him for a moment while he was running. ខ្ញុំបានឃើញគាត់កំពុងរត់ (ពេលខ្ញុំដើរកាត់គាត់)។

compare_arrows

compare_arrows Compare

ប្រៀបធៀបអត្ថន័យ

Base Verb

I saw him cross the street.

(គាត់បានដើរឆ្លងទៅដល់ត្រើយម្ខាងទៀត។)

Verb-ing

I saw him crossing the street.

(គាត់កំពុងដើរនៅកណ្តាលផ្លូវនៅឡើយ។)

warning The "To" Trap!

Never use "to" + verb.

(កុំប្រើ "to" បន្ទាប់ពីកម្មបទនៃកិរិយាសព្ទញ្ញាណដឹងឲ្យសោះ! អ្នកត្រូវជ្រើសរើសរវាង Base Verb ឬ Verb-ing ប៉ុណ្ណោះ។)

I saw him to run. close

I saw him run. check

Perception Verbs 🎬

Watch Teacher Sopheak explain the difference between watching a whole action versus an action in progress. Make sure you don't fall into the "to" trap!

quiz

Quick Check ⚡

ការត្រួតពិនិត្យចំណេះដឹង

fast_forward Whole Action

I watched them ___ the car. It took 2 hours!

(ខ្ញុំបានមើលពួកគេលាងឡាន។ វាចំណាយពេល ២ម៉ោង!)

timelapse

timelapse Action in Progress

When I walked past the room, I heard her ___.

(ពេលខ្ញុំដើរកាត់បន្ទប់ ខ្ញុំបានឮនាងកំពុងច្រៀង។)

gpp_maybe TRICKY QUESTION!

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

(តើប្រយោគមួយណាត្រឹមត្រូវ?)

psychology

psychology Meaning Check

"I saw him crossing the street."
Did he reach the other side?

(តើគាត់បានដើរទៅដល់ត្រើយម្ខាងទៀតឬទេ ពេលដែលអ្នកឃើញគាត់?)

timelapse

Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

In Progress timelapse (សរសេរប្រយោគ ១ អំពីអ្វីមួយដែលអ្នកបានឮគេ "កំពុង" ធ្វើកាលពីព្រឹកមិញ ដោយប្រើ -ing។ ឧ. I heard birds singing.)

fast_forward

Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Whole Action fast_forward (សរសេរប្រយោគ ១ អំពីសកម្មភាពទាំងមូលដែលអ្នកបានឃើញនរណាម្នាក់ធ្វើ ដោយប្រើ Base Verb។ ឧ. I saw him drop his keys.)

build

Mission 🎯

អនុវត្តជាក់ស្តែង!

Fix the Mistake build (កែប្រយោគនេះឲ្យត្រូវតាមវេយ្យាករណ៍: "I watched the chef to cook the meal.")

Ask a Question 🙋‍♂️

តើអ្នកមានចម្ងល់មែនទេ? សួរគ្រូនៅទីនេះ!

U

Recent Questions

S

Serey 2 hours ago

Teacher, can I say "I saw him to run" if he hasn't run yet?

Reply thumb_up 15

SP

Sopheak Pich Teacher 1 hour ago

Hi Serey! No, you can NEVER use "to" after an object with these perception verbs. If he hasn't run yet, you can't say you "saw" it happen! You would have to say something like, "I saw him getting ready to run." 🛑

V

Vireak 4 hours ago

Does "smell" work like this too? "I smelled something burning."

Reply thumb_up 10

SP

Sopheak Pich Teacher 3 hours ago

Yes, Vireak! "Smell" is a verb of perception too. However, we almost always use the "-ing" form with "smell" because smelling is usually an ongoing experience, not a finished action. So "I smelled something burning" is perfect! 🔥