see/hear somebody do vs doing — whole event vs snapshot (GiU Unit 67)
The frame
Section titled “The frame”A car stopped outside my house (main verb, plain past). I heard a car stop outside my house, and then it drove off again. ✓
After perception verbs (see, hear, watch, notice, feel, listen to) + object → two forms only:
| form | meaning | example |
|---|---|---|
| bare infinitive (do) | whole action start→finish | I heard a car stop (full event, then it drove off) |
| -ing (doing) | mid-action, partial view | I saw him crossing the road (glimpse, not the whole) |
Never to: ✗ I heard a car to stop. ✗ I saw her to cry.
Video vs snapshot
Section titled “Video vs snapshot”- bare do = whole video: I saw her cross the street (watched the entire crossing)
- -ing = paused frame: I saw her crossing the street (caught her mid-way)
The “and then it drove off again” continuation = full sequence witnessed → stop (bare). If it were I heard a car stopping — only the stopping part, no drive-away.
Passive twist
Section titled “Passive twist”In passive, the to returns: The car was heard to stop. / She was seen to cross. (rare, formal — perception passive takes the full infinitive).
Source
Section titled “Source”Raymond Murphy, English Grammar in Use, Unit 67 — see somebody do/doing. Ebot lesson 2026-09-05.