Page 254 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

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1saw her cross the road. (= I saw her cross it from one side to the other.) 1 saw her crossing the road. (= I saw her in the middle, on her way across.) I once heard him give a talk on Japanese politics.
As I walked past his room 1 heard him talking on the phone.
Watch me jump over the stream.
I like to watch peopk walking in the street.
hear, see etc + object + verb form 242
understanding the whole of a performance, speech, piece of music, broadcast or other communication, we generally use hear. Compare:
- When she arrived, 1 was listening to a record ofBrendel playing Beethoven.
(NOT .•• l was hearing...)
1once heard Brendel play all the Beethoven concertos. (NOT .. 6nt:e listened tfJ
Brendel p/tty ...)
- 1 wish 1 had more time to listen to the radio. (NOT ••• t6 hear the ratli6.)
Did YOll hear I listen to the news yesterday?
4 hear not used in progressive forms
Hear is not usually used in progressive forms. To say that one hears something at the moment of speaking, can hear is often used, especially in British English (see 125).
1 can hear somebody coming. (NOT .. am hettring .. .)
5 listen and listen to
When there is no object, listen is used without to. Compare: Listen! (NOT Listen tfJn Listen to me! (NOT Listen men
There are similar differences between see, look (at) and lUatch. See 506. For ',ear.object ... In6nitive/-ing, see 242.
242 hear, see etc + object + verb form 1 object + infinitive or -ing form
Hear, see, watch, notice and similar verbs of perception can be followed by object + infinitive (without to) or object + -ing form.
1 heard him go down the stairs. I heard him going down the stairs. (NOT I heard .'tim went dewn me sttti,.s.)
There is often a difference of meaning. After these verbs, an infinitive suggests that we hear or see the whole of an action or event; an -ing form suggests that we hear or see something in progress, going on. Compare:
- 1 heard the bomb explode. (NOT I heard the b6mb exp16dirtg.) I saw the book lying on the tabk. (NOT [ saw the b861e lie ...)
A progressive form can suggest repetition.
I saw her throwing stones at the other children.
After can see/hear (which refer to actions and events that are in progress - see 125). only the -ing structure is used.
I could see John getting on the bus. (NOT { C8tt1ti see16h" get ...)
These structures can be used after passive forms of hear and see. In this case, the infinitive has to.
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