Page 255 - Practical English Usage 3ed - Michael Swan, Oxford

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He was never heard to say 'thank you' in his life. (NOT He f:tIflS neflef' hetlFti say-•••)
Justice must not only be done; it must be seen to be done. She was seen walking away from the accident.
Passive forms of watch and notice are not used in this way. possessives not used
After these verbs, possessives cannot be used with -ing forms.
1saw Mary crossing the road. (NOT {9ttW Mary's et'8ssing the MM.)
object + past participle
In this structure, the past participle has a passive meaning.
1heard my name repeated several times. (= My name was repeated.) Have you ever seen a television thrown through a window?
The idea of 'action or event in progress' can be given by a progressive form (being + past participle).
As 1 watched the tree being cut down . ..
1 woke up to hear the bedroom door being opened slowly.
These structures are not possible after passive forms of hear and see.
look at
Look at can be followed by object + -ing fonn, and in American English also by object + infinitive.
Look at him eating! Look at him eat! (AmE)
For more about verbs that can be followed by both infinitives and -ing forms. see 299. For the difference between henr and listen, see 24I.
For see, look and /lIatch, see 506.
hear, see etc with that-clause
The present-tense forms 1 hear (that) ... and 1see (that) ... are often used to introduce pieces of news which one has heard, read or seen on television.
I hear (that) Alice is expecting a baby.
I see (that) the firemen are going on strike.
Some other verbs can be used like this. Common examples are understand and gather. These are often used to check information.
I understand you're moving to a new job. "" Yes, that's right.
I gather you didn't like the party. - What makes you say that?
244 help
After help, we can use object + infinitive (with or without to).
Can you help me (to) find my ring? (NOT Can ytJrt .'telp mejilttlillg my ring?) Thank you so much for helping us (to) repair the car.
Our main task is to help the company (to) become profitable.
Help can also be followed directly by an infinitive without an object. Would you like to help wash up?
For the expression mn't help . . .in8. see 126.
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