Jigster
Member
- Joined
- Jun 19, 2012
- Member Type
- Student or Learner
- Native Language
- Czech
- Home Country
- Czech Republic
- Current Location
- Czech Republic
Hello,
I am not an English teacher. I study English at a university and I sometimes help out friends with their problems with English.
Recently I have come across this sentence in a test:
He saw the plane crash into the sea when its engines failed.
The objective was to fill in "crash". I know by heart that this is the right answer, but when my friend asks me why this particular form is correct and how she can apply the grammar in the future, I am unable to explain.
Now, for my hypothesis (forgive me for any mistakes, as I will surely make some):
The word "plane" is an object here and the word "crash" in its infinite (infinitive?) form is a way to avoid an additional subordinate clause, which would probably look like "plane, which crashed into the sea..." Is this phenomenon called something? How can I explain it to my friend?
I have done some thinking and realised that this phenomenon seems to be occuring only with sentences where the main verb in the main clause is a verb of "perception" (to see, to feel, to hear), plus to make. I cannot find the cause, unfortunately.
I will be thankful for any help in the matter.
I am not an English teacher. I study English at a university and I sometimes help out friends with their problems with English.
Recently I have come across this sentence in a test:
He saw the plane crash into the sea when its engines failed.
The objective was to fill in "crash". I know by heart that this is the right answer, but when my friend asks me why this particular form is correct and how she can apply the grammar in the future, I am unable to explain.
Now, for my hypothesis (forgive me for any mistakes, as I will surely make some):
The word "plane" is an object here and the word "crash" in its infinite (infinitive?) form is a way to avoid an additional subordinate clause, which would probably look like "plane, which crashed into the sea..." Is this phenomenon called something? How can I explain it to my friend?
I have done some thinking and realised that this phenomenon seems to be occuring only with sentences where the main verb in the main clause is a verb of "perception" (to see, to feel, to hear), plus to make. I cannot find the cause, unfortunately.
I will be thankful for any help in the matter.