Meaning
to witness someone perform an action (complete process using bare infinitive)
Primary Function
perception verb describing an observed complete action
Communicative Purpose
to describe eyewitness accounts, evidence
Pattern
see; to
Core Structure
see; to
Função primária
perception verb describing an observed complete action
Propósito comunicativo
to describe eyewitness accounts, evidence
Situações de gatilho
storytelling, reporting, legal testimony
Contextos
everyday, professional
Padrão
see; to
Estrutura central
see; to
Slots de substituição
any noun phrase for the person or entity; any bare infinitive verb phrase describing the observed action
Colocados típicos
- suddenly
- clearly
- never
- actually
- we saw him do
Substituições comuns
- watch
- observe
- notice
- witness
Erros comuns
using *see someone to do; confusing do vs doing (completed vs ongoing)
Similar / contraste
watch do/doing, hear do/doing, notice do/doing
Interferências
Romance languages often use infinitive; English bare infinitive after perception verbs is less common.
Família do chunk
- watch
- observe
- hear
- notice
Nuance
'see do' = witnessed whole action; 'see doing' = caught in the middle of an activity.
Efeito pragmático
vivid description, strong in narratives and legal testimony.
Dica de memória
“I saw him take the money.”
Nota
This chunk is used to describe actions that have been observed in their entirety, using the bare infinitive form of the verb. It is commonly used in storytelling, reporting, and legal contexts to provide vivid descriptions of witnessed events.
Upgrade path
use ‘witness’ for formal/legal contexts
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