Rear Window: Verbs of Perception + Gerund or Bare Infinitive

I like showing classics to my younger students so they learn a little more about movies. Hitchcock's Rear Window is a must to all movie lovers.

Some verbs of perception see, look at, hear, listen to, and feel, along with watch and sense can be used with objects followed by other verbs (base form or gerunds, but not infinitives).

Examples:

We heard you leave. (Okay. Emphasis on our hearing.)
We heard you leaving. (Okay. Emphasis on your leaving.)
We heard you to leave. (Incorrect!)

Other examples:

I saw her go. (okay. Focus on my seeing.)
Look at that man run! (okay. Focus on their looking.)
Sylvester listened to the canary sing. (okay, focus on his listening.)
We watched them play basketball. (okay, focus on our watching.)
We watched them playing basketball. (okay, focus on their playing.)
Trudy can feel the wind blowing against her skin. (okay, focus on the wind's blowing.)
Mr. Todd sensed the lion approaching. (okay, focus on the lion's approaching.)

 I. Watch the movie segment and complete sentences with one verb of the given verbs of perception and the objects followed by other verbs in parentheses. Use as many verbs as possible. Then decide where the action main focus is.

LOOK AT - SEE - HEAR - LISTEN TO -  WATCH - SENSE

                                                                 Lisa and Jeff



1. He _______________a woman in green _______________ the table for a special dinner. (see)

2. He ____________ Miss Lonelyhearts _______________________ her imaginary guest, but he couldn't understand what she was actually saying. (welcome)

3. He __________Miss Lonelyhearts ____________some wine for herself and her imaginary lover. (pour)

4. They ___________ Ms, Torso, the ballet dancer, ______________with three gentlemen in her apartment building.(entertain)

5. A beautiful lady __________ her husband ___________ a call and left the bed to see what was  happening. (make)

6. The woman's husband _____________ (neg) her _______________ into the living room and was surprised by her presence there (come).

7. The couple ___________ a songwriter  __________ beautiful music in the studio apartment. (play)


Key - possible answers:


1. Jeff saw a woman in green setting the table for a special dinner.

2. Jeff heard  Miss Lonelyhearts welcome her imaginary guest.

3. Jeff watched Miss Lonelyhearts pour some wine for herself and her imaginary lover.

4. Jeff and Lisa saw Ms, Torso, the ballet dancer, entertaining with three gentlemen in her apartment building.

5. A beautiful lady heard her husband making a call and left the bed to see what was happening.

6. The woman's husband didn't sense her come into the  living room and was surprised by her presence.

7. Jeff and Lisa  heard a songwriter  playing beautiful music in the studio apartment.


WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - REAR WINDOW

R.I.P.D. - Verbs of Perception

Great film. Funny and thrilling. This scene is awesome, perfect for verbs of perception.

The verb of perception (see, watch, notice, hear, listen, smell, feel) are followed by bare infinitive or by -ing form (present participle).

• If we want to say that we heard or saw the whole action from beginning to end, we usually use bare infinitive

I saw him sign the cheque.
• If we want to say that only saw or heard part of the action, we use -ing form

I saw the consultant waiting in reception.
(I saw consultant. He was waiting in reception.)

I. Watch the movie segment. Then write sentences with the verbs of perception provided below to make the sentence logical and meaningful, according to the segment. What did he see someone/something do (ing) the moment he died? Use the following verbs of perception. You MUST use all of the given verbs. Follow the example:

SEE / NOTICE / WATCH / HEAR / LISTEN / SMELL / FEEL

1. PIECES OF WOOD / FALL 

Ex: He saw pieces of wood falling.

2. people / shoot at one another

3. the barn / burn

4. a helicopter / fly

5. a bird / fly fast

6. a big airplane / fly close to him

7. something / pull him into the clouds

8. a woman / try to tell him he was dead.

WORKSHEET

MOVIE SEGMENT DOWNLOAD - R.I.P.D.

Answer key:

Answers may vary, but here are some possible answers. Make sure the students use different verbs of perception. 

1. PIECES OF WOOD / FALL 

Ex: He saw pieces of wood falling.

2. He saw pieces of wood falling.

3. He watched some people shooting at one another.

4. He saw the barn burning.

5. He watched a helicopter flying.

6. He noticed a bird flying fast.

7. He watched a big airplane flying next to him.

8. He felt something pulling him into the clouds.

9. He listened to a woman trying to tell him he was dead.