Grammar Practice in Context - David Bolton, Noel Goodey 1997

33 Verbs of perception: see, watch, notice, hear, feel, taste, smell

Quick reference

• We normally use can and can’t with the verbs of perception (see, hear, feel, taste, smel) in the present. I can see our hotel. I can’t hear you. I can smell gas.

We don’t normally use the present continuous or the present simple with these verbs.

(not I see our hotel. I don’t hear you. I’m smelling gas.)

• In the past we use could and couldn’t with these verbs when we talk about a continuing perception. / could hear the noise of the traffic, but I couldn’t see the sea.

We use these verbs in the past simple if the perception was momentary.

Suddenly, I heard a noise. When the children saw the sea, they got very excited.

• We use the -ing form after these verbs when an action or an event is or was in progress.

/ can hear somebody singing. She watched them playing. I saw him smoking.

• But we use the infinitive without to when we talk about a completed action or event that we saw, heard or felt from beginning to end.

/ heard him sing that song in 1975. She watched him get into his car and drive away.

1 Harry McCann was in prison for ten years. He is out now, but he cannot forget what it was like. Write complete sentences, matching the verbs with the other part of the sentence.

1 ..............

2 ...

3 ...

4 ...

5 ...

2 Katherine and James are on holiday. James is still in bed. Katherine is on the balcony of their room, talking to him. Read the text and decide which answer, А, В, C or D best fits each space.

I (1) ... some people down by the swimming pool. There’s a good-looking boy down by the pool. He’s saying something to me but I (2) ... what he’s saying - he’s too far away. I (3) ... a man singing but I (4) ... him - he’s in the room below us I think. It’s quite hot out here - I (5) ... the warmth of the sun on my face.

1 A see

2 A don’t hear

3 A can hear

4 A don’t see

5 A am feeling

В can see

В am not hearing

В am hearing

В can’t see

В feel

C am seeing

C can’t hear

C hear

C can’t seeing

C can feel

D do see

D don’t can hear

D do hear

D am not seeing

D can feeling

3 A motorcycle rider was involved in a road accident. Complete the sentences using could/couldn’t + see, feel, taste, hear, smell.

He (1) ... the sound of the siren and through the window of the ambulance he (2) ... its blue light flashing. He (3) ... that one of the ambulance men was trying to say something to him - he (4) ... his lips moving - but he (5) ... him through the bandage that covered his ears. He (6) ... disinfectant, and on his lips he (7) ... blood. But what alarmed him most was that he (8) ... his right leg.

4 Use the past simple to complete the text, or could/couldn’t + infinitive without to, where you think it is preferable.

I was flying from London to Barcelona. On the plane everything was normal. I (1 hear) ... the engines running smoothly. We were flying over the Pyrenees, and I (2 see) ... the snow-covered mountain tops. The flight attendants were serving lunch. I (3 smell) ... coffee. Suddenly we flew into some severe turbulence, and I (4 feel) ... the plane fall several metres. I (5 feel) ... a sudden panic. I (6 hear) ... a woman behind me drop her food tray. The plane was shaking, and everyone was very quiet. I (7 not hear) ... anyone talking now. Then, five minutes later, we were all very relieved when we (8 hear) ... the captain say we had left the turbulence behind.

5 Complete these sentences, using the verbs in the box in the -ing form or the infinitive without to.

approach

burn

slam

come

get

explode

shout

jump

begin

take

put

I woke up when I heard a door (1) ... I could hear some people (2) ... Seconds later I heard something (3) ... downstairs. Then I smelt something (4) ... The house was on fire! I listened to the sound of flames (5) ... nearer and nearer and I felt heat (6) ... up through the floor. I looked out of my window and saw a woman suddenly (7) ... from her first floor balcony. But I couldn’t jump - I was on the third floor! I heard the sound of a siren (8) ... Two minutes later the fire engine arrived. I watched the firefighters (9) ... the ladder off the fire engine and then (10) ... it up against the building. As I climbed out of the window and onto the ladder I could see flames (11) ... to burn through the door of my bedroom!

6 a) Write sentences about what you can or cannot see, hear, etc. at this moment.

/ can/can’t see ... l can hear someone/I can’t hear anyone ...

I can/can’t smell... I can/can’t feel ...

b) Write four sentences in which you describe something which you saw happen or happening recently. Use these verbs + the -ing form or the infinitive without to: see, watch, hear, notice, smell.

Check your answers with a teacher.