fail and hear

[Unregistered]

i have few questions about the verbs fail and hear. I hope you could provide me a detailed answer to this.

What verb-form is Fail and hear in these sentences:

1. I fail to see your report.
* Why not the past tense? The sentence i think requires the past form of the verb.

2. I hear that you are getting married.
*The same as through with this sentence.

[Anglika]

i have few questions about the verbs fail and hear. I hope you could provide me a detailed answer to this.

What verb-form is Fail and hear in these sentences:

1. I fail to see your report.
* Why not the past tense? The sentence i think requires the past form of the verb.

Presumably you are talking to someone in the present, rather that about the past.

2. I hear that you are getting married.
*The same as through with this sentence. The same here.

..

[BobK]

I see* your problem with 'fail to see'. After all, there was an event: the first time I heard, I failed to see. But that failure continues into the present. It would be possible to use 'failed' if the context showed that the failure to see was only temporary: 'at first, I failed to see..., but now I understand'.

*Note my use of the present here.

b