cry / crying

[Gorkem Atay]

1. ''We saw the baby cry.''
2. ''We saw the baby crying.''

Firstly, what is the difference between them?
Secondly, do these sentences (which are used only with sense verbs such as hear, see, watch, notice etc...) stand for current time or past time or it depends on context?

 

[riquecohen]

There is a subtle difference between these two statements. The first could mean that you saw the entire event, while the second implies that you saw only a part of the event.

 

[tzfujimino]

1. ''We saw the baby cry.''
2. ''We saw the baby crying.''

Secondly, do these sentences (which are used only with sense verbs such as hear, see, watch, notice etc...) stand for current time or past time or it depends on context?

They are in the past tense.

 

[Matthew Wai]

stand for current time

Is the following correct?
'We are watching the baby crying.'

 

[Gorkem Atay]

There is a subtle difference between these two statements. The first could mean that you saw the entire event, while the second implies that you saw only a part of the event.

So, if we think logical in that sense,

The first one implies that the baby finish or complete his cry because we saw the all event!

But for the second one, he might have finish his cry or he could continue his cry; we can not be sure, because we saw only part of the event!

What do you think ?

 

[Tdol]

Yes, but if you saw the baby crying three days ago, he is, logically, likely to have stopped. He hadn't stopped when you saw him, though.

 

[Tdol]

Is the following correct?
'We are watching the baby crying.'

Yes, but it sounds a bit unkind to watch and do nothing. You might be better off with a different verb in many contexts.