[Grammar] see vs understand vs imagine

[NAL123]

Consider these sentences, please:

1) Person A: Does the word "have" mean "to possess" in the context given?
Person B: I understand it to mean "to eat" in the context. I do not see it describing possession. [see=understand]

2) I just can’t see them winning the game. [see=imagine;[URL="https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/see_1#see_1__42"]https://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary/british/see[/URL] definition 6]

Question 1: Since "see" means "to understand" and "to imagine" in sentences 1) and 2) respectively, can I replace it with them? For example:

a) I do not understand it describing possession.

b) I just can’t imagine them winning the game.

Question 2: Do the participles "describing" and "winning" in 1) and 2) function in the same way as the participle "playing" in the following example?

3) From the window we could see the children playing in the yard. [see=notice;[URL]https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/see[/URL] definition 1]

 

[jutfrank]

Question 1:

a) I do not understand it as describing possession. :tick:

b) I just can’t imagine them winning the game. :tick:


Question 2: Yes.

 

[NAL123]

b) I just can’t imagine them winning the game. :tick:

But, grammatically, I think sentence b) above is different from sentence c) below. I think the participle "winning" is a gerund in sentence b), while, the participle "winning" is not a gerund in sentence c). Am I right?

c) I just can’t see them winning the game.

 

[jutfrank]

No.

 

[NAL123]

No.

Are they both gerund?

 

[GoesStation]

Are they both gerunds?

Does either of them work like a noun in your sentences?

 

[NAL123]

Does either of them work like a noun in your sentences?

b) I just can’t imagine their winning the game. [them=their; "[I]winning[/I]" seems to me to be a gerund here]

c) I just can’t see their winning the game. [them=their ???:-?]

 

[jutfrank]

b) I just can’t imagine their winning the game. [them=their; "[I]winning[/I]" seems to me to be a gerund here]

c) I just can’t see their winning the game. [them=their ???:-?]

No, you can't change them to their.

And don't concern yourself with what is and what isn't a gerund. Focus on structure, meaning, and use:

see somebody doing something
imagine somebody doing something