[Grammar] witnessed how a stuntman drive

[Oceanlike]

- Two weeks ago, Logan had a chance to witness how a stuntman navigate tight areas.

In the above sentence, I am unsure if I should use "navigate" or "navigated" due to the verb of perception "witness".

Due to the absence of the noun, verb, noun and verb pattern, I think I should use past tense.

 

[Tarheel]

- Two weeks ago, Logan had a chance to witness how a stuntman navigates tight areas.

In the above sentence, I am unsure whether I should use "navigate" or "navigated" due to the verb of perception "witness".

Due to the absence of the noun, verb, noun and verb pattern, I think I should use the past tense.

See above. That's the only way I would phrase it.

 

[Rover_KE]

- Two weeks ago, Logan had a chance to witness how a stuntman navigate tight areas.

Who's Logan, Oceanlike, and what's the source of the quote?

If you wrote it yourself, please make it clear at the start.

 

[Oceanlike]

I don't understand why it's "navigates". This happened two weeks ago.

 

[Oceanlike]

Who's Logan, Oceanlike, and what's the source of the quote?

If you wrote it yourself, please make it clear at the start.

I created the sentence myself. Okay, I will make it clear at the start. Thanks

 

[jutfrank]

First, navigate is wrong in that sentence. You can choose between navigates and navigated, depending on meaning:

If you mean to talk about how stuntmen work generally, then use the present tense.

If you mean to focus on that specific stuntman in that specific past time situation, then use the past tense.

However, my feeling here is that your meaning is confused by conflating two different patterns:

• witness somebody do something
  
• witness how something happens

The first is better to use for specific past events, which I think you're trying to focus on here. If I'm right, then you should say:

Logan got the chance to witness a stuntman navigate a tight area.

One of the problems in your original sentence is that you've used tight areas (plural/zero determiner), which gives the impression that you're talking generally. I don't think you mean that.

 

[Tarheel]

I don't understand why it's "navigates". This happened two weeks ago.

Because of the phrasing you seemed to be talking in general terms.

What happened two weeks ago?

 

[Oceanlike]

Because of the phrasing you seemed to be talking in general terms.

What happened two weeks ago?

I meant it was two weeks ago that Logan witnessed that.