Avangi“We sometimes have to read the teacher's mind. We've had examples lately in which student's were criticized by their teachers for not making their transformations reflect certain aspects of the original. The only difference between the originals in #1 and #2 is infinitive vs. participle.”
The problem I see is that these sorts of transformations frequently end up in sentences that sound quite unnatural -- even though they are grammatically correct. As I see it, if a teacher is going to give students these sorts of transformations, it is the teacher's
responsibility to ensure (in advance!) that the transformations are not only possible but also natural and logical.
As for the sentences about Bill seeing the girls swimming, I certainly hope the teacher made it clear that it is extremely unlikely that a native speaker would use one of those passive forms and then tack "by Bill" onto the end.
Avangi “
hsiaoyunh “
Are the sentences correct?
1. Bill saw the girls swim in the pool.
--> The girls were seen to swim in the pool by Bill.
2. Bill saw the girls swimming in the pool.”
”
Avangi “The only difference between the originals in #1 and #2 is infinitive vs. participle.”
The meaning suggested in each of the original two sentences above is somewhat different. If the sentences are changed to the passive, that difference in meaning should be carried over.
Active sentence 1 suggests that Bill saw some sort of complete act. For example, perhaps the girls had previously been unable to swim, so they took swimming lessons. Perhaps Bill came one day to check their progress, and the girls illustrated their new skill by swimming from one side of the pool to the other. Bill watched this performance in its entirety. In other words, he saw them swim from one side of the pool to the other -- from start to finish, a complete act.
Active sentence 1 could also possibly be used to differentiate between types of activity. For example: Bill saw the girls swim, but he didn't see them float.
Active sentence 2 suggests that Bill saw an activity in progress, and it also suggests that he did not see that activity from start to finish. Instead, he only saw part of it.
Consider these two variations:
1. Bill saw the girls swim to the boat.
2. Bill saw the girls swimming to the boat.
In sentence 1, I would expect that Bill also saw the girls reach the boat. I would not assume that for sentence 2.