What is the difference between saw and seen? Where would one go to improve their grammar?

Question

Are there really any hard core rules that matter when it comes to grammar? Where could one go on here to learn good grammar skills? Is it really that important how you say what you say or that you say it at all? Does anyone else have any problems with grammar? Is there anyone that has had problems with their grammar that has found a good way to keep it straight?

Answer 1

If you don't want to take a grammar class in college, here's a list of grammar sites that could help you learn proper grammar. -L

Answer 2

The word 'saw' is used when you are speaking about the past tense but your sentance does NOT include 'have,' 'has,' or 'had.'
For example, you could say:
'I saw the train go by,' or
'Fred also saw the train.'
Conversely, use 'seen' with 'have,' 'has,' or 'had.'
For example, you could say,
'I have seen the train go by,' or
'Fred has also seen the train.'
It is important how you say something if it effects whether your listener can clearly understand you, so following grammar rules helps. If you are carfeul to use good grammar, it may help people know that you care about what you are saying, because it shows that you care about helping them understand your communication. Yes, many of us struggle with grammar problems from time to time. For help, I highly reccommend a little book of grammar and writing guidelines by Strunk and White called The Elements of Style, which should be available at major bookstores.

Answer 3

"Saw" is the past tense of the verb "to see." "Seen" is the past participle. Let's take a look at them at work:

I saw the show last night.

I have seen the show three times.

For a good guide to grammar, pick up "Understanding and Using English Grammar," by Betty S. Azar. It's a very well-organized and thorough book.

Answer 4

It's not what you say, it how you say it.I'm not sure about hard core rules but i do know that what comes out of your mouth reflects what's in your brain, and being from the south I've had lots of problems with people thinking because i say "yall" and "saw" that i am not as smart as i really am. When i am with my friends and family i speak how i was taught as a child, but in job interviews and other situations that count i always say "i have seen" and "you all".Practice recording your speech and listen for what sounds more intelligent.

Answer 5

To See
Saw = Past Simple - Express an action in the past and stop, no longer
Ex: I saw him in Australia last month

Seen = Present Perfect - Expresses an action that something happened before now in the past and still happening in the present and future, (must used with the verb " To have"
Ex: I have not seen my boyfriend for months because he is on holiday with his family
I have never seen snow

Seen = also used in Passive voice
Ex = The thief was seen in Video Surveillance

Answer 6

Ah, there are very good sites online.

This one sentence you said should be as following: "where would one go to improve his/her grammar?" The word "their" is used for plural cases, such as if you'd said "where would people go to improve their grammar"

So much to learn... so little time. English is very tricky, but yours seems pretty good.

P.S. 90% of people misspell "grammar" so kudos to you for that ;)

Answer 7

Noun
saw (plural saws)

1. A tool with a toothed blade used for cutting hard substances, in particular wood or metal

2. A musical saw.

to saw (third-person singular simple present saws, present participle sawing, simple past sawed, past participle sawed or sawn)

1. (transitive) To cut (something) with a saw.
2. (intransitive) To make a motion back and forth similar to cutting something with a saw.

The fiddler sawed away at his instrument.

Verb

seen
1. past participle of to see

Answer 8

Is english your native tounge? People ar judged by heir grammer, Poor grammer makes a person sound ignorant. If you are serious about improving, try some language tapes.

Answer 9

Hi !!!

There is so many rules and things to learn, sometimes very confusing if you want to learn the all at once!!

I respect you very much for trying to do it right!!! But remember nobody is perfect!!! Not even the books, but they help a lot!!!

GOOD LUCK, GOD BLESS YOU & HAPPY LIFE

A.Z.

Answer 10

When speaking of the person/persons/things doing the seeing, use saw. I saw, we saw, they saw, she saw, he saw....When speaking of the person, place, or thing that was the object of the sighting, use seen. He was seen. The dog was seen. We were seen by the spies. Both usages are past tense.