Sense Verbs - CAE Advanced

Sense verbs
Let us study the verbs of the senses...
1. HEAR, SEE, SMELL, FEEL, TASTE
The five basic sense verbs, hear, see, smell, feel, and taste are stative (non action) verbs. We
normally use the word can with these verbs to refer to something happening at the moment.
We don't usually use sense verbs in the continuous form DONT say : I am hearing a noise. I am
feeling a pain behind my eye .
Hear and see can also be dynamic verbs and used in the continuous form, but with a different
meaning. Pay attention to these examples:
I've been hearing good things about you recently . (I have been receiving information)
I'm seeing James tonight. ( I have arranged to meet him)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

I can hear a noise downstairs.

Can you see the blue circle at the top of the painting?
I can smell burning. Are you sure you turned the gas off?
I can feel a draught. Is there a window open?
I can't taste the garlic in the soup.

2. SEE / HEAR + infinitive or gerund

We often use see / hear + an object + verb in the infinitive or gerund. The meaning is slightly
different:
a) see / hear + object + verb in infinitive = (you saw or heard the whole action)
b)

see / hear + object + verb in gerund = (you saw / heard an action in progress or a repeated
action.)

The same distinction also applies to verbs after watch and notice.

1. a) I heard the girl play a piece by Chopin.

b) I saw the man hit his dog.
2. a) I heard the girl playing a piece by Chopin.
b) I saw the man hitting his dog.

Sense Verbs - CAE Advanced

3. LOOK, FEEL, SMELL, SOUND, TASTE + adjective / noun
When we talk about the impression something or someone gives us through the senses, we use
look, feel, smell, sound, and taste.
1. After these verbs we can use an adjective:
You look tired.
That smells delicious.
This music sounds awful.
These shoes feel uncomfortable.
The soup tastes a bit salty.
2. After these verbs we can use like + a noun
You look like your mother.
It sounds like thunder.
This tastes like tea, not coffee.
3. After these verbs we can use as if / as though + a clause:
She looked as if / as though she had been crying.
It sounds as if / as though someone is trying to open the door.
4. This smells / tastes of + noun

This smells / tastes like + noun

Compare smell / taste of and smell / taste like.

It tastes of / smells of garlic (It has the taste / has the smell of garlic).
It tastes like / smells like garlic (It has a similar taste / It has a similar smell to garlic...but it
probably isn't garlic.
5.

SEEM

IMPORTANT: The verb seem is NOT used in the continuous form.

We use seem when something / somebody gives us an impression of being or doing something
through a combination of the senses and what we know, but not purely through one sense, e.g.
the visual sense.
Now compare seem and look:
You look worried. (I get this impression from your face)
You seem worried. ( I get this impression from the way you are behaving in general, e.g. voice,
actions, etc.)

Sense Verbs - CAE Advanced

After seem we can use an adjective:
You seem worried. Is something wrong?
After seem we can use an infinitive (simple or perfect or continuous):

You seem to be a bit down today. Are you OK?

The waiter seems to have made a mistake with the bill.

After seem we can use like + noun or as if / as though + a verb phrase:

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but in fact it wasn't.
It seems as if / as though every time I clean the car it rains.

Sense Verbs - CAE Advanced

PRACTICE
Sense verbs
ACTIVITY 1: Complete these sentences with a suitable form of a verb from the list. Then check the
answers.
not feel - see

- hear - smell

- look

not sound - see -

taste

1. I was told this was duck but it . like chicken.

2. We your sister at the weekend so we can give her the present then.
3. Rob, I just . that you're leaving the company. Is it true?
4. It .as if someone has been smoking in the lift.
5. Can we put the heating on? It very warm in here.
6. When my son was born, he . exactly like my father.
7. You very well. Have you got a sore throat?
8. The shop assistant to be ignoring us. Let's go somewhere else.

ACTIVITY 2 : Complete the second sentence so that it means the same as the first using the words
in BOLD and capital letters. Then check the answers.

1. I don't think those players are very fit.

Those players very fit. LOOK
2. Look! That waiter just dropped a tray full of glasses.
Did you a tray full of glasses? SEE
3. It looks as if that man has lost something.
That man .something. SEEMS
4. I don't think that noise is a police siren.
That noise. police siren. SOUND

Sense Verbs - CAE Advanced

5. My cousin Rachel is the image of my aunt.
My cousin Rachel.. my aunt. EXACTLY

6. The baby was crying. John went to pick her up.

John , .so he went to pick her up. HEARD
7. We appear to be heading in the wrong direction.
It heading in the wrong direction. AS
8. I can hear someone upstairs.
It ..there is someone upstairs. LIKE
9. It smells like you're cooking cauliflower.
I ..cooking. CAN