Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[mings]

Dear teacher.
In these sentences, which is correct. I choose the third is the best one. Is it right? Please help.
1. I remember the horse is winning the race.
2. I remember the horse to win the race.
3. I remember the horse winning the race.
4. I remember the horse is to win the race.

Thanks.

[RedRose]

I guess 3# is correct too.

[mings]

Yes, but I need an explanation. Can you?
Thanks.

[RedRose]

[iitimone7]

1. I remember the horse is winning the race.
2. I remember the horse to win the race.
3. I remember the horse winning the race.
4. I remember the horse is to win the race.

1...remember refers to something that has happened in the past, and the verb is refers to something that is happening in the present...right now. to use those two words in the same sentence would be incorrect.
example - the horse is winning the race. (it is happening now!)

2...there is a verb missing that would make this sentence more correct.
example - the horse will win the race. i remember someone telling me that the horse will win the race. i know that this horse will win the race.

3...this sentence is correct. another way to say it is...
example - i remember that the horse won the race.

4...this would be similar to the example that i provided for #2.
example - i remember someone telling me that the horse will win the race.

iitimone7

[mings]

When you say the third one is right, "winning" is not a verb, it's present participle, isn't it?
If so, Can I change "winning" into " win" without making a grammatical mistake?
Please help, thanks.

[iitimone7]

In this sentence, winning is an absolute phrase. The sentence is made up of a participle combined with a noun or pronoun fucnctioning as an adjective and modifying the entire sentence.

- The truth having slipped out, she winked.
- Having popped the question, she accepted with joy. (a boy just asked his girlfriend to marry him and she accepted).

For this case, you cannot replace winning with the word win.

iitimone7

[mings]

According to your explanation, I understand the third sentence like this.

-I remember the horse winning the race = I remember the horse that won the race.

If I am not intelligent enough to understand, forgive me.

Thanks.

[bud]

Mings, it's not about intelligence - you're donig fine. There are a lot of complexities to English, so give yourself some credit for having come this far!

I remember the horse winning the race. = I remember that that (particular) horse won the race. (We're talking about one race from the past, and I am sure that that horse - Secretariat - won it. The focus of the sentence is more on that particular horse.)

I remember the horse that won the race. = In that race, I remember which horse won. It was Smarty Jones. (Here, the focus is more on the race, and that you can remember which horse won it.)

I don't know if that is very clear, but I hope it helps.

[mings]

At first, I think these two sentences are the same meaning but at last, there is a difference between them. Thank bud for your help. Thank you for your encouragement as well. I will be more confident.

[bud]

Good!