Saw vs Seen
See is one English word that is very commonly used. It is a word that refers to the act of perceiving through the sense of sight. It also means to understand or comprehend a point of view. It is a word that s used in many contexts and has several different meanings. Seen is the past participle of see while saw is the simple past tense of see. Many students of English language remain confused between these two forms of see and use one in place of another inappropriately. This article attempts to make clear the difference between saw and seen to make it easier for learners of English language.
Seen
It is the past participle of see and must be used with an auxiliary verb has, is, was, have, will be or had been etc. Take a look at the following sentences to understand how it is used in different contexts.
If you have seen something in the past, you say I had seen. Seen is never used immediately followed by I, he, she, they or the name of a person.
• In the movie, Julia Roberts is seen playing the role of a psychiatrist.
• I have seen this place before.
• The fair has been seen by a record number of people this year.
• I have never seen such a brilliant display of attacking tennis before.
Saw
Saw is the past tense of see, and you have to use it in simple past tense only. Saw is to be used in situations when you are talking about an event that took place in the past and is now over and done away with. Saw refers to a particular moment in the past where you witnessed something happening. Take a look at the following sentences to understand the use of saw in different contexts.
• I saw the match on TV yesterday.
• I saw my friend on the platform of the station.
• The cat saw the lightening and was terrorized.
Seen vs Saw
• Saw is the simple past tense of see whereas seen is the past participle of see
• Saw is used for an event or happening that took place in the past and is now over, whereas seen is used for an event that too took place in the past but not at any definite time.
• Seen is used along with an auxiliary verb such as has, have, or had.