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I'm trying to figure out why does it work like this when there's 2 verb in a single past sentence.

for example,

"I've never seen him dress like that before"

and

"I helped someone find their dog"

Why do the bolded words remain in simple tense ? Shouldn't they be changed into past tense ? I can't seem to find the rule that explains this. Can you help elaborate what's going on here ?

Eddie Kal
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willhem will
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    When an auxiliary verb is used (see and help) with a main verb (dress and find) in a construction like this, the auxiliary verb uses the past tense, but the main verb is always in the infinitive. – Jason Bassford Aug 13 '20 at 05:15
  • @JasonBassford how do you identify which verb is the auxiliary and which verb is the main verb ? i've already taken a look at the link you sent and it still doesnt answer my question because it's talking about the auxiliary verb in an interrogative sentence. – willhem will Aug 13 '20 at 06:26
  • As Jason Bassford mentioned, in situations like help someone study, see the baby walk, let them come in, etc. the first verbs in each pair support the second verbs. They are not written as help one studied, let one came, or see the baby walked...(???). That is the way, they are. If you google, "Common verbs used as helping verbs" you should be able to get more examples. Help one study -> helped one study -> will help one study: here the tense change is indicated by the verbs used as helping verbs; not the main verbs. – Ram Pillai Aug 13 '20 at 07:15
  • @willhemwill It doesn't matter what kind of a sentence is. If it's X something Y, the first verb is the auxiliary verb, and the second is the main verb. – Jason Bassford Aug 13 '20 at 07:21

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