て・＋行く・＋来る [Grammar

[turvy]

I am trying to understand the role of the aux. verbs 行く and 来る in the て form. I've read a few descriptions but I just can't seem to grasp it yet.

テレビを見ている。
I am watching tv.

What about these?

1) テレビを見て行く。

2) テレビを見て来る。

3) テレビを見て来て。

4) テレビを見て来た。

 

[Andromedashun]

1) I will see the TV and then go.
2) I will see the TV and then come (again).
3) I'm watching TV and coming (here).
4) I already came and was watching TV (on the way).

Also, iku means motion away from the speaker/listener, while kuru means motion toward the speaker/listener.

 

[Toritoribe]

The auxiliary verb is usually written in hiragana.
In additon to the explanation, いく/くる（きた） can also express continuous action/movement in the time line. いく is for the future, and くる（きた） is for the past. Plus, ～てくる usually means "to go somewhere to do something and come back".
e.g.
買い物してくる: to go shopping and come back

1) テレビを見ていく:
テレビを見てから行く "to watch TV and go somewhere"
（これからもずっと）テレビを見続ける "to continue to watch TV"

2) テレビを見てくる:
テレビを見てから来る "to watch TV and come here"
テレビを見に行って帰ってくる "to go somewhere to watch TV and come back"

4) テレビを見てきた:
テレビを見てから来た "watched TV and came here"
テレビを見に行って帰ってきた "went somewhere to watch TV and have come back"
（いままでずっと）テレビを見続けてきた "to have continued to watch TV"

#3 テレビを見て来て is a command.
Go (somewhere) to watch TV and come back.

 

[turvy]

Thanks for the replies.

Great Toritobe, this thing is slowly but surely clicking on me.

One more thing, I think it's obvious but just to make sure, why did you write から for each of my sentences? Are those corrections or just the way you used to illustrate the meaning?.

 

[Toritoribe]

Yeah, just to clarify the meaning. 見ていく is ambiguous but 見てから行く means "to watch TV then go".