FINITE AND NON FINITE VERBS

By – GEETIKA MATHUR

FINITE NON FINITE

VERB

INFINITIVES GERUND PARTICIPLE

SIMPLE INFINITIVES

GERUNDIAL INFINITIVES

BARE INFINITIVES

PRESENT PARTICIPLE

PAST PARTICIPLE

PERFECT PARTICIPLE

PERSON

NUMBER

SUBJECT

TENSE

FINITE VERBS

DEPEND

PERSON

NUMBER

SUBJECT

TENSE

NON FINITE VERBS DON’T

DEPEND

FINITE VERBS NON -FINITE VERBS

A verb which is limited by the number or the person

of its subject and also on the tense of the subject.

The form of verb depends on its subject.

Example : They play football. (Plural Subject- Plural Verb) He plays football. (Singular Subject- Singular Verb) You are playing football. (Present Continous tense) She was playing football. (Past Continuous tense)

FINITE VERBS

Non finite verbs donot change their form even when the person or the number of the subject changes nor on the tense of the sentence.Examples :They want to eat something delicious.She wants to eat something deliciousHe wants to play football.They want to play football.They want to eat eggs for breakfast.

NON FINITE VERBS

TYPES OF NON FINITE VERBS

THE INFINITIVE

GERUND

PARTICIPLE

Infinitive are of two types : SIMPLE- When inifinitive is used as Noun, it is

called Simple Infinitive. GERUNDIAL-When infinitive is used as

adjective or adverb , it is called Gerundial Infinitive.

THE INFINITIVES

IS A NON-FINITE VERBIS GENERALLY PRECEDED BY ‘TO’IS A VERB THAT IS USED LIKE A NOUN,ADJECTIVE, OR ADVERB.

When inifinitive is used as Noun, it is called Simple Infinitive.

USE OF SIMPLE INFINITIVES :1. As SUBJECTTo read is a good habbitTo find fault is easy.2. As Object to verbI like to play.He likes to read.3. As complement to verbHis greatest pleasure is to swim.His intention is to sing.

Simple Infinitives

He is too weak to move. She is old enough to get

married.

Use of infinitive with ‘too’ and ‘enough’

It is our duty to respect our elders. (To respect our elders is our duty)

It is difficult to live without pure water. (To live without pure water is difficult)

It is illegal to detain a women in night. (To detain a women in night is illegal)

Use of infinitive with dummy ‘It’

I don’t know what to say. Tell me where to go. I wonder who to call. Do you know how to swim.

Use of infinitive with Wh words

When infinitives are used adjective or adverb.

Examples :We eat to live. (To modify a verb)This wine is pleasant to drink. (To modify as adjective)

Gerundial Infinitive

To is not used after auxiliary verbs shall, will, must,dare,could,might,need, can ,

may,shouldExcept : Ought and usedExamples :I should write.He should write.I can do it.I ought to go.I used to play cricket in the morning.

Bare Infinitives

In active voice ‘To’ is not used with hear , see, make , Feel , watch, know

I heard her sing. I watch her go. She made me fool.

To is not used after ‘Let’I let her sleep.Let them play.Let him come.

To is not used in negative and interrogative with ‘need’ and ‘dare’

I need not go.Dare you act like her.

GERUND

Gerund is the ‘ing’ form of verb which is used as a Noun. It is also called as Verbal Noun.

Examples :Running is a good way to keep fit.The boys were tired of running.He seemed to be interested in fighting.I like reading books.

As both Gerund and Infinitive have the force of a Noun and a Verb , they has same uses. Thus either of them may be used in a sentence with not much difference in meaning.Teach me to swim.Teach me swimming.

A Participle is that form of the verb which has

characteristics of an adjective and a verb.

The PARTICIPLE

Present

Participle are of three types :

Present participle : 1st form of verb + ing Present participle ends with ing and

represents an action as going on or incomplete.

Present Participle

Example : we met a girl carrying a basket of flowers.It was a tiring journey.The blind man, thinking all was save , tried to cross the road.

Part participle use third form of verb and is

usually ends in –ed, -d, -t,-en or –n. It indicates about the completion of task in

past.

Past Participle

Examples :She looks tired.The candidate selected for this post is my brother.Driven by hunger , she stole an apple.The house was burnt.He gave a written complaint.

Those participle which indicates the ending of a task and after that the

starting of a new task are perfect participle.

Perfect participle - having + past participle having been + past participle Example: having done, having seen, having finished

Perfect Participle

ExamplesHaving finished my work, I went to the market.Having passed the examination, he prepared for interview.Having completed his project, he went for the picnic.

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