Finite and Non-finite Verb

1. FINITE VERB

These verbs which change according to words I, we, you, he, she, Anita, and they, are called Finite Verbs. Finite verbs (sometimes called main verbs) are verb forms suitable for use in predicates in that they carry inflections or other formal characteristics limiting their number(singular / plural), person, and tense(past / present etc). Finite verbs can function on their own as the core of an independent sentence.

For example

·         I walked, they walk, and she walks are finite verbs
* (to) walk is an infinitive.

·         I lived in Germay.
* "I" is the subject. "Lived" describes what the subject did. "Lived" is a finite verb.

·         I drive a car. [1st person, singular, present tense]
he drives a car. [3rd person, singular. present tense]

I/he drove a car. [1st and 3rd person, singular, past tense]

2. NON-FINITE VERB

A form of the verb that does not show a distinction in tense and cannot stand alone as the main verb in a sentence. Contrast with finite verb. The main types of non-finite verbs are infinitives and -ing forms (also known as participles and gerunds).

There are three kinds of non-finite verbs:

-          The infinitive

In English, the infinitive verb form is often introduced by the particle to, as in to eat or to run. The resulting phrase can then function as a subject or object, or as a modifier.

• To succeed takes courage, foresight, and luck. (Here to succeed is the subject of takes.)
• I don't have time to waste.
• Carol was asked to speak. (Here to speak is the object of asked, comparable to Carol was asked a question.)
• Do not stop to chat.

An infinitive phrase consists of an infinitive and any related words.

• Paul wanted to learn silk screening. (The infinitive phrase to learn silk screening is the object of wanted.)

-          The participle

A participle is a verbal adjective that describes a noun as being a participant in the action of the verb. English has two kinds of participles: a present participle, also called an imperfect participle, which ends in -ing and which ordinarily describes the agent of an action, and a past participle, also called a perfect participle, which typically ends in -ed (but can also end in -en, -t, or none of these), and which ordinarily describes the patient of an action.

The following sentences contain participles:

·        The talking children angered the teacher. (Here talking modifies children.)

·        Annoyed, Rita ate dinner by herself in the bedroom. (Here annoyed modifies Rita.)

In English, the present participle is used in forming the continuous aspect (to be doing); the past participle is used in forming the passive voice (to be done) and the perfect (to havedone).

·        A participial phrase is a phrase consisting of a participle and any adverbials and/or arguments; the participle is the head of such a phrase:

·        Gazing at the picture, she recalled the house where she was born. (Here gazing at the picture modifies she.)

A relative clause in the active or passive voice can be reduced to a phrase known as a reduced adjective clause by utilizing a present or past participle. The reduced adjective clause can be formed even if the present participle is not used as a predicate in the clause.

·        The students who were fidgeting in their seats were anxious about the test.

·        The students who fidgeted in their seats were anxious about the test.

·        The students fidgeting in their seats were anxious about the test.

·        The use of commas can indicate a restrictive or nonrestrictive sense.

·        The students fidgeting in their seats were anxious about the test. (Only those students who were fidgeting were anxious. It is implied that other students were not fidgeting and, thus, not anxious.)

·        The students, fidgeting in their seats, were anxious about the test. (All the students in the group being considered were both fidgeting and anxious.)

-          The gerund or verbal noun

A gerund is a verbal noun that refers to the action of the verb. In English, a gerund has the same form as a present participle (see above), ending in -ing: