{"id":345,"date":"2025-04-17T16:35:59","date_gmt":"2025-04-17T16:35:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/text-non-finite-verbs\/"},"modified":"2025-07-16T18:09:30","modified_gmt":"2025-07-16T18:09:30","slug":"text-non-finite-verbs","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/englishcomp1\/chapter\/text-non-finite-verbs\/","title":{"raw":"Verbs: Learn It 4","rendered":"Verbs: Learn It 4"},"content":{"raw":"

Non-Finite Verbs<\/h2>\r\nJust when we thought we had verbs figured out, we're brought face-to-face\u00a0with a new animal: non-finite verbs. These words look<\/em> similar to verbs we've already discussed, but they act<\/em> quite differently. A finite verb is one that has a subject and functions as the main verb in a sentence. By definition, non-finite verbs cannot serve as the main verb in\u00a0an independent clause. This means that they don't provide the action of a sentence. They also lack a tense. While the sentence around them may be past, present, or future tense, the non-finite verbs themselves are neutral.\r\n\r\n
\r\n

Finite vs. non-finite verbs<\/h3>\r\nFor example, look at the following sentences. The\u00a0finite<\/b>\u00a0verbs are in bold in the following sentences, and the\u00a0non-finite<\/u>\u00a0verbs are underlined:\r\n
    \r\n \t
  • Verbs\u00a0appear<\/b>\u00a0in almost all sentences.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • This sentence\u00a0is<\/b>\u00a0illustrating<\/u>\u00a0finite and non-finite verbs.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • The dog\u00a0will<\/b>\u00a0have<\/u>\u00a0to\u00a0be<\/u>\u00a0trained<\/u>\u00a0well.<\/li>\r\n \t
  • Tom\u00a0promised<\/b>\u00a0to\u00a0try<\/u>\u00a0to\u00a0do<\/u> the work.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n
    \r\n \t
    <\/dd>\r\n<\/dl>\r\nThere are three types of non-finite verbs: gerunds<\/strong>, participles<\/strong>, and infinitives<\/strong>.\r\n

    Gerunds<\/h2>\r\nGerunds all end in\u00a0-ing<\/i>: skiing<\/em>, reading<\/em>, dancing<\/em>, singing<\/em>, etc.\u00a0Gerunds act like nouns<\/strong> and can serve as subjects or objects of sentences. They can be created using active or helping verbs.\r\n\r\n
    \r\n
      \r\n \t
    • I like swimming<\/b>.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Being loved<\/strong>\u00a0can make someone feel safe.<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Do you fancy going out<\/b>?<\/li>\r\n \t
    • Having read the book once before<\/b> makes me more prepared.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n

      Participles<\/h2>\r\nA participle<\/strong> is a form of a verb that plays a role similar to an adjective or adverb. The two types of participles in English are traditionally called the present participle<\/b> (forms such as writing<\/i>, singing<\/i> and raising<\/i>) and the past participle<\/b> (forms such as written<\/i>, sung,<\/i> and raised<\/i>).\r\n\r\n
      Here are some examples of participles being used to modify other elements of the sentence, acting as an adjective or adverb:\r\n
        \r\n \t
      • Present Participle:<\/strong> \"The\u00a0sleeping<\/em> girl\u00a0over there is my sister\"; \"She ducked into the running<\/em> water\";\u00a0\"Breathing<\/em> heavily, she finished the race in first place.\"<\/li>\r\n \t
      • Past Participle:<\/strong>\u00a0\"She placed the cooked<\/em> chicken on the table\"; \"He put the cut<\/em> flowers in a vase.\"<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>
        [ohm2_question]34533[\/ohm2_question][ohm2_question]34534[\/ohm2_question][ohm2_question]34535[\/ohm2_question]<\/section>\r\n

        Infinitives<\/h2>\r\n
        To be or not to be, that is the question.\r\n\r\n\u2014Hamlet<\/blockquote>\r\nInfinitives<\/strong> describe the verb form that includes the word \u201cto\u201d before the verb is used\u2014for example, \u201cto be,\u201d \u201cto try,\u201d or \u201cto make.\u201d In other languages, infinitive verbs are often easy to identify because they are a single word, as in\u00a0morir<\/em>\u00a0 \u2013 \u201cto die\u201d \u2013 in Spanish,\u00a0manger<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 \u201cto eat\u201d \u2013 in French, or\u00a0lieben<\/em>\u00a0-- \u201cto love\u201d \u2013 in German.\r\n\r\n
        Here are some examples of uses of the infinitive:\r\n
          \r\n \t
        • With other verbs: \u201cI aim to convince him of our plan\u2019s ingenuity\u201d; \u201cYou already know that he\u2019ll fail to complete the task.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t
        • As a noun phrase: \u201cTo err is human\u201d; \u201cTo know me is to love me.\u201d<\/li>\r\n \t
        • As a modifier (an adjective or adverb): \u201cHe is the man to save us.\u201d<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>There are some cases in which the infinitive form of a verb is used without the\u00a0to preceding it. This is called a bare infinitive<\/strong>. The bare infinitive usually comes when following another verb or certain phrases, such as \u201cI will wait\u201c or \u201cI would rather die.\u201d These are bare infinitives without using the word to.<\/em>\r\n\r\n
          [ohm2_question]40612[\/ohm2_question]\r\n\r\n<\/section>","rendered":"

          Non-Finite Verbs<\/h2>\n

          Just when we thought we had verbs figured out, we’re brought face-to-face\u00a0with a new animal: non-finite verbs. These words look<\/em> similar to verbs we’ve already discussed, but they act<\/em> quite differently. A finite verb is one that has a subject and functions as the main verb in a sentence. By definition, non-finite verbs cannot serve as the main verb in\u00a0an independent clause. This means that they don’t provide the action of a sentence. They also lack a tense. While the sentence around them may be past, present, or future tense, the non-finite verbs themselves are neutral.<\/p>\n

          \n

          Finite vs. non-finite verbs<\/h3>\n

          For example, look at the following sentences. The\u00a0finite<\/b>\u00a0verbs are in bold in the following sentences, and the\u00a0non-finite<\/u>\u00a0verbs are underlined:<\/p>\n

            \n
          • Verbs\u00a0appear<\/b>\u00a0in almost all sentences.<\/li>\n
          • This sentence\u00a0is<\/b>\u00a0illustrating<\/u>\u00a0finite and non-finite verbs.<\/li>\n
          • The dog\u00a0will<\/b>\u00a0have<\/u>\u00a0to\u00a0be<\/u>\u00a0trained<\/u>\u00a0well.<\/li>\n
          • Tom\u00a0promised<\/b>\u00a0to\u00a0try<\/u>\u00a0to\u00a0do<\/u> the work.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n
            \n
            <\/dd>\n<\/dl>\n

            There are three types of non-finite verbs: gerunds<\/strong>, participles<\/strong>, and infinitives<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

            Gerunds<\/h2>\n

            Gerunds all end in\u00a0-ing<\/i>: skiing<\/em>, reading<\/em>, dancing<\/em>, singing<\/em>, etc.\u00a0Gerunds act like nouns<\/strong> and can serve as subjects or objects of sentences. They can be created using active or helping verbs.<\/p>\n

            \n
              \n
            • I like swimming<\/b>.<\/li>\n
            • Being loved<\/strong>\u00a0can make someone feel safe.<\/li>\n
            • Do you fancy going out<\/b>?<\/li>\n
            • Having read the book once before<\/b> makes me more prepared.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n

              Participles<\/h2>\n

              A participle<\/strong> is a form of a verb that plays a role similar to an adjective or adverb. The two types of participles in English are traditionally called the present participle<\/b> (forms such as writing<\/i>, singing<\/i> and raising<\/i>) and the past participle<\/b> (forms such as written<\/i>, sung,<\/i> and raised<\/i>).<\/p>\n

              Here are some examples of participles being used to modify other elements of the sentence, acting as an adjective or adverb:<\/p>\n
                \n
              • Present Participle:<\/strong> “The\u00a0sleeping<\/em> girl\u00a0over there is my sister”; “She ducked into the running<\/em> water”;\u00a0“Breathing<\/em> heavily, she finished the race in first place.”<\/li>\n
              • Past Participle:<\/strong>\u00a0“She placed the cooked<\/em> chicken on the table”; “He put the cut<\/em> flowers in a vase.”<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n