Verbs

Finite verb: A form of a verb that shows agreement with a subject and is marked for tense. The
reason finite verbs are so important is their unique ability to act as the sentence-root. They can be
used as the only verb in the sentence, whereas all the others have to depend on some other
word, so finite verbs really stand out.
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. Auxiliaries are required with non-finite verbs. This is their
role to mark non-finite verb forms for tense, aspect and voice, which non-finite verbs cannot
express. inite verbs mark these features on their own.
Tense! The time of a verb"s action or state of being, such as present or past.
Aspect: The verb form that indicates completion, duration, or repetition of an action. The two
primary aspects in #nglish are the perfect and the progressive $continuous form%. These two
aspects may be combined to form the perfect progressive.
Voice: The quality of a verb that indicates whether its subject acts $active voice% or is acted upon
$passive voice%. The distinction between active and passive voice applies only to transitive verbs.
A non-finite verb differs from a finite verb in that it cannot $normally% be used as the main verb of
a clause. Typically, the non-finite verb lacks agreement for person, number, and gender with its
&ubject, is unmarked with respect to distinctions of Tense, Aspect, and 'ood,
There are three types of nonfinite verb-forms in #nglish!
$i% (nfinitive forms which comprise simply the base of the verb such forms are frequently used
after the particle to
$ii% )erund forms which comprise the base plus the -ing suffix
$iii% perfect*passive participle forms which generally comprise the base plus the -$e%n inflection
The bracketed clauses below are all nonfinite, because they contain only nonfinite verb-forms!
$a% ("ve never known +,ohn $to% be so rude to anyone-! infinitive
$b% .e don"t want +it raining on your birthday-! gerund
$c% ( had +my car stolen from the car-park-! passive participle
Finite Verbs: inite /erbs are those verbs that have a definite relation with the subject or noun.
These verbs are usually the main verb of a clause or sentence and can be changed according to
the noun. They are used only in present and past tense. They can be indicative of passive or
active voice and also of number $singular or plural%.
&he walks home. - 0ere we see that the finite verb is walks and the pronoun is "she".
&he walked home. - 0ere we can see how the verb changed*modified to change the tense of the
sentence.
Non-Finite Verbs! These verbs cannot be the main verb of a clause or sentence as they do not
talk about the action that is being performed by the subject or noun. They do not indicate any
tense, mood or gender. They are used as nouns, adverbs and adjectives. They are also used to
form non-finite clauses which are simply dependent clauses that use non-finite verbs.
0e loves camping in the woods. 0ere the non-finite verb is camping and it is used as a noun.
These kind of non-finite verbs are called )erunds.
( need to go to sleep. 0ere the non- finite verb phrase is to sleep1 it is acting as a noun. 2on-finite
verbs that use 3to4 before them are called (nfinitives.
The sleeping dog caused a delay. The nonfinite verbs that have 3-ing4 or 3-ed4 as suffixes and
cause the verb to come an adjective are called 5articiples.
Participles, Gerunds and Infinitives: 5articiples, )erunds and (nfinitives are called verbals.
/erbals are words which are formed from a verb but which function as a different part of speech.
Participle: A participle is usually formed by adding 6ing or 6ed to a verb. (t functions as an
adjective.
#xamples! The singing bird was the main attraction at the event.
The injured man was waiting for the doctor.
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Gerund: A gerund is formed by adding 6ing to a verb. (t functions as a noun.
#xamples! Swimming is very good for the body.
Smoking is prohibited in the hospital.
(nfinitive! An infinitive is formed by using the word 3to4 before the verb in its stem word. (t functions
as a noun, adjective or adverb.
#xamples! 0e was made to clean his room.
&halini loves to talk.
)erunds may be used exactly as nouns are used. Their most common uses are!
7. as subjects1
8. as objects of verbs and prepositions1
9. as subject complements.
#xamples!
&ubjects
&wimming is excellent exercise.
:rinking too much coffee gives him a headache.
#ating too quickly gave him an upset stomach.
2ot doing his homework caused him to fail the test.
2ot having an answering machine causes him to miss many calls.
;bjects
0e dislikes doing homework.
The manager suggested having our meeting away from the office.
0e proposed meeting in a restaurant.
( look forward to seeing you soon.
&he"s worried about missing her bus.
Are you tired of studying<
&he"s depressed about not passing the test.
0e"s nervous because of not being on time.
0e"s tired from not getting enough sleep.
&ubject =omplements
0is hobby is playing computer games.
'y least favorite chore is cleaning the bathroom.
0is problem is not coming to class on time.
2otice, in the examples above, that gerunds can have objects and be followed by modifiers!
:rinking too much coffee gives him a headache.
#ating too quickly gave him an upset stomach.
2ot doing his homework caused him to fail the test.
2ot having an answering machine causes him to miss many calls.
0e dislikes doing homework.
The manager suggested having our meeting away from the office.
( look forward to seeing you soon.
0e"s nervous because of not being on time.
0e"s tired from not getting enough sleep.

'ost gerunds use the -ing form of a verb. There is, however, a past form for gerunds! having >
past participle.
( regret saying that. *
( regret having said that.
#xcuse me for bothering you. *
#xcuse me for having bothered you.
("m worried about not passing the test. *
("m worried about not having passed the test.
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)erunds may also be used $though this not common% as object complements!
's. ,ones considers tardiness being more than five minutes late for class.
0ow can you call this nonsense writing creatively<
;bject complements with gerunds are possible with only a few verbs. The most common ones
are call and consider.
Infinitive: A verbal--often preceded by the particle to, that can function as a noun, an adjective,
or an adverb.
#xample! (t is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it
and remove all doubt.
Base form of a verb! (n grammar, the base form of a verb is the simplest form, without a special
ending1 it is the form listed in the dictionary. The base form of a verb functions as the present-
tense form for all persons and numbers except the third-person singular $which uses the -s form%.
The base form also functions as the infinitive $with or without to% and as the subjunctive mood for
all persons including the third-person singular. (n addition, the base form is used for the
imperative mood.
When a verb is not a verb: .hen it is a verbal, that is, the form of a verb that functions as
another part of speech. There are three types of verbals in #nglish!
participles $also known as -ing forms and -en forms%
gerunds $also known as -ing forms%
infinitives
As we"ll see, each of these verbals is often part of a phrase, which includes related modifiers,
objects, or complements.
Participles: A participle is a verb form used as an adjective to modify nouns and pronouns. The
following sentence contains both a present and a past participle!
The children, crying and exhausted, were guided out of the collapsed mine.
=rying is a present participle, formed by adding -ing to the present form of the verb $cry%.
#xhausted is a past participle, formed by adding -ed to the present form of the verb $exhaust%.
?oth participles modify the subject, children.
All present participles end in -ing. The past participles of all regular verbs end in -ed. 0owever,
irregular verbs have various past participle endings $for instance, thrown. ridden, built, and gone%.
5articipial phrase: is made up of a participle and its modifiers. A participle may be followed by
an object, an adverb, a prepositional phrase, an adverb clause, or any combination of these. (n
this sentence, for example, the participial phrase consists of a present participle $holding%, an
object $the torch%, and an adverb $steadily%!
Holding the torch steadily, 'erdine approached the monster.
(n the next sentence, the participial phrase consists of a present participle $making%, an object $a
great ring%, and a prepositional phrase $of white light%!
'erdine waved the torch over her head, making a great ring of white light.
uestions
7. .hat"s the difference between a regular verb and an irregular verb< A regular verb $also
known as a weak verb% forms its past tense and past participle by adding -d or -ed $or in some
cases -t% to the base form! walked, talked. An irregular verb $or strong verb% doesn"t have a
conventional -ed form! rang, chose.
8. .hat"s the difference between an auxiliary verb and a main verb< An auxiliary verb $also
known as a helping verb% is a verb $such as have, do, or will% that may come before the main verb
in a sentence. Together the auxiliary verb and the main verb form a verb phrase. A main verb
$also known as a lexical verb or full verb% is any verb that isn"t an auxiliary verb. The main verb
conveys the meaning in a verb phrase.
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9. .hat"s the difference between a transitive verb and an intransitive verb< A transitive verb takes
an object1 an intransitive verb does not. 'any verbs have both a transitive and an intransitive
function, depending on how they"re used. The verb burn, for instance, sometimes takes a direct
object $@,ack burned the hot dogs@% and sometimes doesn"t $@The fire burned brightly@%.
A. .hat"s the difference between active voice and passive voice< /oice refers to the quality of a
verb that shows whether its subject acts $active voice! ( made mistakes% or is acted upon $passive
voice! 'istakes were made%.
B. .hat"s the difference between a dynamic verb and a stative verb< A dynamic verb $such as
run, ride, grow, throw% is primarily used to indicate an action, process, or sensation. (n contrast, a
stative verb $such as be, have, seem, know% is primarily used to describe a state or situation.
$?ecause the boundary between dynamic and stative verbs can be fuCCy, it"s generally more
useful to talk of dynamic and stative meaning and usage.%
D. .hat"s the difference between a phrasal verb and a prepositional verb< A phrasal verb $such
as tear off or pull through% is made up of a main verb $usually one of action or movement% and a
prepositional adverb--also known as an adverbial particle $of direction or location%. A prepositional
verb $such as send for or rely on% is an idiomatic expression that combines a main verb and a
preposition to make a new verb with a distinct meaning.
E. .hat"s the difference between aspect and tense< Aspect is the verb form that indicates the
time at which an event or state of affairs is perceived as taking place. The two aspects in #nglish
are perfect and progressive. Tense is the time of a verb"s action or state of being, such as present
or past.
F. .hat"s the difference between a finite verb and a nonfinite verb< A finite verb shows
agreement with a subject and is marked for tense. $(f there"s just one verb in a sentence, it"s
finite.% A nonfinite verb $also called a verbal% doesn"t show a distinction in tense and can"t stand
alone as the main verb in a sentence.
G. .hat"s the difference between a gerund and a present participle< ?oth of these -ing forms are
verbals. A gerund functions as a noun. $Haughing is good for you.% A present participle functions
as an adjective. $The old laughing lady dropped by to call.%
7I. .hat"s the difference between an infinitive and a Cero infinitive< ?oth are verbals that can
function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. A conventional infinitive $sometimes called the @to@-
infinitive% is preceded by the particle to. The Cero infinitive $also known as the bare infinitive% is not
preceded by to.
!ub"ect #omplement! A subject complement is a word or phrase which follows a linking verb
$e.g., to be, to become, to appear, to feel, to look, to smell, to taste% and describes or identifies
the subject. A subject complement is an adjective, a noun, or a pronoun. or example $subject
complements shaded%!
0e will be fine. $The linking verb is will be $i.e., the verb to be%. The subject complement
describes the subject 0e. (t is an adjective.%
?en is a policeman. $The linking verb is is $i.e., the verb to be%. The subject complement
identifies the subject ?en. (t is a noun.%
$b"ect #omplement: An object complement is a noun, a pronoun, or an adjective which follows
a direct object to rename it or state what it has become. /erbs of making $e.g., to make, to
create% or naming $e.g., to name, to call, to elect% often attract an object complement. (n the
examples below, the object complements are slanting and the direct objects are in bold.
To make her happy
To name her Heidi
0owever, lots of verbs can take an object complement. or example!
A
To consider someone stupid
To paint something purple
To catch somebody stealing
( found the %uard sleeping.
.e all consider her unworthy.
B