NONFINITE VERBS (VERBALS)

NONFINITE VERBS (OR VERBALS)

Loving is a gift.
The need to love
A loved one.
A loving parent.

Definition of Finite verbs:

In English grammar, a finite verb is a form of a verb that (a) shows agreement with a subject and (b) is marked for tense. Contrast with nonfinite verb (or verbal).
If there is just one verb in a sentence, it is finite. (Put another way, a finite verb can stand by itself in a sentence.) Finite verbs are sometimes called tensed verbs.

A finite clause is a word group that contains a finite verb form as its central element.

Definition of Nonfinite verbs: Alternate Spellings: non-finite verb
A form of the verb that does not show a distinction in tense and normally cannot stand alone as the main verb in a sentence. Contrast with finite verb.
The main types of nonfinite verbs are infinitives (with or without to), -ing forms (also known as present participles and gerunds), and past participles (also called en-forms).

Except for modal auxiliaries, all verbs have nonfinite forms.

A nonfinite phrase or clause is a word group that contains a nonfinite verb form as its central element.

Examples and Observations:

• "[S]entences that include a non-finite Verb Group are (58) and (59), with the non-finite Verb Groups in bold. . . .

  (58) Seeing the ordinary as extraordinary is something we all like to do.
  (59) She forgot to google them.

  In (58), seeing, is, like, and do are lexical verbs, but only is and like are finite. In (59), forgot and google are the lexical verbs, but only forgot is finite."

Characteristics of Nonfinite 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 agreeement for person, number, and gender with its first argument or Subject, is unmarked or reduced with respect to distinctions of Tense, Aspect, and Mood, and has certain properties in common with adjectival or nominal predicates."

Types of Nonfinite Verb Forms"There are three types of nonfinite verb-forms in English: viz. (i) uninflected infinitive forms which comprise simply the base or stem of the verb with no added inflection (such forms are frequently used after the so-called infinitive-particle to; (ii) gerund forms which comprise the base plus the -ing suffix; (iii) and (perfect/passive) participle forms which generally comprise the base plus the -(e)n inflection (though there are numerous irregular participle forms in English). Thus, the bracketed clauses in (4) below are all nonfinite, because they contain only nonfinite verb-forms: for example the italicised verb in (4)(a) is an infinitive, that in (4)(b) is a gerund, and that in (4)(c) is a (passive) participle:
(4) (a) I've never known [John (to) be so rude to anyone]
(4) (b) We don't want [it raining on your birthday]
(4) (c) I had [my car stolen from the car-park]"

Nonfinite Clauses"Non-finite clauses are clauses which lack a subject and a finite verb form; however, we still call them clauses since they have some clause structure.

"They are introduced by the three non-finite verb forms; thus we can divide them into three types:

- infinitive clauses: I saw her leave the room.
- -ing (participle) clauses: I heard someone shouting for help.
- -ed (participle) clauses: I got the watch repaired in town.

Each non-finite clause in these examples has its own clause structure. The room is the direct object of leave, help is the prepositional object of shout, and in town is an adverbial related to repair."

* All that I ever do is drink enough to try to forget.
* "It seems like all that I ever do is get yelled at for doing something wrong even when I do it exactly as the person said to do it".
* All I ever do is cry.