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Some Examples:: Finite and Non-Finite Clauses

This document discusses finite and non-finite clauses and verbs. It explains that verbs have five forms - base, -s, -ing, past, and -ed participle. The -s and past forms are finite, while the -ing and -ed participle forms are non-finite. A clause is finite if its verb phrase begins with a finite verb, and is non-finite if the verb phrase begins with a non-finite verb. Finite clauses allow for tense and number contrasts, while non-finite clauses typically do not allow these contrasts. Examples of finite and non-finite clauses are provided to illustrate these concepts.

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89 views

Some Examples:: Finite and Non-Finite Clauses

This document discusses finite and non-finite clauses and verbs. It explains that verbs have five forms - base, -s, -ing, past, and -ed participle. The -s and past forms are finite, while the -ing and -ed participle forms are non-finite. A clause is finite if its verb phrase begins with a finite verb, and is non-finite if the verb phrase begins with a non-finite verb. Finite clauses allow for tense and number contrasts, while non-finite clauses typically do not allow these contrasts. Examples of finite and non-finite clauses are provided to illustrate these concepts.

Uploaded by

cloudexz
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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finite and non-finite clauses

Verbs words that belong the verb word class have five syntactic forms: the base
form, the -s form, the -ing participle, the past form and the -ed participle (often called
the past participle).The -s form and the past form are finite. The -ing participle and
the past participle are non-finite. The base form is sometimes finite and sometimes

non-finite.
A verb phrase containing just one word is finite if that word is a finite verb and nonfinite if that word is a non-finite verb. Verb phrases containing more than one word
are finite if their first word is a finite verb and non-finite if their first word is a non-finite

verb.
When the base form is the first word in a verb phrase i.e. when it occupies the
position that determines whether the phrase is finite or non-finite it is finite. It
appears in its non-finite form when it is preceded by an auxiliary (in a finite phrase.)

(For example, Harry does not love Jill.)


A clause is finite if its verb phrase is finite and non-finite if its verb phrase is non-finite.
(The clause that constitutes a simple sentence always has a finite verb phrase; the
main clause of a complex sentence always has a finite verb phrase; all the
independent clauses of a compound sentence always have finite verb phrases.)

some examples:
finite clauses:
Dick lives with Jane.

While going to university, Dick had been living with Jane.


Dick found a job for Jane in Harrys company.
Dick and Jane work for Harry.

non-finite clauses:
Harry had always wanted to raise a big family.
Raising a big family had always been Harrys dream.
Although raised on a farm, Harry had no interest in animals.
Harry was proud to have served in the army.

note the following: (i) the verb phrases in the four finite clauses lives, had been
living, found, and work all begin with a finite verb; (ii) in each of these cases tense
contrast is possible i.e. the first and fourth examples could be put into the past tense, and
the second and third could be put into the present; (iii) in the first and fourth examples,
singular/plural contrast is possible, i.e. in the first example if a plural subject such as Tom and
Dick were substituted there would be a resulting change in the verb (from lives to live) and
likewise if, in the fourth example a singular subject such as Dick were substituted there would
be a comparable change in the verb (from work to works); (iv) in the case of the four
examples of non-finite clauses, typically, no tense or number contrasts are possible.

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