 Re: Finite/non-finite verbs
The term 'finite verb' refers to the verb of a sentence (clause). Finite verbs show tense (Present, Past, Future) as well as agreement in number (singular/plural) and person (I/you/he/she etc.) with the subject.
For example:
1. He walks. (finite verb)
==>'walks' is a finite verb.
==> '-s' shows tense (Present) as well as person (3rd) and number (singular) agreement.
==> If we take away "-s", the resulting form "walk" becomes non-finite: no agreement. The term non-finite means no agreement.
The term 'non-finite verb' refers to a word that looks like a verb but does not show agreement in person or number with the subject. Non-finite verbs act as subjects and objects. There are three kinds of non-finites:
1) participles (i.e. adjectives that end in -ed or -ing),
2) gerunds (i.e. nouns that end in -ing) and
3) infinitive (i.e. verbs that begin with "to").
For example:
2. He is walking. (Present participle)
==> 'walking' is non-finite.
==> 'is' is finite, the verb.
==> 'is' changes form: He is walking, I am walking, You are walking. 'is, am, are' are finite.
==> 'walking' doesn't change form; 'walking' is non-finite.
==> "-ing" words that are part of the verb BE (is, am, are) are called Present participles.
==> Think of non-finite as no change, and finite as change.
3. She likes walking. (Present participle, gerund)
==> 'likes' is the main verb. It's finite. It shows tense and agreement.
==> 'walking' is not a verb at all here. It's a noun. She likes doing THIS THING.
==> 'walking' is called a Present participle. Present because it has '-ing', and participle because it's non-finite: it doesn't act as a verb. It acts as a noun: 'walking' refers to a THING we like to do; it's a noun.
==> "-ing" words are called Present participles, and when they function as THINGS they are called gerunds. In other words, the term gerund refers to a word's function (it acts as a noun) and the term Present participle refers to a word's form, shape (it ends in -ing).
5. He has a walking stick. (Present participle, adjective)
==> 'walking' is non-finite. "has" is finite. It's the verb.
==> 'walking' tells us what kind of stick. It modifies the noun 'suit'. It's an adjective.
==> "-ing" words that act as adjectives are called Present participles. That is, function = adjective, Form = Present participle.
4. He fixed the embedded window. (Past Participle, adjective)
==> Both 'fixed' and 'embedded' end in the Past tense suffix "-ed". 'fixed' is the verb, though, because it's closer to the subject. In English, the verb is always close to the subject.
==> 'embedded' is too far away from the subject to be a verb.
==> 'embedded' ends in "-ed", a Past tense suffix, but that doesn't mean it's a verb. There can only be one finite verb per sentence (clause) and 'fixed' has taken that role.
==> 'embedded' is close to the noun 'window'. It's an adjective, modifying "window". It tells us what kind of window.
==> 'embedded' is called a Past participle. Past because it ends in "-ed" and participle because it's non-finite: it's an adjective. It doesn't act as a verb.
There are two kinds of participles:
Present participles end in -ing.
==> they function as part of BE, as adjectives and as nouns.
Past participles end in -ed/-en.
==> they function as part of HAVE and as adjectives.
In short,
If you can change the word that looks like a verb, you know it's finite:
I swim, you swim, he swims (swim(s) is finite)
to be, to is, to are (can't change 'be'. 'to be' is non-finite)
If there are two verbals, the word closest to the subject, is finite.
I want to talk to you. ('want' is finite. It's closest to the subject)
If the word that looks like a verb begins with "to", then it's non-finite:
To eat that cake would be bad for your health.
Note, the imperative (i.e. command verbs):
Come here.
==> The subject is "You", but it has been omitted.
==> "You come here".
==> "come" is finite.
==> There has to be at leat one finite verb in every sentence (clause) in English.
:D  | 
Linear Mode
