Non-finite verb
A
non-finite verb is a verb form that is not limited by the subject. Considered more globally it is not fully inflected by categories that are marked inflectionally in language, such as
tense,
aspect,
modality, number (singular or plural) or person (I, you, he/she/it; we, you, they). Its opposite is
finite verb. It is a
verbal noun and cannot be placed as a
predicate.
There are four categories of non-finite
verbs, i.e.,
infinitive,
gerund,
present and
past participle.
Examples:*The man wanted
to leave.
*
Leaving a beloved person is often very hard.
*The woman was
laughing heartily.
*The glasses are
wrapped in paper.
Although the participles are labelled
past and
present, it is not participles, but
auxiliary verbs that determine the tense of a sentence.
Examples:*The man
is leaving.
*The man
was leaving.
*The man
will be leaving.
*The man
had left.
*The man
will have left.
*
Gerund*
Gerundive*
Infinitive*
Participle*
Supine
