What Are Finite And Non-finite Verb? | With Examples

What Are Finite And Non-finite Verb With Examples?

There are mainly two (2) kinds of verbs in English– finite and non-finite. When the number of subjects or persons changes, finite actions change their form. There are also different forms of finite verbs in different tenses.

Non-finite verbs do not change their form when the number of subjects or persons changes. There are three main types of non-finite verbs: infinite, gerand and participle.

Can you identify finite and non-finite verbs? So, test your understanding through this grammar practice.

What Are Finite Verb?

A finite verbs is a verb that has a subject and indicates a grammatical tense, person and number. These verbs describe the actions of a person, thing, or place in a sentence. Unlike other types of verbs, finite verbs do not require other verbs in the sentence to be grammatically correct.

Examples of Finite Verb

• I have planned the test now.
• Mary had planned it another way.
• The sinking ship floated in the sea.
• Michael had planned it differently.
• The outfielder jumped for baseball.
• But Jerry is not listening to his bluffs.
• I don’t want to ruin this plan this time.
• They went to the shopping mall today.
• The big sailboat glides over the water.
• Smith is persuading her to go with him.
• The Royal Bengal is the king of the jungle.
• Many people travel to the sea in summer.
• We all dreamed of many things together.
• Leave me a message if you can’t find me.
• Now Alex is convincing her to go with him.
• The water level in Canda is rising day by day.
• When he came home I gave him some juice.
• If you can't find me you'll give me a message.
• You should not lie if someone questions you.
• I am going to make a trip to United Kingdom.
• Don’t lie if someone asks you serious question.
• He is going on a tour of South Africa this week.
• I couldn't believe she could bring me chocolate.
• I offered him some mango when he arrived room.
• I offered him some mango when he arrived room.
• We three friends dreamed of many things together.
• Although she has hurt my feelings, I am sorry for her.
• He didn't show me the ice cream until I requested it.
• We spend a lot of time together and we want to do it forever.
• Don’t just sit there lazily when you should take the first step.
• She didn't show me the phone until I begged him to do so.
• I was busy on the field when you were having fun at school.
• We get up very early and prepare ourselves for the tour.
• Even though we have not been able to fulfill all our dreams, we are still happy.
• We've walked a long way together and we want to do it forever.

What Are Non-finite Verbs?

A non-finite verb is a verb that does not show tenses. In other words, looking at a non-finite verb, you cannot say that a sentence is past tense, present tense, or future tense. Therefore, a non-finite verb can never be the main verb in a sentence.

Examples of Non-finite Verb

• We ate lots of roasted meat.
• Sleeping late is not healthy at all.
• We are now ready to play football.
• I felt not it difficult to comprehend.
• Jack saw a sleeping cat yesterday.
• It's good to know that you can cook too.
• I respect working people with disabilities.
• The frightened man jumped over the wall.
• Driving on this slippery road is dangerous.
• Currently I have completed the given task.
• Robin gave up smoking a few months ago.
• Roman Singh saw a spider creating its trap.
• It is dangerous to drive on this broken road.
• I need a good night's sleep to calm my mind.
• Being amused, I clapped loudly in the theater.
• Running like crazy will not solve any problem.
• A flying bird is more cautious than a sitting bird.
• Watson is the most wanted player on the team.
• I drink boiled water because of its strange taste.
• Marshall insisted on taking the train instead of the bus.
• Walking is a habit that you need to develop from the beginning.

Exercise Finite And Non-finite Verb

The following sentences, state whether the verb given in the inverted commas is finite or non-finite.

1. My little sister 'wants to be' an actor. (finite or non-finite.)
2. He 'worked' hard 'to pass' the test. (finite or non-finite.)
3. I 'could not solve' the problem. finite or non-finite. (finite or non-finite.)
4. 'To err is' human. (finite or non-finite.)
5. Your duty 'is to cross' the pond without 'getting' noticed. (finite or non-finite.)
6. Doctors 'are caring' for the injured. (finite or non-finite.)
7. She 'opened' the window. (finite or non-finite.)
8. The pupils 'were asked to submit' their assignments by Monday. (finite or non-finite.)
9. The teacher 'encourages' the students 'to work' hard. (finite or non-finite.)
10. The cat 'wagged' its tail 'to show' its happiness. (finite or non-finite.)

Answers

1. My little sister wants to be an actor. (wants – finite, to be – non-finite)
2. He worked hard to pass the test. (worked – finite, to pass – non-finite)
3. I could not solve the problem. (couldn’t solve – finite)
4. To err is human. (to err – non-finite; is – finite)
5. Your duty is to cross the pond without getting noticed. (is – finite, to cross – non-finite; getting – non-finite)
6. Doctors are 'caring' for the injured. (are attending – finite)
7. She opened the window. (opened – finite)
8. The pupils were asked to submit their assignments by Monday. (were asked – finite, to submit – non-finite)
9. The teacher encourages the students to work hard. (encourages – finite,to work – non-finite)
10. The cat wagged its tail to show its happiness. (wagged– finite, to show – non-finite)

Short A Video Summary

For a better understanding, watch this video on chapters or What Are Finite And Non-finite Verb With Examples? Then it will help to understand the matter more easily Finite And Non-finite Verb.

Get Your Finite And None-Finite Verbs to Work for You

Choosing the right finite and none-finite verb can set the whole tone of your sentence. Whether you’re working on finite and non-finite verbs, it’s important to know how to conjugate them correctly. Review these (rules for conjugating verbs) based on subject-verb agreement, verb tense and attitude, and sentence mood.