Finite verb forms:
Finite verb forms are marked by inflection and indicate person, number and tense. A finite verb can be the single main verb in a sentence.
For example, the finite forms of the verb go are:
- go (present tense in all persons except the third person singular)
I go to school in the afternoon.
- goes (present tense in the third person singular)
Mia goes to school by bus every day.
- went (past tense)
Yesterday, we went to school at 9 am.
Finite verb forms are marked by inflection and indicate person, number and tense. A finite verb can be the single main verb in a sentence.
For example, the finite forms of the verb go are:
- go (present tense in all persons except the third person singular)
- goes (present tense in the third person singular)
- went (past tense)
I go to school in the afternoon.
Mia goes to school by bus every day.
Yesterday, we went to school at 9 am.
Non-finite verb forms:
Non-finite verb forms do not indicate person, number or tense.
The non-finite forms of the verb go are:
- go (infinitive)
I can't go with you.
Unfortunately, she had to go.
Do you really go out with her?
I didn't go to work today.
I want to go home.
- going (gerund)
I like going to the cinema.
Carol suggested going for a walk.
Going faster would have been really dangerous.
- gone (past participle)
Jack has gone away on holiday.
By the time Sue returned, the others had gone back to their cars.
I wish I had gone to university.
- going (present participle)
I'm going to a concert tonight.
I heard my dad going up the stairs.
Going across the bridge last night, I saw someone swimming in the river.
The infinitive, the gerund and the participle have other forms, which are discussed in detail in the following chapters.
Non-finite verb forms do not indicate person, number or tense.
The non-finite forms of the verb go are:
- go (infinitive)
- going (gerund)
- gone (past participle)
- going (present participle)
I can't go with you.
Unfortunately, she had to go.
Do you really go out with her?
I didn't go to work today.
I want to go home.
I like going to the cinema.
Carol suggested going for a walk.
Going faster would have been really dangerous.
Jack has gone away on holiday.
By the time Sue returned, the others had gone back to their cars.
I wish I had gone to university.
I'm going to a concert tonight.
I heard my dad going up the stairs.
Going across the bridge last night, I saw someone swimming in the river.
The infinitive, the gerund and the participle have other forms, which are discussed in detail in the following chapters.
The forms of the gerund:
The gerund is an -ing form. It can be simple or perfect, active or passive:
Active Passive Simple gerund writing being written Perfect gerund having written having been written
Note the changes in spelling when forming the simple gerund:
read » reading
study » studying
grow » growing
relax » relaxing
answer » answering
write » writing; argue » arguing (a final -e is omitted)
agree » agreeing (a final -ee does not change)
lie » lying (a final -ie changes to -y-)
put » putting; regret » regretting; readmit » readmitting (we double the final consonant if the verb ends in consonant-vowel-consonant, with the exception of w, x and y, and only has one syllable or has the stress on the last syllable)
In the negative, not usually comes before the gerund:
There is no point in applying for the grant.
There is no point in not applying for the grant.
In some cases, the verb in the main clause is negative, not the gerund:
I like getting up early.
I don't like getting up early.
As the gerund has no tense, it does not in itself indicate the time of the action that it refers to. However, it can show whether this time is the same as or earlier than the time of the verb in the main clause.
The gerund is an -ing form. It can be simple or perfect, active or passive:
| Active | Passive | |
|---|---|---|
| Simple gerund | writing | being written |
| Perfect gerund | having written | having been written |
Note the changes in spelling when forming the simple gerund:
read » reading
study » studying
grow » growing
relax » relaxing
answer » answering
write » writing; argue » arguing (a final -e is omitted)
agree » agreeing (a final -ee does not change)
lie » lying (a final -ie changes to -y-)
put » putting; regret » regretting; readmit » readmitting (we double the final consonant if the verb ends in consonant-vowel-consonant, with the exception of w, x and y, and only has one syllable or has the stress on the last syllable)
In the negative, not usually comes before the gerund:
There is no point in applying for the grant.
There is no point in not applying for the grant.
In some cases, the verb in the main clause is negative, not the gerund:
I like getting up early.
I don't like getting up early.
As the gerund has no tense, it does not in itself indicate the time of the action that it refers to. However, it can show whether this time is the same as or earlier than the time of the verb in the main clause.
Simple gerund:
The simple gerund can refer to the same time as that of the verb in the main clause:
I hate arguing with you. (arguing refers to the same time as hate: I hate when we argue.)
Tom suggested going back to our tents. (going refers to the same time as suggested: Tom suggested that we should go back to our tents.)
The simple gerund can also refer to a time before that of the verb in the main clause:
I don't remember saying anything like that. (saying refers to a time before don't remember: I don't remember that I said anything like that.)
She regretted not studying harder when she was at school. (not studying refers to a time before regretted: She regretted that she hadn't studied harder when he was at school.)
The simple gerund can refer to the same time as that of the verb in the main clause:
I hate arguing with you. (arguing refers to the same time as hate: I hate when we argue.)
Tom suggested going back to our tents. (going refers to the same time as suggested: Tom suggested that we should go back to our tents.)
The simple gerund can also refer to a time before that of the verb in the main clause:
I don't remember saying anything like that. (saying refers to a time before don't remember: I don't remember that I said anything like that.)
She regretted not studying harder when she was at school. (not studying refers to a time before regretted: She regretted that she hadn't studied harder when he was at school.)
Perfect gerund:
The perfect gerund refers to a time before that of the verb in the main clause. However, it is only used if the time of the action expressed by the gerund is not obvious from the context:
He denied being married. (the simple gerund being refers to the same time as denied: He denied that he was married.)
He denied having been married. (the perfect gerund having been refers to a time before denied: He denied that he had been married.)
If it is clear that an earlier time is meant, we use the simple gerund:
He denied stealing the car. (He denied that he had stolen the car.)
The perfect gerund refers to a time before that of the verb in the main clause. However, it is only used if the time of the action expressed by the gerund is not obvious from the context:
He denied being married. (the simple gerund being refers to the same time as denied: He denied that he was married.)
He denied having been married. (the perfect gerund having been refers to a time before denied: He denied that he had been married.)
If it is clear that an earlier time is meant, we use the simple gerund:
He denied stealing the car. (He denied that he had stolen the car.)
Passive gerunds:
Passive forms are also possible:
I hate being lied to. (passive simple gerund: I hate it when people lie to me.)
He complained of having been unjustly accused. (passive perfect gerund: He complained that they had unjustly accused him.).
*
Passive forms are also possible:
I hate being lied to. (passive simple gerund: I hate it when people lie to me.)
He complained of having been unjustly accused. (passive perfect gerund: He complained that they had unjustly accused him.).
*
The forms of the participle
Active Passive Present participle writing being written Perfect participle having written having been written Past participle written written
| Active | Passive | |
|---|---|---|
| Present participle | writing | being written |
| Perfect participle | having written | having been written |
| Past participle | written | written |
Present participle:
The present participle is formed by adding -ing to the base form of the verb. Note the changes in spelling:
read » reading
study » studying
grow » growing
relax » relaxing
answer » answering
write » writing; argue » arguing (a final -e is omitted)
agree » agreeing (a final -ee does not change)
lie » lying (a final -ie changes to -y-)
put » putting; regret » regretting; readmit » readmitting (we double the final consonant if the verb ends in consonant-vowel-consonant, with the exception of w, x and y, and only has one syllable or has the stress on the last syllable)
The present participle does not in itself indicate the time of the action that it refers to. However, it does show that this time is the same as the time of the preceding verb or the verb in the main clause:
I watched the storm approaching. (approaching refers to the same time as watched: I watched as the storm was approaching.)
Having nowhere to sit, she stood in the back of the lecture hall. (having refers to the same time as stood: As she had nowhere to sit, she stood in the back of the lecture hall.)
Are you waiting for the bus? (waiting refers to the same time as are: present)
We will be arriving in Prague soon. (arriving refers to the same time as will be: future)
The present participle is formed by adding -ing to the base form of the verb. Note the changes in spelling:
read » reading
study » studying
grow » growing
relax » relaxing
answer » answering
write » writing; argue » arguing (a final -e is omitted)
agree » agreeing (a final -ee does not change)
lie » lying (a final -ie changes to -y-)
put » putting; regret » regretting; readmit » readmitting (we double the final consonant if the verb ends in consonant-vowel-consonant, with the exception of w, x and y, and only has one syllable or has the stress on the last syllable)
The present participle does not in itself indicate the time of the action that it refers to. However, it does show that this time is the same as the time of the preceding verb or the verb in the main clause:
I watched the storm approaching. (approaching refers to the same time as watched: I watched as the storm was approaching.)
Having nowhere to sit, she stood in the back of the lecture hall. (having refers to the same time as stood: As she had nowhere to sit, she stood in the back of the lecture hall.)
Are you waiting for the bus? (waiting refers to the same time as are: present)
We will be arriving in Prague soon. (arriving refers to the same time as will be: future)
Perfect participle:
The perfect participle indicates that the time of the action that it refers to is before that of the verb in the main clause:
Having taken the wrong turn, he ended up in a dangerous neighbourhood. (having taken refers to a time before ended up: After he had taken the wrong turn, he ended up in a dangerous neighbourhood.)
Having taken the wrong turn, he ended up in a dangerous neighbourhood. (having taken refers to a time before ended up: After he had taken the wrong turn, he ended up in a dangerous neighbourhood.)
Past participle:
The past participle is also called the third form of the verb. With regular verbs, the past participle is formed by adding -ed to the base form. Note the changes in spelling:
- look » looked
- stay » stayed
- arrive » arrived (we only add -d if the verb ends in -e)
- try » tried (a final -y changes to -i- after a consonant)
- stop » stopped (we double the final consonant if the verb ends in consonant-vowel-consonant)
A number of verbs have irregular past participle forms. A few examples are:
- bite » bitten
- fly » flown
- hit » hit
- leave » left
- swim » swum
See the Appendix for a list of the most common irregular verbs in English.
The past participle can refer to the same time as the verb in the main clause or to a time before that:
Sue has all the qualifications required for the job. (required refers to the same time as has: Sue has all the qualifications that are required for the job.)
Damaged badly by the flood, the school had to be rebuilt. (damaged refers to a time before had to: As the school had been badly damaged by the flood, it had to be rebuilt.)
If we want to emphasise an earlier time, we use the passive perfect participle:
Having been nominated three times for an Oscar, he is one of today's most acclaimed film directors. (He has been nominated three times for an Oscar, and he is one of today's most acclaimed film directors.)
The past participle can have an active or a passive meaning. When used with a passive meaning, it is sometimes called the passive participle:
The fallen leaves covered the garden path. (the leaves that had fallen, active meaning)
This is the first time I've been here. (present perfect tense in active voice, active meaning)
There was a handwritten note on the table. (a note that had been written by hand, passive meaning)
When was the last time the lawn was mowed? (past simple tense in passive voice, passive meaning).
*English Grammar/ Non-Finites [Infinitive, Participles and Gerunds]:
The past participle is also called the third form of the verb. With regular verbs, the past participle is formed by adding -ed to the base form. Note the changes in spelling:
- look » looked
- stay » stayed
- arrive » arrived (we only add -d if the verb ends in -e)
- try » tried (a final -y changes to -i- after a consonant)
- stop » stopped (we double the final consonant if the verb ends in consonant-vowel-consonant)
A number of verbs have irregular past participle forms. A few examples are:
- bite » bitten
- fly » flown
- hit » hit
- leave » left
- swim » swum
See the Appendix for a list of the most common irregular verbs in English.
The past participle can refer to the same time as the verb in the main clause or to a time before that:
Sue has all the qualifications required for the job. (required refers to the same time as has: Sue has all the qualifications that are required for the job.)
Damaged badly by the flood, the school had to be rebuilt. (damaged refers to a time before had to: As the school had been badly damaged by the flood, it had to be rebuilt.)
If we want to emphasise an earlier time, we use the passive perfect participle:
Having been nominated three times for an Oscar, he is one of today's most acclaimed film directors. (He has been nominated three times for an Oscar, and he is one of today's most acclaimed film directors.)
The past participle can have an active or a passive meaning. When used with a passive meaning, it is sometimes called the passive participle:
The fallen leaves covered the garden path. (the leaves that had fallen, active meaning)
This is the first time I've been here. (present perfect tense in active voice, active meaning)
There was a handwritten note on the table. (a note that had been written by hand, passive meaning)
When was the last time the lawn was mowed? (past simple tense in passive voice, passive meaning).
*English Grammar/ Non-Finites [Infinitive, Participles and Gerunds]:
♦ Choose the correct verb form to complete the sentence:
1. It is dangerous ……………………….. the railway tracks.
(a) cross (b) crossing (c) to cross
Answer:
(c) to cross
2. Mom made her ……………………….. the whole house.
(a) cleaning (b) clean (c) to clean
Answer:
(b) clean.
3. Would you mind ……………………….. me at school?
(a) drop (b) to drop (c) dropping
Answer:
(c) dropping
4. ……………………….. is divine.
(a) To forgive (b) Forgave (c) Forgiving
Answer:
(a) To forgive
5. As soon as the children saw the father they started ……………………….. home work.
(a) to do (b) doing (c) do
Answer:
(b) doing
6. He got the 103” Sony colour LED TV ……………………….. in his drawing-room.
(a) installed (b) installing (c) to install
Answer:
(a) installed
7. I enjoyed ……………………….. test cricket final match against England.
(a) watch (b) to watch (c) watching
Answer:
(c) watching
8. I suggested ……………………….. for a picnic to Vedanthangal.
(a) going (b) to go (c) go
Answer:
(a) going
9. He got the picture of his mom ………………………. .
(a) framing (b) to frame (c) framed
Answer:
(c) framed
10. 1 took the scooter to mechanic to have it ………………………. .
(a) to repair (b) repaired (c) repair
Answer:
(b) repaired
11. The school will remain ……………………….. till 5 pm.
(a) opening (b) open (c) opened
Answer:
(b) open
12. He was relieved of stress on ……………………….. the success of Sowmya in NEET.
(a) hearing (b) hear (c) to hear
Answer:
(a) hearing
13. Would you mind ……………………….. the salt please?
(a) passing (b) to pass (c) pass
Answer:
(a) passing.
14. James wanted to have his cyclone-battered car ………………………. .
(a) repaired (b) repair (c) to repair
Answer:
(a) repaired
15. Would you mind ……………………….. me your camera?
(a) to lend (b) lend (c) Lending
Answer:
(c) Lending.
16. The teacher asked the students to start ……………………….. after reading the question paper carefully.
(a) writing (b) to write (c) write
Answer:
(a) writing
17. We had our gate ……………………….. brown.
(a) to paint (b) painted (c) painting
Answer:
(b) painted
18. No one tried ……………………….. the concepts.
(a) understanding (b) to understand (c) understand
Answer:
(b) to understand
19. Let’s ……………………….. the village festival.
(a) visiting (b) visit (c) to visit
Answer:
(b) visit
20. The tea shop owner asked the beggar ……………………….. away.
(a) going (b) go (c) to go
Answer:
(c) to go
21. The gardener forbade the children from ……………………….. flowers.
(a) plucking (b) to pluck (c) pluck
Answer:
(a) plucking
22. She wanted ……………………….. a dictionary.
(a) buys (b) to buy (c) buying
Answer:
(b) to buy
23. They watched the players ……………………….. the airport.
(a) leaving (b) to leave (c) left
Answer:
(a) leaving
24. The teacher did not let us ……………………….. books while writing the test.
(a) to consult (b) consult (c) consulting
Answer:
(b) consult
25. They watched the thief ……………………….. across the road.
(a) running (b) to run (c) run
Answer:
(c) run.
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