What is a non finite verb?

When going by the definition of what is non-finite verb, it is specified that a non-finite verb does not have a subject or a tense. Therefore, a non finite verb is not eligible to serve as the root of an independent clause. In simple words, it can be said that a non finite verb does not describe the action of an English sentence. No matter if the sentence is in past, present, or future tense, the non-finite verb will always stay neutral. Non-finite verbs are categorized into three parts- gerunds, participles, and infinitives.

What are different types of non finite verbs?

Now that you know what is non finite verb, let’s discuss its types. As discussed above, there are three different types of non finite verbs and these are as follows:

Gerunds: 

Gerunds are the types of non finite verbs that end in “ing” form. These non finite verbs function as nouns or can serve as subjects or objects in the English sentence. Now that gerunds don’t have any grammatical function of a verb, these are always considered as non finite.

Here are some examples of gerunds:

  • Seeing the snow for the first time is an extraordinary experience.
  • Watching movies is oftentimes an enjoyable experience. 

Participles:

There are two types of participles:

  • Present Participles: 

These have a form similar to gerunds. However, present participles function in the English sentence either as a part of continuous tense or as an attributive or predicative adjective.

Here are some examples of present participles:

  • My son is watching me swim.
  • I watched an incredible movie last week.
  • Past Participles: 

The main application of past participles is to create non-continuous perfect verb tenses. They can also function as adjectives that modify nouns. When passive voice is to be formed, past participles can be used. 

Here are some examples of past participles:

  • He carried the washed utensils upstairs.
  • Those utensils are washed. 

Infinitives:

When a ‘to’ infinitive is used with the base verb form (to + base form of the verb) in the sentence, then it is capable of functioning as a noun, adverb, or adjective in the specific sentence. But bare infinitives (base form of the verb without to) of the non finite verbs can be utilized as conjunction with modal auxiliary verbs. And thus, these are considered as the finite verbs of an English sentence. 

Here are some examples of infinitives:

  • To walk can be sometimes tiresome.
  • I have a suggestion to improve your performance in exams.
  • I can’t drive yet. 

Mentioning the examples of finite and non finite verbs:

Here are some examples of both finite and non finite verbs:

Finite verb examples:

Below are some finite verb examples:

  • Rohit swims four times a week.
  • He cooked dinner last Saturday.
  • We had a biology session last Monday.
  • Mansi is an architect.

non finite verb examples: 

Below mentioned are some non finite verb examples:

  • Akshay likes playing cricket.
  • She wants to play football.
  • She wants a game to play.
  • We watched Akshay playing cricket.
  • She has studied two subjects.

Conclusion

Selection of the proper finite and non-finite verbs can set the tone of an entire English sentence. The simple difference between these verbs is that finite verbs change their form according to the tense and non-finite verbs remain neutral to any change of tense. If you are working with a finite or non finite verb it is essential to know how to conjugate them appropriately to frame a correct sentence.