Verbs Page 3

Finite and Nonfinite Verbs

VERBS PAGE 3/7

Verbs which have the past or the present form are called FINITE verbs. Verbs in any other form (infinitive, -ing, or -ed) are called NONFINITE verbs. This means that verbs with tense are finite, and verbs without tense are nonfinite. The distinction between finite and nonfinite verbs is a very important one in grammar, since it affects how verbs behave in sentences. Here are some examples of each type:

	Tense	Finite or Nonfinite?
David plays the piano	Present	Finite
My sister spoke French on holiday	Past	Finite
It took courage to continue after the accident	NONE -- the verb has the infinitive form	Nonfinite
Leaving home can be very traumatic	NONE -- the verb has the -ing form	Nonfinite
Leave immediately when you are asked to do so	NONE -- the verb has the -ed form	Nonfinite

In each of the following sentences, indicate whether the highlighted verb is finite or nonfinite.