Telling verbs with tense from infinitives and participles, and fixing fragments. · about 14 minutes
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What is it? A finite verb has a tense and agrees with its subject; it can be the main verb of a clause: She plays. They played. A non-finite verb has no tense and no subject agreement: the infinitive (to play), the -ing form (playing) and the past participle (played, broken). Non-finite forms can't be the only verb in a sentence.
Why does it matter? Every complete sentence needs a finite verb. Knowing the difference helps you avoid fragments (*Running down the road.*) and use participle and infinitive phrases skilfully.
Where do we use it? Essays and reports: "Having read the notice, we left." "To succeed, you must work hard." "The vase, broken in the fall, was thrown away."
In this lesson you will:
