NAZIV UNIVERZITETA
NAZIV FAKULTETA
ZAVRŠNI RAD
NEFINITINI GLAGOLSKI OBLICI
Mentor:
prof. dr. Ime i prezime
Kandidat:
Ime i prezime
NAME OF UNIVERSITY
NAME OF FACULTY
DIPLOMA THESIS
NON-FINITE VERB FORMS
Mentor:
prof. dr. Name and Surname
Candidate:
Name and surname
1
1. INTRODUCTION
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.
Nonfinite verbs found in English typically are infinitives, participles and gerunds; unlike
finite verbs, they cannot serve as the root of an independent clause. They sometimes are
called verbals—although that term has traditionally applied only to participles and gerunds.
Similar nonfinite forms found in some other languages include converbs, gerundives and
supines.
Nonfinite verbs typically are not inflected by grammatical tense and they present little
inflection for other grammatical categories as well. Generally, they also lack a subject
dependent. One or more nonfinite verbs may be associated with a finite verb in a finite
clause, composing the elements of a verb catena, or verb chain.
Because English to a large extent lacks inflectional morphology, the finite and nonfinite
forms of a verb may appear the same in a given context. In such a case, the environment
surrounding the verb must be examined to determine whether it is finite or nonfinite.
General characteristics:
non-finite forms possess the categories of voice, perfect and aspect;
non-finites are not restricted in number and person by any grammatical subject;
they combine the characteristics of a verb with those of some other part of speech;
verbals cannot form a predicate by themselves but they can function as part of a
compound verbal predicate:
She suddenly began to speak
;
They were caught stealing
the jewellery
.
3
2. INFINITIVE
The infinitive names a process in a most general way. It combines verbal features
(morphological and syntactical) with those of the noun.
In all its forms and functions the infinitive has a special marker, the particle to. It is
occasionally separated from the infinitive by some other words, more often an adverb or
emphatic particles: They were seen to just touch each other’s hands. This separation is
acceptable only to give special emphasis to the verb.
2
The infinitive is used without to in the following cases:
3
after auxiliary verbs;
after modal verbs (except
ought to, have to, be to
) and modal expressions
had better,
would rather, would sooner: She’d sooner die than forgive
;
after verbs of sense perception
(see, hear, feel, watch, notice, observe, listen to, etc.
)
in the construction
Complex Object: I heard him arrive
. However, in passive
sentences with these verbs we use a
to
-infinitive
: He was overheard
to
say that he
hoped Mike would reject the offer; She was noticed
to
hesitate
;
after causative verbs let, make, have (also in the construction
Complex Object
):
The
boss is not going to let me stay; They made me reduce my expenditures (But! - He was
made
to
rewrite his introduction letter)
;
after the verb to know in the meaning “to experience, to observe” (usually used in the
perfect form):
Have you ever known him tell a lie?
;
after phrases with
but (cannot but, do anything but, do nothing but, couldn’t but): He
cannot but accept it
;
in “why-not” sentences:
Why not let me help you?
;
if two infinitives are joined by ‘and’ or ‘or’, the
to
of the second infinitive can be
omitted:
I want
to
call Mr Smith
and fax or send
him a message
.
2
Jones C., Stannard R. (2005), p. 54.
3
Eastwood, J. (2004), p. 81.
