Questions tagged [nonfinite-verbs]
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41
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Struggling with participle phrases - adjectival vs adverbial
I'm struggling to identify when a participle phrase is adjectival vs. adverbial.
For example: Turning into the parking lot, the girl could see that lines were already forming.
^ "Turning into the ...
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0
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50
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Why "Harry enter" and not "entered" the room? [duplicate]
Consider this paragraph:
Far from wishing Harry a happy birthday, none of the Dursleys made any
sign that they had noticed Harry enter the room, but Harry was far
too used to this to care.
I ...
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3
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3
answers
90
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What is the subject of the verb following the comma?
This quote is from Gone with the Wind, where Scarlett met Rhett Butler at a function to collect for the Confederacy:
Hot words bubbled to her lips and it was with difficulty that she checked them. ...
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2
votes
2
answers
79
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Function of non-finite infinitive clause in catenative constructions
I am bit perplexed as to the function of the infinitive subordinate clause in the following examples:
I know him to be a good man.
I persuaded him to leave.
In analyzing this sentence, "know&...
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2
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1
answer
136
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Is "quack" a non-finite form of the verb in "What does the duck do? Quack."?
Q. What does the duck do?
A. Quack.
Do you take "quack" there to be a non-finite form of the verb?
Edit: I removed Tinfoil Hat's very apt edit only because I wanted to stick with animals, ...
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0
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Being interested/Interested in nitroglycerine, over the years, Alfred himself performed…?
Sample test:
_________ (interest) in nitroglycerine, over the years, Alfred himself performed so many experiments to make sure it could be put into practical use in construction work.
The given answer ...
2
votes
1
answer
127
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Catenative verbs without "to"
Here's a well-liked comment under a YouTube video, complimenting the creator:
This man is an absolute joy to watch do literally anything.
Although YouTube likes is not an indicator of grammatical ...
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0
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1
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How do finite verbs work in questions?
I am doing an exercise Rudolf Flesch's "The Art of Plain Talk." It's point is to change as many nouns, infinitives, gerunds, and participles into "active verbs" or finite verbs. I ...
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are there other phrases set up like "end up ____-ing (gerund)" if so, what are they called?
I'm watching a documentary and this was said:
"We believe they did intentional things that kept Gabriel in harm's way, and ultimately ended up in him dying"
The "him dying" part ...
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0
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a question about non-finite verbs
A harmonious society is like a symphony or orchestra—each person contributes a small sound, but when_________ with other sounds, it becomes beautiful music.
A. combining B. being combined C.combined D....
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3
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Non-finite verb forms function
Could anyone please tell the functions of the bolded participles (raising, saying and displaying) in the following examples?
...and has continued with parliamentary duties this week, raising the ...
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1
answer
326
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"Thanks to" + noun
Can a phrase "Thanks to the wizardry of modern technology /.../" be considered as a non-finite verb form (infinitive, gerund or participle)?
What function does it have?
Thank you.
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2
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What is the omitted subject of 'eating with your brother' in 'the big guy eating with your brother'?
(1) Who's the big guy [ ___ eating with your brother]?
Here, the subject of the bracketed non-finite clause is omitted, as shown in the blank, and is retrievable from the main clause. I'd like to ...
- 5,856
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0
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Raised object vs. Subordinate subject (I didn't want Kim mistreating my cat)
The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language (Page 1204) says:
A crucial difference between gerund-participials and to-infinitivals is that a non-genitive NP can function as subject of the former ...
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3
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1
answer
516
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When do present participles shift from being "gerunds" or "verbal nouns" to become non-finite clauses?
Note: This is not a question about what is the difference between a gerund, verb and participle, interesting as that polemic may be. It is about non-finite clauses, which does bear upon these ...
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0
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Is this tutorial using "to [verb]-ing" the right way? When should I just use "to [verb]"? [duplicate]
That tutorial says
Exploratory Data Analysis (EDA) is an approach to analyzing datasets to summarize their main characteristics. It is used to understand data, get some context regarding it, ...
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1
answer
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How can "of me doing something" be grammatically correct? What grammar rule is this? [duplicate]
The first book on my list has actually been recommended to me like
multiple times over the years of me doing BookTube.
I found that sentence in my English book, and the last part where it reads of ...
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0
votes
1
answer
375
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What part of speech is 'Hearing' in these sentences?
What is hearing in these sentences?
Hearing the voice, the boy woke up.
The boy woke up hearing the voice.
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0
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50
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“Instead of ʏᴏᴜʀ calling” vs “Instead of ʏᴏᴜ calling” [duplicate]
Which is better:
Instead of your calling, maybe I should do it.
Instead of you calling, maybe I should do it.
I feel like the first one is the better choice here because instead of needs a gerund, ...
2
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1
answer
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"I know him ʙᴇɪɴɢ honest" vs “I know him ᴛᴏ ʙᴇ honest”
The intended original sentence before conversion is:
I know that he is an honest man.
I want to know about these two possible reformulated versions of that sentence that replace the original’s ...
2
votes
1
answer
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We three or us three
Does the subject value in the following example need to be "us" or "we". Does it follow the same principle in pluralising the subject where removing one component isolates the correct noun?
Dad and ...
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1
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Are adjectives ending with -ing considered non-finite verbs?
Are gerunds and present participles that function as adjectives considered non-finite? I understand that they aren't but I'm not so sure
for example:
The frightening tiger has eaten the scared doe.
...
1
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1
answer
571
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Are past/present progessive and past/present perfect verb form, nonfinite?
I read that nonfinite verb form end in -ed,-ing or starts with to and another definition where nonfinite verb form show no tense.
But on the other hand, I've read there are past and present ...
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votes
1
answer
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Sentences that begin with "To think that;" are they impersonal?
Sentences such as
To think that she did all that
To think that Messi and Cristiano Rolando are both out of the World Cup
To think that this could ever happen to me
Are these impersonal sentences (i....
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vote
1
answer
171
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What is the grammatical nature of the word "been" in perfect progressive tenses?
The word been appears to be simply an auxiliary verb in all perfect progressive tenses (also in some perfect tenses with passive construction) and it is easy to see it that way. However, from a ...
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2
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Terminology: Definition of the term "direct object"
In Michael Swan's "Practical English Usage", he states in section 16.1:
Many verbs besides auxiliaries can be followed by forms of other verbs
(or by structures including other verbs). This ...
1
vote
2
answers
699
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Non-finite clause or to-infinitive? [closed]
I'm analysing this sentence complex in terms of sentence trees and am a bit at a loss here.
He began to swim again, feeling suddenly the desperate exhaustion of his body.
In the part "He began ...
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1
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"The fact of it being ..." vs "the fact of its being ..." [duplicate]
Which one of the following is correct/preferred?
This process is devised in such a way that it works automatically
while always revealing to the user the fact of it/its being
intact.
Both "the ...
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5
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Hear Me Roar Vs Hear Me Roaring? [duplicate]
In Katy Perry’s song “Roar”,
she says this at the end of the chorus:
You’re gonna hear me roar
Why did she use the bare infinitive form of the verb roar here instead
of that verb’s ‑ing form?...
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1
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5k
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When do I say "I have seen people do it" and not "I have seen people doing it"? [duplicate]
What is the difference between
I have seen people do it and I have seen people doing it?
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2
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Can a non-finite clause come after semicolon?
Every morning the princess wakes up and kisses the frog; hoping to see it turn into a prince.
Is the above construction wrong?
From Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck:
His huge companion dropped ...
user147593
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1
answer
49
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Can someone distinguish which of these verbs is a participial adjective and explain?
The boy deeply engaged in a conversation had brown hair.
The boy deeply engaged in a conversation.
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2
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Correct use of the present participle of verb "to pacifiy"?
I wonder if this expression can be correctly formulated and completed
using the present participle pacifying of the verb to pacifiy
as an adjective at least, instead of pacifist.
He/she is a ...
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1
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Does Gerund act as noun always?
Gerund acts as a subject, object... But can't we say that Gerund is basically a noun.
Also, I heard a counter argument - a noun can be used for showing possession (John's chair)... But Gerund can't ...
1
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1
answer
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Finite and non-finite clauses: "We have washed the dishes"
I have a quick question regarding finite and non-finite clauses if I may?
In clauses that contain modal or auxiliary verbs marked for tense AND a non-finite element, is the clause finite or non-...
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vote
1
answer
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Non finite clauses
I wonder if you guys can help me?
I'm really struggling to identify non-finite clauses as the online definitions (infinitives and -ing forms) don't seem adequate to explain them.
For example, in the ...
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2
answers
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In "Nobody was surprised at John being absent", is "being" a present participle modifying "John" or a gerund whose subject is "John"?
Some time ago I learned the difference between a present participle and a gerund, so today I decided to pass any online test to make sure I understand it.
I passed it having made only one mistake, ...
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4
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Non-finite Adjectival Clause or Adverbial Clause
I came across the following grammatical terms and example sentences on Wikipedia:
As an adjectival phrase modifying a noun phrase that is the object of a verb, provided the verb admits this ...
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3
answers
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"It was great because of improving my English."
"It was great because of improving my English."
A non-native speaker produced this sentence recently in a piece of writing, “it” being an English language course that she had attended a few years ago....
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How do I better ask question which may not contain subject?
Which of the following sounds better:
How do I cook an omelet?
– or
How to cook an omelet?
If I am asking which steps someone, in general, should take to cook an omelet.
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Pure verbal nouns/deverbal nouns vs. gerunds
This is a follow-up to a previous question which I am still trying to understand. I think I'm making progress in my understanding, but I would appreciate feedback to help me refine my thinking. Here ...
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