NON-FINITE FORMS OF THE VERB
Outline
1 General Characteristics
2 The Infinitive
3The Gerund
4 Participle I
5 Participle II
General Characteristics
To non-finite forms of the verb (or verbals), tradition refers the infinitive (to take), the gerund (taking), Participle I (taking), and Participle П (taken).
All English verbals were originally names. But in the course of time they have been acquiring more and more verbal force. Nowadays, they share the properties of verbs and names (nouns, adjectives, and adverbs).
Lexically, verbals do not differ from finite verbs.
Morphologically, they have some features that differentiate them from finite verbs and some features that unite them with finite verbs. As opposed to finite verbs, verbals lack the grammatical categories of person, number, tense, and mood. But just like finite verbs, all verbals have the grammatical categories of phase and voice. The infinitive also has the grammatical category of aspect.
Syntactically, verbals share the characteristics of finite verbs and names. Their verbal nature manifests itself mainly in their combinability: they may take any kind of object or adverbial that a finite verb might take. Their nominal nature reveals itself in their syntactic functions. Those verbals that do the work of verbs and nouns perform the functions typical of nouns (subjects, objects, predicatives, etc.); those verbals that do the work of verbs and adjectives/adverbs, perform the functions typical of adjectives and adverbs (attributes and adverbials). In contrast to finite verbs, verbals can never form a predicate by themselves, although they can form part of a predicate, both simple and compound.
2 The Infinitive
Verbal Features of the Infinitive
The verbal features of the infinitive are of two kinds: morphological and syntactic.
Morphologically, the verbal nature of the infinitive manifests itself in the grammatical categories of aspect, phase, and voice. The category of aspect finds its expression in the opposition of non-continuous and continuous forms. The non-continuous infinitive stresses the fact of the action, the continuous infinitive -the progress of the action. Cf:
I expect him to fail the exam
It's nice to be sitting here with you
The continuous infinitive is very seldom used, almost exclusively in the active voice.
The category of phase finds its expression in the opposition of non-perfect and perfect forms. Being the marked member of the phase opposition, the perfect infinitive usually denotes an action prior to the action expressed by the finite verb, e.g.: She said she was sorry to have missed you (M. Swan).
Syntactically, the verbal nature of the infinitive manifests itself in the following characteristics.
1. Its right-hand combinability with objects, adverbials, and predicatives when the infinitive happens to be a copula. Cf:
Arlene wanted to buy a fur coat (The New Webster's Grammar Guide) - object.
The train was to leave at midnight (E. Hemingway) -adverbial.
I’ m likely to be very busy tomorrow (M. Swan) - predicative.
2. Its left-hand combinability with a subjectival member denoting the doer of the action expressed by the infinitive, e.g.:
We want them to build a house (The New Webster's Grammar Guide).
3. The function of realizing the verbal component of primary predication when the infinitive makes part of a simple or compound predicate. Cf:.
I didn't touch anything (S. Hill) - part of a simple predicate.
His ambition was to write (The New Webster's Grammar Guide) — part of a compound nominal predicate.
Ann can type fast (V. Evans) - part of a compound verbal modal predicate.
He began to cry again... (S. Hill) - part of a compound verba) aspective predicate.
4. The function of realizing the verbal component of secondary predication when the infinitive makes part of a complex member of the sentence or forms a parenthesis. Cf:
She could see him smite (E. Hemingway) - complex object.
To cut a long story short, we finally reached London at four in the morning (Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English) -parenthesis.
Nominal Features of the Infinitive
The nominal features of the infinitive are only syntactic. The infinitive performs almost all syntactic functions characteristic of the noun: subject (often after the introductory it), predicative, object, attribute, and adverbial. Cf.:
To err is human, to forgive, divine (J. O'Hara) - subject.
It's easy to make mistakes (M. Swan) - subject.
My intention is to get into Parliament (A. Troliope) -predicative.
I have never learnt to read or write (W. Collins) - object.
They will make another attempt to cross the river tonight (R.A. Close) - attribute.
I merely came back to water the roses (O. Wilde) - adverbial of purpose.
There are three predicative infinitival constructions in Modern English:
1) the objective-with-the-infinitive construction We do not allow people to smoke in the lecture halls
2) the for-to-infinitive construction We are waiting for the rain to stop
3) the subjective infinitive construction Mr. Bob Sawyer was heard to laugh heartily