Non-finite Clauses

Non-finite clauses are based on to-infinitive and participles. They are actually subordinate clauses. Let us learn all about them.

What Are Non-finite Clauses?

What Are Non-finite Clauses?

Non-finite clauses are clauses that do not have a finite verb, meaning they are not limited by tense and do not contain a subject. They are dependent clauses that do not express a complete thought and cannot function as a sentence on their own.

Non-finite Clauses: Types

Non-finite clauses come in different types, but they share some common characteristics: they are all made up of verbs, lack a subject, and do not show tense. The different types of non-finite clauses include:

To-infinitives

To-infinitive clauses can serve as nouns, adjectives, complements or as adverbs of purpose, intention, or obligation in a sentence. Here are a few examples:

I bought a present for you to apologize.

to-infinitive clause as an adverb

I want to make you the happiest woman ever.

to-infinitive clause as the object of the verb

The point is to solve it not to break it.

to-infinitive clause as subject complement

Non-finite Verbs and Catenative Verbs

Bare Infinitives

A bare infinitive can be used as the object of specific prepositions as well as some verbs to indicate that someone caused or helped to do something. Here are some examples:

They helped clean the house.

object of verb

I couldn't help but cry at the sight of the burning building.

object of preposition

Participles

Participles are of two types: present participle and past participle. Present participle clauses can act as nouns, adjectives, complements and adverbs of manner or reason. Past participle clauses act as adjectives or adverbs. Here are some examples:

They passed the hallway talking to each other.

present participle as an adverb

Drinking too much will affect your brain.

present participle as a subject

The police caught the suspect hiding in the basement.

present participle as the object complement

Spread everywhere, the virus was still active.

adjectival past participle

Non-finite Clauses: Characteristics

Non-finite clauses are often dependent clauses, also known as embedded clauses. Their tense can be inferred from the tense of the main clause. They can be used in relative clauses when the subject of the main clause and the dependent clause are the same.

Why Are Non-finite Clauses Dependent?

Dependent clauses are clauses that do not have a complete meaning when used alone. Non-finite clauses are dependent clauses because they cannot stand alone as complete sentences and are dependent on the main clause for their meaning and grammatical function. Check out the examples:

I wanted to clean the room.

In this example, 'to clean the room' has no logical meaning when used alone.

They forced him to play the game.

Finding the Subject of a Non-finite Clause

The subject of a non-finite clause is often the same as the subject of the main clause, making it easy to identify. However, if the subjects are different, the subject of the non-finite clause can be inferred from the context in which it is used. Take a look at some examples:

You need to visit the doctor.

Since the subject of the main clause is the pronoun 'you,' the subject which is omitted from the dependent clause is also 'you.'

He helped take the car out of the parking lot.

Based on the concept of the context and the meaning of the verb 'help,' 'he and other people' cooperated to take the car out of the parking lot.

Tense

Non-finite clauses do not have an inherent tense or time reference when used alone, but their tense is determined by the tense of the main clause with which they are associated. Here are some examples:

They asked if it would be a problem to drink.

In this example, the whole sentence is in the past tense, even though the clause 'to drink' has no tense.

To qualify for the job, you need to be good at English.

Here, the requirement for the job is to be good at English at the time. So the whole sentence is in present tense.

Non-finite Clauses with Relative Clauses

When the subject of a relative clause is the same as the subject of the main clause, the relative clause can be used as a non-finite clause. Here are the examples:

The girl crying out loud is my classmate.

non-finite relative clause

The girl who is crying out loud is my classmate.

finite relative clause

Tip!

You can use non-finite clauses after catenative verbs. Here are some examples:

I enjoy dancing under the rain.

I love to paint the walls.

I heard you laugh.

Subordinating Conjunctions and None-finite Clauses

Non-finite clauses can be used after some subordinating conjunctions, such as after, before, although, though, if, etc. Here are a few examples:

If realized by the teacher, the students would be put into detention.

After admitting the crime, he was sent to prison.

Restrictive or Non-restrictive Clauses

Depending on the way non-finite clauses function in a sentence, they can be restrictive or non-restrictive. Here are a few examples:

The boy sitting on the corner asks a lot of ridiculous questions. → restrictive

She rang the bell scared to death. → non-restrictive

Tip!

When a non-finite clause is used as a non-restrictive relative clause, it is typically placed between two commas. Here is an example:

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, sent to me last year, was a wonderful book.

To Be + to Do Something

Non-finite clauses can also be used to give orders or to describe future actions. However, in this case, they are only used with to-infinitives. Here is the structure:

  • subject + to be + to-infinitive

He is to find a new job; otherwise, I will leave him.

I am to clean up the room.

Non-finite Adjectives

Non-finite verbs can be used as adjectives before or after nouns to modify them. Here are the non-finite verbs that can be used as adjectives:

  • past participles
  • present participles
  • to-infinitives

Here are the examples:

The crying girl went to her mom.

That was quite a book to read.

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