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?
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-infinitive clause as an adverb
I want
to-infinitive clause as the object of the verb
The point is
to-infinitive clause as subject complement
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
object of verb
I couldn't help but
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
present participle as an adverb
present participle as a subject
The police caught the suspect
present participle as the object complement
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
In this example, 'to clean the room' has no logical meaning when used alone.
They forced him
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:
Since the subject of the main clause is the pronoun 'you,' the subject which is omitted from the dependent clause is also 'you.'
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
In this example, the whole sentence is in the past tense, even though the clause 'to drink' has no tense.
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
non-finite relative clause
The girl
finite relative clause
Tip!
You can use non-finite clauses after catenative verbs. Here are some examples:
I enjoy
I love
I heard you
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
After
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
She rang the bell
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,
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
I am
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
That was quite a book