Nonfinite verb

A nonfinite verb is a derivative form of a verb contrasted against finite verb forms in that they lack inflection for number or person, and in that they cannot perform action as the root of an independent clause. In English, nonfinite verbs include infinitives, participles and gerunds. Nonfinite verb forms in some other languages include converbs, gerundives and supines. The categories of mood, tense, and or voice may be absent from non-finite verb forms in some languages. Because English lacks most inflectional morphology, the finite and the nonfinite forms of a verb may appear the same in a given context. The following sentences each contain one finite verb (underlined) and multiple nonfinite verbs (in bold): The case has been intensively examined today. What did they want to have done about that? Someone tried to refuse to accept the offer. Coming downstairs, she saw the man running away. I am trying to get the tickets. In the above sentences, been, examined and done are past participles, want, have, refuse, accept and get are infinitives, and coming, running and trying are present participles (for alternative terminology, see the sections below). In languages like English that have little inflectional morphology, certain finite and nonfinite forms of a given verb are often identical, e.g. a. They laugh a lot. - Finite verb (present tense) in bold b. They will laugh a lot. - Nonfinite infinitive in bold a. Tom tried to help. - Finite verb (past tense) in bold b. Tom has tried to help. - Nonfinite participle in bold Despite the fact that the verbs in bold have the same outward appearance, the first in each pair is finite and the second is nonfinite. To distinguish the finite and nonfinite uses, one has to consider the environments in which they appear. Finite verbs in English usually appear as the leftmost verb in a verb catena. For details of verb inflection in English, see English verbs. In English, a nonfinite verb may constitute: an infinitive verb, including the auxiliary verb have as it occurs within a verb phrase that is predicated by a modal verb.