GLOBAL WRITERS BUREAU ENGLISH GRAMMAR & WRITING STYLE COURSE
LESSON 6
The non-finite verb (which cannot take a subject and cannot form a sentence) has two forms.
- THE INFINITE:
This is the root from which all verbs are formed – TO DRIVE, TO BE DRIVEN, TO HAVE DRIVEN, etc. it can do the work of a subject word or object word – so it can do the work of a noun. It can also do the work of an adjective or adverb, since it always contains more than one word, it is usually referred to as a phrase.
- TO ERR is human. (what is human)
Noun phrase
- He likes TO SWIM. (likes what?)
Noun phrase
- A roof TO SHELTER us. (what kind of roof?)
Adjective phrase
- He works hard TO SUCCEED. (works hard why?)
Adverb phrase
- THE PARTICIPLE
This helps finite verbs to form tenses: - DRIVING, BEING DRIVEN, HAVING DRIVEN, etc. by itself, it always does the work of an adjective:
SMILING, the man left the room. (what kind of man?)
A phrase introduced by a participle called a participle phrase. It does the work of an adjective phrase and it qualifies the nearest noun or pronoun.
SMILING QUIETLY TO HIMSELF, the man left the room. (what kind of man?)
A SMILING-QUIETLY-TO-HIMSELF MAN)
EXERCISE 6:
DECIDE WHETHER THE CAPITALIZED WORDS
ARE FINITE VERBS OR NOT:
- She wants TO JOIN us (A. no) (B. yes)
- She WANTS to join us (A. no) (B. yes)
- SOBBING loudly, she sat down, (A. yes) (B. no)
- She WAS SOBBING loudly. (A. no) (B. yes)
GLOBAL WRITERS BUREAU ENGLISH GRAMMAR & WRITING STYLE COURSE
LESSON 7
NOW LET US REVISE BRIEFLY
- The finite verb is the hub of the sentence. Expressing actions, thoughts, wishes, etc.
- Nouns and pronouns will usually appear as subject words or object words, or will follow prepositions
- Adjectives are likely to be found where there are nouns or pronouns because they qualify them
- Adverbs, in the main, modify verbs.
- Phrases can do the work of nouns (or pronouns), adjectives and adverbs. Noun phrases are formed from the infinitives of the verb.
Adjective phrases can also be formed from the infinitive, but usually they are introduced by prepositions or in the case of the participle phrase, by a participle.
Adverb phrases are normally introduced by prepositions; the only exception is the adverb phrase of purpose which is introduced by an infinitive. (P. 3162)
The seventh part of speech – the interjection – expresses sudden emotion: Oh! Hurray! Ugh!
The eighth and last part of speech if the conjunction. We shall deal with this in the next lesson.
Trembling slightly, the last batsman of the team walked slowly to the wicket.
EXERCISE
IN THE ABOVE SENTENCE THERE IS/ARE
- (A. three) (B. two) nouns
- (A. one) (B. two) finite verbs
- (A. two) (B. three) adverbs
- (A. two) (B. three) phrases
