Non-finite Clauses and Clauses without

Verbs
Nurjamilia Romdoniah
142122028
Utami Mediana Ishak
Zaini Aulia Nurbaeti
Randi Bagus Santoso

142122009
142122027
122122007

Main Topics
Four Kinds of Non-finite clauses
The Forms of Non-finite Clauses
The Functions of Non-finite Clauses
The Cenative Construction
Verbless Clauses

Introduction
Non-finite clauses is a dependent clause whose verb is
non finite. A non-finite clause cannot stand on its own.
It has a secondary verb form that is not marked for
person. Secondary verb is not marked for tense, aspect,
mood, number and person. It cannot serve as a
predicate, nor can it be used in an independent clause.

They are not marked for tenses

Rarely have a subject
They are not marked for person

Four Kinds of Non-finite

Clauses
Constructi
on
To-infinitival

Example
Liz wants to
write a novel
Liz might write
a novel

Verb-form
Plain form

Bare
Plain form
Infinitival
Liz dreams of
GerundGerund
writing a novel
participal
participle
Past Participal Liz has written a Past participle
novel

Infinitive
Infinitives with to are referred to specifically
as to-infinitives, in order to distinguish
them from bare infinitives, in which to is
absent.
To-infinitive

Help me to open
the gate

Bare infinitive

Help me open the

gate

Bare Infinitive
The bare infinitive is used as the main verb

after the dummy auxiliary verb do, or most

modal auxiliary verbs.
Several common verbs of perception,
including see, watch, hear, feel, and sense
take a direct object and a bare infinitive.
The bare infinitive is also used with several
common verbs of permission or causation.
The bare inifinitive is also used after had
better.
The verb help is followed by the bare
infinitive.

Gerund Participals
Gerundial Noun
Gerund participal form of verb
Present participal adjective

Past Participle
A past participle indicates past or
completedaction or time. It is often called
the ed form as it is formed by adding d or
ed, to the base form of regular verbs,
however it is also formed in various other
ways for irregular verbs.
It can be used to form a verb phrase as
part of the present perfect tense.
It can be used to form the passive voice.
It can also be used as an adjective.

The Form of Non-finite

Clauses
A predicate has the form of a Verb Phrase

headed by a secondary form of the verb

Do not have primary tense
They can never contain a modal auxuliary
Are normally embedded within a larger
construction

The Functions of Non-finite

Clauses

To Infinitive
As a subject
As an extraposed subject
As an extraposed object
As an internal compl of verb
As a comp of preposition
As an adjuct in clause
As a comp of noun
Modifier in NP

Bare Infinitivals
Complement of modal auxiliary
Complement of help
Complement of specifying

Gerund Participle
As a subject
As an extraposed subject
As an object
As an extraposed object
As an internal comp of verb
As an adjuct in clause
As a modifier in noun phrase

Past Participle
As an internal comp of verb
As a modifier in noun phrase

The Cenative Constraction

The cenative construction is a repeatable

construction in a way that enables us to

form chains of verb in which all except the
last have a non-finite complement.
Most cases where a non-finite clause is an
internal complement of a verb illustrate
the cenative construction.
A cenative verb is a verb that can link with
other verbs to form a chain or series (seem,
keep, etc.)
A cenative verb takes anon-finite clause as
its complement

Cenative verbs and cenative

complement
Simple cenative there is never an

intervening NP(subject of the non-finite

clause)
Complex cenative construction there is an
intervening NP
Exception ; passive voice.

Verbless Clauses
Verbless clauses are which contain no verb
element, and often also no subject. They
are regarded as clauses because they
fuction in ways which make them
equivalent to finite and non-finite clauses,
and because they can be analyzed in terms
of one or more clause elements (Geoffroy
Leech and Jan Svartvik :1975)

Verbless clauses function as complement to

preposition
There is no preposition that licences only a
verbless clauses as complement with,
without accept non-finite and verbless
clauses although, if, once, while accept
finite, non-finite and verbless clauses.
Verbless clauses functioning directly as
adjucts
Verbless clauses with a subject = predicate
structure can function as adjucts.

Exercise 1
Fill the blanks with the correct form either

Gerund or Infinitiveof the verb given in

bracets.
1. Avoid -----(mix) with bad boys.
2. I dont want her -----(know) my adress.
3. You made the woman -----(show) you how
-----(open) the safe.
4. Nicky tried -----(write) a poem
5. Stop -----(talk) now

Exercise 2
Rewrite the following sentences using

suitable form ofthe participle of the verbs

given in brackets.
1. Everybody worships the -----(rise) sun
2. The sun -----(rise), the birds began to
chirp.
3. -----(place) the books on the table, he ran
away.
4. A -----(break) glass cannot hold water
5. -----(hit) by an arrow in chest, he fell down
dead.

Exercise 3
Combine each of the following pairs of

sentences using a Gerund.

1. She laughs. She cannot help it.
2. It was hot. He did not go out.
3. I got ready. I went to the coference.
4. Please move a bit. Would you mind it ?
5. She likes to eat chocolates. It is her
weakness.

Exercise 4
Combine each of the following pairs of

sentences using an Infinitive.

1. He has come here. He will see you.
2. He was very weak. He could not go up the
stairs.
3. She is coming to Delhi. She will see the
Prime Minister.
4. We go to the library. We study there.
5. I shall go to the market. I shall buy some
papers.

Exercise 5
Combine the following sentences using a

participle.
1. She felt hungry. She went on eating.
2. They finished their breakfast. They
boarded the school-bus
3. The sun had set. We returned home.
4. I do not like this child. He weeps bitterly.
5. I saw a woman. She was crossing the
road.