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SAI International School
STD - 7 ENGLISH
LESSON NOTES –Module 14
Module 14:FINITE AND NON-FINITE VERBS
Verbs can further be divided into:
Let ’s lookat these sentences…
In a sentence, there is normally at least one verb that has both a subject and a tense. When a
verb has a subject and a tense, it can be referred to as a finite verb.
We(sub) want(verb) Charlie to act as club secretary.
I (sub)like(verb) photographs of insects.
Coming home last night, I saw a deer run across the road.
In a sentence, there is normally at least one verb that has both a subject and a tense. When a
verb has a subject and a tense, it can be referred to as a finite verb.
A verb is finite if it is found in a clause in combination with a subject and a tense.
I walked home.
We saw a deer
They appreciate a little praise now and then.
Therefore…
What is a finite verb?
Finite verbs are verbs that have subjects and indicate grammatical tense, person, and number.
These verbs describe the action of a person, place, or thing in the sentence. Unlike other types
of verbs, finite verbs do not require another verb in the sentence in order to be grammatically
correct.
Here are some examples of finite verbs:
“They went to the mall today.”
“The outfielder leaped for the baseball.”
“Many people travel to the ocean in the summer.”
“The sailboat glides over the water.”
Importance to sentence structure
Sentences need a finite verb to be complete. Without a finite verb, a sentence would simply be
a subject, or a subject and other parts of speech that do not express action and are not linked
together properly. In other words, sentences do not function correctly without finite verbs.
To illustrate this point, consider the following examples: