The Non-Finites (The Verbals)

The Verbals (infinitives, participles I, participles II, gerunds) are non-finite forms of the verb. They have double nature, verbal and nominal. The Infinitive has the properties of the noun and of the verb, Participle I and Participle II have the properties of the verb, of the adjective and of the adverb. The Gerund has the properties of the verb and of the noun. Is is accounted for by the fact that ,historically, the Infinitive and the Gerund are connected with the noun, while Participle I and Participle II are connected with the adjective and the adverb. So, the verbals treat actions as substances and qualities.

Points of Similarities with the Finites

1. The verbals express the idea of action( to write, writing, written, writing: There are a lot of things to marvel at but, first, a lot of questions to ask. A man to see you! S.Plath).

2. They all have the categories of correlation and voice, the infinitive has one more verbal category, that of aspect (to be writing, to have written, to be written, to have been written, to have been writing; being written, having written, having been written). The distinction between the active and the passive, the non-perfect and perfect forms can be neutralized in the non-finites (The house is to let àThe house is to be let; I am awfully surprised to find you here à I am awfully surprised to have found you here The book isn’t worth buying àThe book isn’t worth being bought. Your stomach wants educating àYour stomach wants being educated. Arriving there he immediately understood everything à Having arrived there he immediately understood everything).

3. The non-finites, like the finites, are seldom used singly, without complements (Marriage is not a hopeless affair doomed to failure. He seems to have done it).

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The Indicative Mood	\|	Points of Differences with the Finites

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