Finite and non-finite verb forms

Summary

This educational video script delves into the complexities of finite and non-finite verbs in English grammar. It explains the necessity of finite verbs in main clauses, which must have a subject and tense, and can appear in various tenses. The script also explores non-finite verbs, including infinitives, gerunds, and participles, highlighting their roles as nouns, adjectives, and in subordinate clauses. The presenter uses examples to clarify how these verbs function differently in sentences and emphasizes the importance of understanding their roles for mastering parts of speech.

Takeaways

• 📘 Finite verbs are essential in English sentences, having a subject and often an object, and they change according to tense, number, and person.
• 📙 Auxiliary verbs like 'have', 'be', and 'do' are used to form different tenses, negatives, and passives in combination with the main verb.
• 📕 Non-finite verbs do not have a subject and do not change for tense, number, or person, serving different grammatical functions in a sentence.
• 📗 The bare infinitive, also known as the naked infinitive, is used after modal verbs and does not include 'to' before the verb.
• 📒 To-infinitives are used after certain verbs like 'want' and 'promise', and can also follow objects or object pronouns to express potential future actions.
• 📔 Gerunds function as nouns and are used as subjects or objects in sentences, often referring to concrete past actions.
• 📓 Participles act as adjectives or adverbs, modifying nouns or describing how, when, or where an action occurs.
• 📚 The difference between gerunds and infinitives is significant; gerunds are more concrete and infinitives often imply potential future actions.
• 📖 Subordinate clauses can function as subjects, objects, or adjectives within a sentence, and can be finite or non-finite.
• 📝 Participle clauses are subordinate and can be used to provide additional information about the subject, often starting with a participle like 'playing' or 'having'.
• 📑 The complexity of grammar arises from the ability to nest clauses within clauses, creating intricate sentence structures.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video script?

The main focus of the video script is to explain the concepts of finite and non-finite verbs in English, including their usage and differences.

What is a finite verb according to the script?

A finite verb is an ordinary verb that has a subject and often an object, and it must have a tense, showing if it's singular or plural.

Can you give an example of a finite verb from the script?

An example of a finite verb given in the script is 'killed' in the sentence 'I killed him', which has a subject 'I' and an object 'him'.

What are the 12 tenses in English mentioned in the script?

The script does not list all 12 tenses but provides examples like past simple (kicked), past continuous (was kicking), and past perfect (had kicked), indicating the existence of tenses for present, past, and future in simple, continuous, perfect, and perfect continuous forms.

What is an auxiliary verb and why are they important?

An auxiliary verb is used to form tenses, negatives, and passives. They are important because they are combined with the main verb to convey different aspects of the action, such as time and manner.

What is a non-finite verb and how is it different from a finite verb?

A non-finite verb is a verb form that does not indicate tense, number, or person. It is different from a finite verb because it does not have a subject directly associated with it and does not change form to show tense or number.

What is a gerund and how does it function in a sentence?

A gerund is a verb form ending in -ing that functions as a noun in a sentence. It can be the subject, object, or complement of a verb.

Can you provide an example of a gerund used as an object in the script?

An example of a gerund used as an object is 'smoking' in the sentence 'I will give up smoking', where 'smoking' is the object of the verb 'give up'.

What is a participle and how does it differ from a gerund?

A participle is a verb form that functions as an adjective or adverb. It differs from a gerund because a gerund functions as a noun, while a participle modifies nouns or verbs.

How can a participle be used in a sentence according to the script?

A participle can be used in a sentence as an adjective modifying a noun, as part of a participle phrase that describes the subject of a main clause, or as an adverb modifying a verb.

What is a subordinate clause and how does it function in a sentence?

A subordinate clause is a clause that cannot stand alone as a complete sentence and functions as a noun, adjective, or adverb within a larger sentence.

Can a subordinate clause have a subject, verb, and object?

Yes, a subordinate clause can have a subject, verb, and object, but it can also function without a subject when it is a non-finite verb clause.

What is the purpose of the imperative form mentioned in the script?

The imperative form is used to give commands or make requests. It uses the base form of the verb without a subject.

How can a to-plus-infinitive be used in a sentence according to the script?

A to-plus-infinitive can be used after certain verbs like 'want' or 'promise', after adjectives as an adjective complement, and after objects or object pronouns as a complement.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Finite and Non-finite Verbs

The speaker introduces the topic of non-finite and finite verbs, explaining that finite verbs are ordinary verbs with a subject and often an object, and are essential in English sentences to indicate tense and number. Examples are provided to illustrate this, such as 'I killed him,' where 'killed' is a finite verb. The speaker also discusses the concept of tenses, mentioning that there are 12 tenses in English, and auxiliary verbs like 'have,' 'be,' and 'do' are used to form these tenses. The target audience is non-native speakers looking to improve their understanding of parts of speech.

05:02

📘 Understanding Clause Structures and Noun Phrases

This paragraph delves into the complexities of clause structures, emphasizing that subjects and objects must be nouns or noun phrases, which can include subordinate clauses. The speaker clarifies that while main clauses typically follow the subject-verb-object structure, they can become intricate with clauses within clauses. The paragraph also touches on non-finite verbs, specifically infinitives without 'to,' which are used after modal verbs and do not show tense or number. The speaker aims to provide a practical perspective on using these grammatical structures correctly in speech.

10:03

📙 Non-finite Verbs: Uses and Characteristics

The speaker explores non-finite verbs further, highlighting their lack of tense and number, and their potential absence of a subject. Non-finite verbs are used after modal verbs in their bare infinitive form and can also appear in imperatives. The paragraph discusses the infinitive 'to' form, which is used after certain verbs like 'make' and 'let,' and after objects in sentences. The speaker also introduces the concept of a two-plus infinitive acting as a complement to a verb, which is essential for understanding verb patterns in English.

15:05

📒 Non-finite Verbs as Objects and Complements

This section discusses the use of non-finite verbs, specifically the to-plus-infinitive form, as objects or complements in a sentence. The speaker explains that this form is used after verbs like 'want' and 'promise,' and can also follow object pronouns, although common mistakes are made in this area. The paragraph also touches on the difference between using a to-plus-infinitive as a complement to an object pronoun versus a gerund, noting that the former is more poetic and future-oriented, while the latter is more concrete and past-oriented.

20:07

📕 Gerunds and Participles: Functions and Distinctions

The speaker clarifies the roles of gerunds and participles in sentences. Gerunds, which are nouns, are used after prepositions and as the objects of verbs, while participles function as adjectives or adverbs. The paragraph explains that gerunds are used to describe activities or states and can be the subject or object of a sentence, whereas participles modify nouns and can form subordinate clauses. The speaker also addresses common errors in using gerunds and participles and emphasizes the importance of recognizing their functions in different sentence structures.

25:08

📔 Participles as Subordinate Clauses and Adverb Modifiers

This paragraph focuses on participles used in various forms, such as subordinate clauses and adverb modifiers. The speaker illustrates how participles can form adjective clauses that describe the subject of a main clause, as well as adverbial clauses that provide additional context. The paragraph also covers the concept of reduced relative clauses, where the relative pronoun is omitted, and the use of participles with subordinating conjunctions. The speaker advises on the correct use of participles in different grammatical contexts and the importance of recognizing their function within a sentence.

30:09

📖 Clause Functions and Subordinate Clauses as Objects

The final paragraph wraps up the discussion by emphasizing the various functions that clauses can serve in a sentence. The speaker explains that subordinate clauses can act as subjects or objects and provides examples of nominal relative clauses, which function as noun phrases. The paragraph also touches on the use of 'that' clauses as objects and the presence of finite verbs within these clauses, showing tense and number. The speaker concludes by inviting questions from the audience, aiming to clarify any confusion and reinforce the understanding of the material covered.

Keywords

💡Finite Verbs

Finite verbs are ordinary verbs that include a subject and often an object, and they must agree in tense and number with the subject. They are essential in forming complete sentences, as every main clause in English must contain a finite verb. In the script, the term 'finite verb' is used to explain the basic structure of sentences, such as 'I killed him,' where 'killed' is a finite verb with a subject 'I' and an object 'him'.

💡Non-finite Verbs

Non-finite verbs do not include a subject and do not change form to show tense, number, or person. They include infinitives, gerunds, and participles, and are used in various grammatical constructions. The script discusses non-finite verbs in the context of their use after modal verbs, as objects of verbs, and as subjects or complements in sentences, such as 'I must go,' where 'go' is a bare infinitive without a subject or tense indicated.

💡Tenses

Tenses in English grammar refer to the time frames in which an action takes place. The script mentions that there are 12 tenses in English, each formed with the help of auxiliary verbs and the main verb. For example, the past simple tense 'I kicked the ball' uses 'kicked' as the main verb with 'kicked' indicating the past action.

💡Auxiliary Verbs

Auxiliary verbs, also known as helping verbs, are used to form tenses, negatives, and other verb forms. In the script, 'have,' 'be,' and 'do' are identified as the main auxiliary verbs for making tense, while modal verbs like 'must' and 'will' are also auxiliary verbs but are not the focus of the lesson.

💡Gerunds

A gerund is a verb form that functions as a noun. It typically ends in '-ing' and can be the subject, object, or complement in a sentence. The script explains that gerunds are nouns, as in 'Smoking is bad for health,' where 'smoking' is the gerund serving as the subject of the sentence.

💡Participles

Participle is a form of a verb that is used in a sentence to modify a noun, noun phrase, verb, or verb phrase, and thus can function as an adjective or adverb. The script distinguishes between the present participle (ending in '-ing') and the past participle (usually ending in '-ed' or with irregular forms), and how they are used in different grammatical structures, such as 'The broken vase' where 'broken' is a past participle modifying 'vase'.

💡Infinitives

Infinitives are the basic form of a verb, often preceded by 'to' (to-infinitive) or without 'to' (bare infinitive). They can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs in a sentence. The script discusses their use after modal verbs, as in 'I must go,' where 'go' is the bare infinitive, and after verbs like 'want,' as in 'I want to eat,' where 'to eat' is the to-infinitive.

💡Subject-Verb-Object

This is the basic sentence structure in English, where the subject performs the action (verb) and the object receives the action. The script emphasizes the importance of this structure in understanding finite verbs and main clauses, such as 'He kicks the ball,' where 'He' is the subject, 'kicks' is the verb, and 'the ball' is the object.

💡Subordinate Clauses

Subordinate clauses are dependent clauses that cannot stand alone as a sentence; they function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs within a complex sentence. The script explains that these clauses can be part of a larger sentence structure and may or may not include a subject, verb, and object, such as 'Although it was raining,' which is a subordinate clause acting as an adverb of time.

💡Relative Clauses

Relative clauses are a type of subordinate clause that provide additional information about a noun. They are introduced by relative pronouns like 'who,' 'which,' 'that,' and can act as adjectives modifying the noun. The script mentions that relative clauses can be defining, giving essential information about the noun, or non-defining, providing extra but not essential information.

💡Adjective Complements

An adjective complement is a word or phrase that follows an adjective to complete its meaning. In the script, it is explained that after certain adjectives, an infinitive is used as a complement, such as in 'He is unlikely to run fast,' where 'to run fast' is the infinitive complementing the adjective 'unlikely.'

Highlights

Introduction to non-finite and finite verbs, explaining the terminology and importance in English grammar.

Finite verbs are ordinary verbs with a subject and often an object, essential in main clauses.

Explanation of the 12 tenses in English and the role of auxiliary verbs in forming them.

Auxiliary verbs such as 'have', 'be', and 'do' are crucial for making tenses, negatives, and passives.

Modal verbs are a special class of auxiliary verbs, but not the focus of this lesson.

Subjects and objects must be nouns or noun phrases, which can include subordinate clauses.

Complexity of grammar due to the possibility of clauses within clauses within clauses.

Non-finite verbs include infinitives without 'to', known as bare infinitives, used after modal verbs.

Non-finite verbs do not show tense, number, and often lack a clear subject.

Infinitives can be used for imperatives, giving commands in the form of infinitives.

The use of 'to' plus infinitive as a verbal unit or complement of the verb in English.

Memory aids for verbs that are always followed by 'to' plus infinitive, such as 'want' and 'promise'.

The distinction between using 'to' plus infinitive and gerund after prepositions and adjectives.

Gerunds as nouns, functioning as subjects or objects, and their difference from finite verbs.

Participles as adjectives or adverbs, modifying nouns or providing context to verbs.

Participle clauses as subordinate clauses, functioning as adjectives and requiring a main clause.

The use of participles in different positions in a sentence and the importance of commas.

The infinite possibilities of clause structures in English and the importance of identifying finite and non-finite clauses.

Invitation for questions and clarification, emphasizing the complexity and nuances of English grammar.

Transcripts

okay hello everybody I hope the board is

nice and clear today I might actually

put the camera a little bit closer up

I'm a bit closer to the board so you can

see it better probably should have done

this before but I'm just gonna do it now

okay that looks a little bit but I'm

sorry that you can see my face so close

up it's obviously not very pleasant okay

there's a lot of information on the

board today as you can see we're going

to look at non-finite verbs and finite

verbs which is another piece of

terminology hi everybody hi sorry I

can't pronounce those names a little bit

beyond me but hi guys so we don't look

at finite and non-finite verbs now it's

this is terminology of claw of course I

would call a finite verb an ordinary

verb which has a subject and very often

an object so these two sentences are

good examples of typical finite verbs

but there are millions of them because

anytime you have a main clause in other

words anytime you have a full sentence

you absolutely must have a subject and a

verb and the verb must be finite which

means it's going to have a subject it's

gonna have tense it's going to show if

it's singular or plural so it's going to

show a lot some main clauses must have a

finite verb in every English sentence

there must be a finite verb and that

just means a verb with a subject and

maybe with an object okay so I killed

him is a typical standard main clause

and he's got a finite verb in it killed

because the verb killed has a subject

and he even has an object him okay

that's all finite verb means finite verb

is very simple it's the ordinary verb

that we all know and love that has a

subject and it has a tense as well now

I'm actually aiming this episode at Nate

speakers and aiming it at native

speakers who want to improve their parts

of speech so when you have a finite verb

if you just have I kicked the ball you

have just a verb very simple verb kicked

in past simple but that is a very simple

tense past simple and it's not the only

tense we have we actually have 12 tenses

in English so we could say I kicked we

could say I was kicking we could say I

had kicked had been kicking have kicked

have been kicking and kicking kick and

will kick will be kicking will have

kicked and even will have been kicking

but there the 12 tenses and when you say

all of those forms you'll have an

auxiliary verb analog synonymy auxiliary

verb and the main verb so please

remember that when we make a tense the

little verbs like have B and do these

little verbs that make tenses and

negatives and passives they are called

auxiliary verbs and it's have B and do

really that are the three main auxiliary

verbs for making tense there are also

modal verbs which is another class of

auxiliary verbs but I don't want to talk

about them today I've done lots of

videos on modal verbs so please type

into the search bar Mista skype lessons

modal verbs if you want to improve your

modal verbs anyway I wanted to make it

clear that finite verbs very often have

an auxiliary verb before the main verb

okay so in main clauses you'll very

often have auxiliary verbs before the

main verb so whenever you've got a main

clause you always need to think in terms

of subject verb object

okay that's always how the main clause

is structured subject verb object

subordinate clauses might be structured

like that for example here we have

although subordinating conjunction and

then subject it was

we've got subject and then verb was

raining auxiliary verb and the main verb

so here we don't actually have an object

we just have subject and verb and quite

often that can happen if the if the verb

is intransitive then it doesn't take an

object and it's a main clause just when

you say he knows that's a main clause

because know doesn't need an object it

can have an object but it doesn't need

an object now subjects and objects they

might be not they must be nouns that's

the first thing to remember they must be

nouns they might be nouns which are

being modified by adjectives so we might

say the happy man

the generous man the tall man but still

the man is the subject of the verb has

been eating okay so subjects must be a

nouns and objects must be nouns as well

this is very important and very useful

when you're doing parts of speech now I

want to make one thing clear it doesn't

have to be just a word or a couple of

words or a slightly longer noun phrase

like the man I met yesterday we could

have a whole clause there like that I

met yesterday would be a relative clause

is an adjective clause because it's

describing the man and that's all your

subject so the subject could be really

long expanded noun phrase but the

subject could even be a subordinate

clause so we could say to get the best

results is important and then the

subordinate clause to get the best

results it's functioning as a noun

phrase we call it a noun phrase because

the subject must be a noun it must be a

thing and so to get the best results is

a noun phrase and we use that as subject

so don't think it when I say it has to

be a noun do understand that what I mean

is it could be a noun or a noun phrase

which may be a whole subordinate clause

and this shows you why grammar is soaked

complicated because even though we've

got subject-verb objects and that's a

standard main clause nice and easy

actually the subject could be a

subordinate clause so main clauses can

have a subordinate clause here and a

subordinate clause here as the object so

that already makes things much more

complicated we could have clauses within

clauses within clauses so we could have

a main clause with a subordinate clause

here and inside the subordinate clause

we've got subject verb object and the

subject of that subordinate clause is

another subordinate clause so you can

have clauses within clauses within

clauses that's why language is infinite

basically because you could keep putting

clauses within clauses within clauses so

that's why nothing about grammar is very

simple or straightforward now let me

talk a little bit about non-finite verbs

I learned most of this teaching English

as a foreign language and not knowing it

from perhaps a linguistic point of view

but understanding it from the point of

view of how do I get somebody to use

this stuff correctly when they speak and

so I'm gonna talk about it from that

perspective because it's quite useful

now the non-finite verbs could be split

up into at least four categories hello

to the Ukraine we could have an

infinitive without to which is very

often called the bare infinitive the

naked infinitive if you prefer but the

bare infinitive is what we usually say

and an infinitive without to we use in

certain situations we use them after

modal verbs firstly so I said it and

that modal verbs are important they're

important for one reason because you say

I must go I must play I must have and

the modal there must is functioning as

an auxilary but we always use the bare

infinitive after modal verbs okay if we

want another verb there we have to use

the bare infinitive of the verb now

infinitive some non-finite verbs because

they don't show tense when you say I

must go

it doesn't show you the tents of go it

doesn't show you if gogo is singular or

plural and very often it doesn't have a

subject where there's in finite verbs

they must have a subject a finite verb

must have a subject a non-finite verb

doesn't have to so when you say

something like I will give up the the I

is the subject of will but the give up

is just sitting there without a subject

if you want to say I will give up

smoking smoking is the object and

because it's an object it's a noun and

we call it in words which are nouns

gerron's the gerund is always a noun the

participle looks exactly the same but

it's an adjective and that's very

annoying and it means we have to work

out which one's which in a lot of

sentences and it's not so easy

so after modal verbs we use the bare

infinitive and it's a non-finite verb

because it doesn't have a subject it's

not clear anyway I mean obviously is the

I who should give up and so it does have

an implied subject infinitives can

happen yeah the infinitely I agreed to

plus infinitive and jaren's they have

many other forms as well but it's not

showing tense it's showing aspect which

is something different these verbs

finite verbs will show tense they'll

show present or past or future they're

non-finite verbs don't show tense and

they don't show number and they very

often don't even have a subject or the

subject is just implied and so we'll

look at that I mean when we say I will

give up smoking obviously you're talking

about you you are the person that will

give up or must give up smoking and so

there is an implied subject but it's not

right next to that verb and it certainly

doesn't show you number if you say they

will give up or one man will give up two

men will give up give up remains to say

and it doesn't change and show you if

you're dealing with one or two so it

certainly doesn't show number okay so we

could use a non finite further

infinitive after a modal verb and we

must

and we can also use a non-finite verb

and infinitive we do use it after make

and let but we have an object in there

first

he made me subject verb object slow down

and so here there is an implied subject

again than me but it doesn't show number

it doesn't matter if we say he made one

man slow down or he made two men slow

down slow down stays the same for one or

two so again it's not showing number and

really it's not showing tense either you

know it's not showing am slowing down

have been slowing down that kind of

thing

okay try make it relevant to this lesson

and I will deal with it so this one

doesn't have an object oh and one other

thing about infinitives we do also use

the infinitive for imperatives which are

commands and in this kind of sentence

where there's a command you don't have

subject verb object

you just have wait here yeah wait here

or don't look yeah don't look now or

something like it's a command it's an

order and we use it with the infinitive

so 2 plus infinitive is another

non-finite verb form now when you're

doing parts of speech just treat the two

plus infinitive as a verbal unit they're

sometimes called verbal nouns they're

sometimes called noun phrases I'm not

sure that I would call it a verbal now

because quite often it's more like a

compliment than a noun and that's why

I've written here as compliment of the

verb rather than object of the verb

there is a reason for it

it's compliment has a slightly different

meaning than object and it seems to work

in my opinion better for two plus

infinitive although I'm sure grammarians

argue about this kind of topic anyway

let's get down to the nitty-gritty you

use two plus infinitive after a number

of different verbs in English want being

the most obvious one I want to eat I

want to drink I want to have a cigarette

whatever it is you're gonna have to plus

infinitive after want

and I hope you can feel that it's

necessary if we take out to eat we can't

just say I want want needs an object or

we could call it a compliment

I mean you can call it an object meaning

it's a transitive verb and it needs an

object but you could say that there's

something missing and you you need to

add something to make it complete and

that we call a compliment as compliment

of the verb we would say I want to eat I

want to drink and there are loads of

other verbs that you can just memorize

promise to do it follows the same

pattern promise to do something what

else there are lots of other verbs that

take 2 plus infinitive offer to do

something promise to do something there

were many others I don't have a list

right off the calf by should do because

I used to do this very often in classes

and remind students about which verbs

are always followed by 2 plus infinitive

but when they are just treat the verb as

a unit and in parts of speech you can

just say it's another verb yes you've

got my subject 1 verb to eat another

verb and you can just call that complete

or you can say I want to eat an

ice-cream and then an ice-cream is the

object okay so this non-finite verb is

in the middle of a main clause and very

often they are okay but it's not just

after verbs we use to plus infinitive we

also use to plus infinitive after

objects that come after verbs so this is

AZ complement of the object now you

could see this as subject verb object I

want him and then subject verb because

he has to stay and so this is really

quite a strange structure because

literally the to stay is the complement

of the object him is describing him it's

describing what he must do he must stay

and so it's quite it's I recommend that

you learn these different patterns just

because here I mean really you could

treat the whole thing as the object you

could say I want what you want him to

stay and so the whole thing is the

object

but if we split it up even more of

course to stay as refirming to him so we

could say that's the subject and that's

a verb and it's like a little clause

within a longer clause

subject-verb-object I want him to stay

and then non-finite Clause him to stay

it's not showing number or yeah that's

going to subject he's got the him but

you've got a kind of clause within a

larger clause and that's very common so

that's one way he is to plus infinitive

yep exactly I want him to help me would

be a good example and then to help also

have an object so I want him to stay

with me you could say then you've got

subject verb object again I want him to

stay with me and you've got one clause

within a bigger clause okay and you

should notice a two plus infinitive can

come after an object pronoun Jevons

technically can't although we use them

like they can all the time so I would

normally say do you mind me arriving

late but it's wrong it's wrong I would

normally say that because loads of

people say this and if you check on

Google engrams

you'll see that a lot of people speak in

the wrong way and a lot of people use

Jevons in the wrong way if it's a gerund

you shouldn't use me although many

people do you should say my because this

is a noun and it's the object of that

verb so you could only have a possessive

pronoun there if it's a noun this one is

actually functioning more like a verb

that's why I call it a compliment and

not an object because it's functioning

more like a verb it's actually the verb

and that's the subject him and so it's

functioning in a quit in a very

different way than the gerund okay this

is very confusing very advanced stuff

but you know thing to take away from

this a piece of information I'd like you

to take away from this is that two plus

infinitive can be used after the object

of the verb him gerund can or it is the

direct object of a verb the arriving is

the object of mind not of me it wouldn't

make any sense to say it's the object of

me

anyway well it will be a participle

describing me and not a gerund okay as

compliment of the subject so if you see

something like to live is to think I

think Cicero said this but to live is to

think to think is describing to live and

so it's the compliment of the subject

now I want to make it clear here that

Germans can be used here you could say

living is thinking but we tend to use 2

+ infinitive for a potential future and

it's more literary

it sounds more poetic than the gerund

which is more often used for past and

it's more concrete now the way to see

this is take a verb like remember which

could be 2 plus infinitive or a gerund

and if you say remember to lock the door

you're talking about the potential

future but if you say I remember locking

the door you're talking about the past

and it's a very concrete action that you

did so Germans are very concrete actions

they're nouns whereas 2 plus infinitive

tends to talk about something which

could potentially happen in the future

so if you're interested in that that's

something else to remember so we can

also use them as subject just as we can

use Germans a subject we could say to

err is human or we could say early is

human but it would sound less literary

that's why I put that literary there

sound less poetic so we can use 2 plus

infinitive a subject or gerund as

subject but I would like to say that

most of the time most of the time we'll

use jemand a subject I think it's rare

that people will say to ski is fun

technically it's okay though it's

correct but most people would say skiing

is fun okay we can use two plus

infinitive after adjectives as an

adjective complement and you can't use

gerund here you have to use two plus

infinitive he's unlikely what is he

unlikely to do he's unlikely to run that

fast and to run is a non-finite verb

it's not in a tents is not showing if

it's singular or plural so it's a

non-finite verb and the subject is not

clear but it's actually the he of course

it's referring to the he that has to

learn that fast but it's not as clear as

when you have subject verb object it

doesn't follow that pattern not this

clause anyway the the clause with the

non-finite verb so we use two plus

infinitive after adjectives but we use

gerund after prepositions for example he

is good at juggling not he is good at to

juggle that's impossible so adjectives

always 2 plus infinitive prepositions

are always gerund now I'll quickly

mention gerund which must be the noun so

this means that if the in word cause

Germans are in words just like

participles are in words if the in word

is the subject of the sentence must be a

gerund it can't be a participle because

subjects must be nouns if it's the

object object of the sentence it must be

a gerund it can't be a participle

because objects are nouns so I like

playing chess now it's interesting again

to sure to see that you could say I like

to play chess so you could use the two

plus infinitive here and then it's the

complement of a verb but here it's

really like the object of a verb because

it's really is the activity what do you

like you like playing chess so there is

the object of the verb like and so that

means it must be a noun but it can also

be the direct object of another verb and

it means it means that there's a lot of

mistakes here there are a lot of

mistakes because a lot of people say do

you mind me arriving late certainly

everyone in this area says speaks like

that and a lot of people say I insisted

on buying I insisted on him buying me a

drink it's actually better to say I

insisted on his buying me a drink

so there are loads of examples of this

but you really ought to use a possessive

pronoun with jaren's not the direct

object pronoun which were which is

better with two plus

affinities okay we can also use it as a

compliment as a subject his earliest

memory is playing marbles now I want you

to look here at the Jevens his earliest

memory is playing marbles if we look at

a real make a finite verb now not a

non-finite verb but a finite verb and

treat playing is a finite verb I hope

you can see that there's a big

difference between he is playing marbles

and his earliest memory is playing

marbles they're very very different and

it's it's hard to see these subtle

nuances between different forms but this

is a main clause with a finite verb this

is this is a non-finite verb here it's a

gerund it's the object it's the

compliment of the verb to be and that

means that we can swap it around we can

say playing marbles is his earliest

memory his earliest memories playing

marbles

we're complimenting the subject we're

making equivalence between to try doing

that now with this sentence and you'll

see very quickly that it can't be done

and so it's being used differently you

can't say playing marbles is he didn't

make any sense you're not trying to say

that there's an equivalence between he

and the playing marbles you're not using

that like you're not using it in that

sense

and here is is the main verb here

playing is the main verb and is is the

early verb so here we've got a finite

verb showing tense a number here we've

got a non-finite verb which is a gerund

which is a noun which is the complement

of the subject his earliest memory it's

showing you an equivalence between his

earliest memory and playing marbles now

lastly the participle which is not a

noun it's an adjective or perhaps more

rarely an adverb modifier so participles

can be used in a lot of different

situations if they can be used as

subordinate clause first of all

and if it's used as a subordinate clause

house up at the beginning you're gonna

have a comma before the main clause

always and the reason we call it an

adjective it's because playing the disc

ATAR is describing the subject of the

main clause

here we've got subject verb and then

adverb so we've got no object we haven't

got he sang a song we've got he sang

softly so that's an adverb describing

how he sang so you could have a

participant a subordinate clause and I

warn you about this because I tell

students always think in terms of

subject verb object however when you're

dealing with non-finite verbs you

mustn't think like that because this

playing the guitar is certainly not

subject verb object

it's just adjectives or phrase

describing the subject of the main

clause so playing is a participle that

is a determiner guitar is a noun

there's no subject verb object here

you've just got a participle phrase and

then the main clause and participial

clauses are subordinate clauses they

don't make sense on their own you can't

just say playing the guitar okay and

notice that playing the guitar hasn't

got a subject until we start the main

clause and then it has got a subject so

they're very different from finite verbs

they're very different from main clauses

now participles can also function as

reduced relative clauses this is really

important to see you could say the man

who was playing the guitar sang softly

or you could say the man playing the

guitar sang softly and the man who was

playing the guitar is clearly who was

playing as a relative clause defining

the man so it's a defining relative

clause but you can get rid of the who

boss you can drop them and make it a

reduced relative clause but it's still

basically the same it's still an

adjective clause which is a type of

subordinate clause that's modifies and

now yeah it describes a noun

all relative clauses may be - all but

most relative clauses modify nouns which

makes some adjective clauses

okay so this is definitely an adjective

clause playing the guitar describes the

man and remember we can put these in

different positions we don't have to say

the man playing the guitar saying softly

we could say the man saying softly ,

playing the guitar or playing the guitar

, the man sang softly that , has to be

there because playing the participial

has been separated from the man which is

the noun it's describing and when that

happens

you need a comma please see my video on

participles and commas I've done at

least two of them put them in the search

bar if you want more information about

that particular comma that's in those

videos on participles and commerce but I

just wanted to show here that we could

say playing the guitar the man sang the

man sang softly or the man playing the

guitar sang softly or the man sang

softly playing the guitar they're all

correct

they've all got participle clauses in

there and remember that them on finite

clause it functions differently it

doesn't go subject-verb-object

it's important for parts of speech okay

so we could also use participles with

subordinating conjunctions

for example while subordinating

conjunction trying to escape

comma main clause he broke his leg now

when they used like this their adverbial

rather than ajik trifle if we think

about it the while trying to escape is

modifying it's telling you how he broke

his leg or what was happening at the

same time as he croak his leg and for

that reason because it's modifying he

broke his leg it's an adverb rather than

an adjective so you can use participles

as adverb modifiers as well as adjective

modifiers and of course the easiest

place or the easiest in some ways

easiest the easiest way you see a

participle being used is just as a

simple adjective if you say the boring

lesson yeah maybe this is a boy listen

if you say the boring lesson boring is a

participle describing the lesson the

verb is to bore to bore someone

and board is the other participant

forget that participial sending edy as

well as ing so board is a participial

boarding is a participle interested is a

participial interesting is a participle

and when you see them being used just to

simply modify nouns they just go before

the noun he was a broken man broken is a

past participle yeah so you can see it

used like that just as an adjective as a

simple adjective you know they're not

always in a participle subordinate

clause like I don't know can into a

thousand pieces comma the Vaught the

expensive vas was destroyed or whatever

or the expensive boss was lying on the

floor okay I don't get time to read a

lot of these questions that coming up

but try to make them short and clear and

precise and I'll do my best so I was

doing this today just to try and show

you that there are literally an infinite

number of different clauses that you can

have in a sentence and if you get used

to identifying finite you know main

clauses and non-finite parts of main

clauses or subordinate clauses it will

make parts of speech much easier and do

remember that subordinate clauses might

be without subjects sometimes they have

a subject a verb and an object for

example although I went to the park

comma and then the main clause which

would also have a subject although I

went to the park I subject went to the

park object so they might have a subject

verb and object and a subordinate clause

but they might not do when you say to

get best results you've got a to plus

infinitive clause which is a non-finite

verb and so it doesn't have a subject so

you have to analyze this one just in

terms of straight away verb to get

determiner

best adjective yeah and then results

noun there's no subject verb object

there in that first part but the subject

verb object comes here you have to

yeah there's your subject-verb-object so

remember you can use the subordinate

clause as a subject you can also use

subordinate clause as the object this is

where relative clauses come back in we

call sentences like at the bottom he

understands what to do he understands

where to go he understands he

understands who or he knows whom I met

when you've got one of those WH words

starting a clause and clearly the clause

is the object of the verb that means

you've got what's called a nominal

relative clause you can also call it a

relative clause being used not as an

adjective of clause but as a noun phrase

as a noun clause so that's functioning

as a noun here what to do that's

functioning as a noun where to go he

knows whom I met whom I met is

functioning as a noun okay so it really

depends on where it is in the sentence

what kind of function its is playing and

it's not just relative clauses which

workers objects which workers noun

phrases noun objects I mean certainly 2

plus infinitive can work as objects as

we've already seen I want him to stay I

want to eat so Germans can function as

objects participles can't but Germans

and 2 plus infinitive scan also relative

clauses can function as objects and that

Clause is he knows that I'm coming I

said that I'm coming I told him that I'm

coming that I'm coming in all of those

situations is the object of the verb so

that Clause is in which case of that is

a subordinating conjunction in these

cases that Clause is a very common and

they function as objects as well and

very often in the inside the subordinate

that Clause you will have a subject and

a verb a finite verb showing tense and

number ok I hope that has been helpful I

hope it hasn't just made a whole mess of

everything in your head if it has asked

me a question right now this is the time

to ask questions really

I've already explained what's on the

board and if you've got something

relating to this now is the time to put

it up because now I've got my attention

on the phone okay if there are no

questions then thanks everybody for

watching I really appreciate you coming

please click like on the video if you've

enjoyed it and I hope to see you all

soon