Finite Verbs

The finite verbs are in bold in the following sentences, and the non-finite verbs are in italic:

• Verbs appear in almost all sentences.
• This sentence is illustrating finite and non-finite verbs.
• The dog will have to be trained well.
• Tom promised to try to do the work.

There can be one finite verb at the root of each clause (unless the finite verbs are coordinated), whereas the number of non-finite verbs can reach up to five or six, or even more, e.g. Finite verbs can appear in dependent clauses as well as independent clauses:

• John said that he enjoyed reading.
• Something you make yourself seems better than something you buy.

Most types of verbs can appear in finite or non-finite form (and sometimes these forms may be identical): for example, the English verb go has the finite forms go, goes, and went, and the non-finite forms go, going and gone.

The English modal verbs (can, could, will, etc.) are defective and lack non-finite forms. It might seem that every grammatically complete sentence or clause must contain a finite verb.

A finite verb is generally expected to have a subject, as it does in all the examples above, although null-subject languages allow the subject to be omitted.

In English, finite verbs lacking subjects are normal in imperative sentences:

• [You] Come over here!
• [You] Don't look at him!

And also occur in some fragmentary utterances:

• [It] doesn't matter.
• [I] don't want to [verb].