A
List of Verbs
(Finites
and Non-finites)
This list of verbs gives us all the possible finite verbs
and verbals
(non-finite
verbs) that can be formed from a single verb to eat.
For self-learners of English grammar, help is needed in the form of
tables and lists for ready reference. This list is one such resource.
The end of this page helps you to understand the
usefulness of this
list.
The
Verb 'to eat'
A
List of
Finite Verbs:
- The
Active
Forms Based on only Primary Auxiliaries
as Helping
Verbs.
- eat
/ eats — used in the simple present tense. (Both
these verbs use the dummy primary auxiliary 'do' in negative and
interrogative (question) sentences.)
- am
/ is / are + eating — present continuous tense.
- has
/ have + eaten — present perfect tense.
- has
/ have + been + eating — present perfect continuous.
- ate
— simple past tense.
- was
/ were + eating — past continuous.
- had
+ eaten — past perfect.
- had
+ been + eating — past perfect continuous.
- The
Passive
Forms Using only
Primary
Auxiliaries as Helping Verbs.
- am
/is / are + eaten — simple present.
- am
/ is / are + being + eaten — present continuous.
- has
/ have + been + eaten — present perfect.
- was
/ were + eaten — simple past.
- was
/ were + being + eaten — past continuous.
- had
+ been + eaten — past perfect.
- The
Active
Forms Using Modals as
Helping Verbs.
The modals are: can,
could, may, might, must,
shall, should, will, would, ought to, used to, dare (to), need (to).
In the examples below I have used shall
/ will to illustrate the finite verb phrases using modals.
Most of the modals above can replace shall / will in the
phrases below to give us meaningful English.
- shall
/ will + eat
- shall
/ will + be + eating
- shall /
will + have + eaten
- shall
/ will + have + been + eating
- The
Passive
Forms Based on Modals
as
Helping Verbs.
The passive forms are fewer than the active. Here too most of the other
modals can replace shall
/ will.
- shall /
will + be + eaten
- shall
/ will + have + been + eaten
A List of
Non-finite Verbs (Verbals):
- to
eat — infinitive
(as in 'He likes to eat slowly.')
- eating —
gerund
(as in 'Eating too much spoils your health.')
The three
participles:
- eating —
present participle (as in 'I saw him eating those
mangoes.')
- eaten -
past participle (as in 'The sweets eaten just now
are a gift
from our neighbour.')
- having
eaten -
perfect participle (as in 'Having eaten the sweets, we
decided to send a thank-you note to our neighbour.')
The
Usefulness of This List of Verbs
The List of Verbs — both Finite and
Non-finite is complete. This list is useful for several
reasons:
- Grammar learners sometimes make the mistake of
thinking a non-finite verb to be a finite verb. This list of
verbs will
help you to clearly recognize the finite verb as well as the
verbals or non-finites (if any) in a sentence, if you use the list as a
grammar guide.
How?
If you want to know whether the verb 'is writing' is finite or
not,
search for a similar form in the list. You will see
'is eating' listed
as a finite verb. Therefore 'is writing' is a finite verb. If
your verb was only
'writing', then it would be a non-finite verb (i.e. gerund or
participle in this case).
- Identifying the finite verb is necessary,
because it is the essential verb in a sentence; non-finites are helpful
but not essential for the existence of a sentence.
- the subject,
object, indirect object, etc are
built around the finite verb. The finite verb is like a nucleus of the
clause
or sentence.
- Knowing the exact words in a finite verb phrase
helps us to correctly identify the 'operator' (i.e. the first word of
the finite verb phrase). This is required because the construction of
negative and interrogative (question) sentences have something
important to do with the 'operator'.
The possible finite and non-finite forms of the
verbs be, have and do will be coming
soon in another 'list of verbs'.
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