A Complete Guide to Finite Verbs

A finite verb in English is a type of verb that acts as the main verb in a sentence. The primary function of finite verbs is to show tense as in "they went", person as in "I go" and number as in "she goes."

Some of the examples of finite verbs include go, come, eat, bring, mention, write, speak, learn, say, talk, tell, show, throw, grow, marry, wed, teach, study, confess, agree, argue, watch, etc.

Let's discuss in details what is the definition of finite verbs, what are the types of finite verbs, what is the difference between finite and non finite verbs, how to identify finite verbs in this post.

This article covers:

• What is a finite verb?
• Finite verb examples
• Types of finite verbs in English
• Difference between finite and non finite verbs
• Finite verbs list
• Finite verbs exercises
• FAQs 

Finite Verbs - Definition and Meaning

What is a finite verb in English? A finite verb in English is a type of verb that acts as the main verb in a sentence to show tense, number and person. Finite verbs are compared with non finite verbs which are verbs that don't show tense, person and number.

Let's break down the definition of a finite verb in points

a. A finite verb is the main verb in a sentence.

b. A finite verb is also known as main or tensed verb.

c. A finite verb is compared with nonfinite verbs.

d. A finite verb shows tense, number and person.

e. A finite verb agrees with its subject.

A Bonus Tip to Understand Finite Verbs

Let's now discuss tense, number and person:

a. What is a tense?

• A tense in English grammar is a form of verb that shows time when an action occurs as in "I was having a shower then." "Having" is a finite verb here as it shows the time when the action of "having a shower" took place.

b. What is number in English?

• Number in English grammar is a grammatical category that observes whether a noun or pronoun or verb is singular or plural to ensure subject verb agreement. In other words, when we want a verb to agree with its subject, we look at the number of the subject ensuring whether it's singular or plural so that we can use a singular verb and a plural verb in case of singular and plural subjects respectively.

c. What is person?

• Person in English grammar is a grammatical category that shows the different roles played by different grammatical subjects in sentences. We have 3 types of person in English grammar: first person, second person and third person where the first person is the the person speaking, the second person is the person you're talking to and the third person is the person whom you're talking about. 

Finite Verb Example Sentences 

1. She runs very fast.

2. I go to gym everyday.

3. They went to the playground.

Explanation: In examples mentioned above, the main verbs "runs," "go," and "went" are finite verbs because they (a) agree with their subjects (b) show tense (c) indicate number and person. 

Types of Finite Verbs with Examples

As there are so many verbs that fall under the category of finite verbs, we classify them into different categories so that we can understand them properly. Below we discuss the types of finite verbs with example sentences.

a. Regular Verbs

Regular verbs are the ones that follow a certain pattern of conjugation or inflection. For example, they follow the "ed".

Examples:

1. Cook, Cooked, Cooked

2. Walk, Walked, Walked

3. Watch, Watched, Watched

b. Irregular Verbs

Irregular verbs are the verbs that do not follow a consistent pattern of conjugation or formation. Thus, irregular verbs are formed by changing the vowels for instance.

Examples:

1. Speak, Spoke, Spoken

2. Write, Wrote, Written

3. See, Saw, Seen

c. Auxiliary Verbs

Auxiliary or helping verbs are the ones that help the main verbs in sentences so that they can express tense. 

Examples:

1. To be (is, am, are, etc.)

2. To have (have, has, have/has been, etc.)

3. To do (do, did, does)

d. Modal verbs

Modal verbs have the feature to give the "subjectness" to their subjects. Therefore, they are considered to be finite verbs.

Examples:

1. Can and Could

2. Will and Would

3. Shall and Should

4. May, Might and Must

e. Linking Verbs

Linking verbs are the ones that connect predicate nouns or adjectives to their subjects. Linking verbs change their forms according to the number and person of the subject.

Examples:

1. is

2. am

3. are

Difference between Finite and Non-finite Verbs 

A finite verb is the one which shows tense, person and number, whereas a nonfinite verb is the one that doesn't do any of them. While finite verbs are the sentence roots, nonfinite verbs are additional verbs in the sentence.

Here are the differences between finite and nonfinite verbs:

a. Finite verbs change due to tense and subject's person and number, whereas nonfinite verbs don't.

b. Finite verbs are required for independent clauses, whereas nonfinite verbs are not complete verbs.

c. Finite verbs are the roots, whereas the nonfinite verbs are additional.

d. Finite verbs show tense, person and number, whereas nonfinite verbs don't.

e. Finite verbs can be used as imperatives, whereas nonfinite verbs are infinitives and gerunds which act as adjectives, etc.

Finite vs. Nonfinite Verbs Examples

In the below given examples, the verbs in bold are finite ones, whereas the ones italicized are nonfinite.

a. I go to gym vs. I go to gym to work out.

b. She went vs. She found it interesting.

How to Identify Finite Verbs?

It's really easy to identify finite verbs if you follow the below given steps to recognize finite verbs. Here are the 3 easy steps to identify finite verbs:

Step 1: Look for the main verb in the sentence.

Step 2: Identify if the verb shows tense, person and number.

Step 3: Make sure the verb is not infinitive nor gerund.

Finite Verbs Exercises with Answers 

Question 1: Is a finite verb required for independent clauses?

Ans: Yes, it is required.

Question 2: Does a finite verb indicate tense and person and number?

Ans: Yes, it shows tense, person and number.

Question 3: Identify finite verbs in the following examples.

a. I went to the gym to exercise.

b. She will go to the market to purchase a watch.

c. I found it interesting.

Ans: "went" finite verb, "to exercise" nonfinite verb, "go" finite verb, "to purchase" nonfinite verb, "found" finite verb and "interesting" nonfinite verb.

FAQs - Finite Verbs 

What is a finite verb?

A finite verb is the one that shows tense, person and number. Finite verbs also agree with their subjects. Finite verbs are the roots of sentences. Finite verbs are used in independent clauses.

What are 10 examples of finite verbs?

a. She was sleeping then.

b. I spoke to him last night.

c. They knew I was there.

d. Sofia is beautiful.

e. John is handsome.

f. We can inform you of the incident.

g. Why have you come here?

h. He fled to England.

i. They wrote a letter to us.

j. My name is John.

Can there be more than 1 finite verb in a sentence?

Yes, there can be more than 1 finite verb in a sentence as in "I spoke to John and Sofia wrote a letter to Smith."

How many types of finite verbs?

There are mainly four types of finite verbs in English. They are (a) regular finite verbs (b) irregular finite verbs (c) auxiliary verbs (d) modal verbs.