Examples of Finite Verbs

A Finite Verb is one that has a direct relationship to the subject of a sentence or clause and does not need the help of another verb to be grammatically correct. Any verb can be a finite verb except -ing verbs, auxiliary verbs, participles, and infinitives.

So, any verb except the -ing verbs, auxiliary verbs, participles, and infinitives is a finite verb.

Examples of Finite Verbs

Action verbs in the base form: eat, drink, comb, brush, draw, paint, sleep, rest, speak

Stative verbs: perceive, sense, understand, feel, love, sad

Linking verbs: is, are, was, were, am, be, been, being

Causative verbs: enable, let, allow

Light verbs: do, make, take, have

There are more verbs that fall under finite verbs. The categories can be confusing, but the key to knowing which is finite or non-finite is to see if the verb can give a complete thought of predicate by itself or not.

Note: Finite verbs can stand on their own. They do not need the help of other verbs to be grammatically correct in a sentence. So any verb that can function as a verb without the help of other verbs in a sentence is a finite verb.

---

There are plenty of finite verbs, which is why it is important to also know the non-finite verbs, and they are as follows:

-ing Verbs

-ing verbs are verbs that end with -ing and usually indicate ongoing actions. They are mostly used with other verbs, such as linking verbs, to be grammatically correct. Some -ing verbs function as nouns and are called gerunds.

Examples:

eating, grinding, playing, singing, dancing, breaking, slicing, writing, hearing, listening, talking, clapping, walking, jumping, running

Auxiliary Verbs

There are only 13 auxiliary verbs, divided into two types: Modal Auxiliary Verbs and Semi-modal Auxiliary Verbs.

a. Modal Auxiliary Verbs

can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, must

b. Semi-modal Auxiliary Verbs

dare, need, used to, ought to

Note: Auxiliary verbs are always finite verbs, not non-finite.

Participles

Participles are verb forms derived from regular and irregular verbs, functioning in various ways. There are two forms:

• Present participle (ending in -ing)
• Past participle (usually ending in -ed, -en, or irregular forms)

Learn more about regular and irregular verbs.

Infinitives

Infinitives are action verbs paired with the word “to”. They are often used with the help of other verbs, such as action verbs or auxiliary verbs, to portray a complete thought in the predicate.

Examples of infinitives:

to cry, to listen, to eat, to drink, to study, to hear, to create, to form, to tell, to watch

In a sentence:

“You need to watch the movie.”

need = main (finite) verb
to watch = infinitive (non-finite verb)

“She has to tell him what happened.”

has = auxiliary (finite) verb helping express tense
to tell = infinitive (non-finite verb)