29)8.7. Non-finite verbs.

As the verbals (infinitive, gerund, and participle) make up a part of the English verb system, they have some features in common with the finite forms, and in so far as they are singled out of the forms of the verb, they must have some peculiarities of their own.

Verbals have no category of number,mood and person.

The infinitive possesses the category of aspect, i.e. the distinction between the common and the continuous aspect.

• To speak – to be speaking

• To have spoken – to have been speaking

He seems to be enjoying himself quite a lot – the continuous infinitive gives more prominence to the idea of the continuity, which is obviously much stringer than the mere statement.

With the gerund and the participle things are different. They exhibit no such distinction (no continuous forms). Occasionally, a continuous participle is found: The younger Miss Thorpes being also dancing, Catherine was left to the mercy of Mrs Thorpe and Mrs Allen, between whom she now remained а a continuous Participle I is at least potentially a part of the morphological system of the English verb. But this use appears to be obsolete (archaic).

Potentially any verb can be used in the continuous form. Aspect is characteristic for all verbs.

General characteristics of the verbals

The complicated character of the grammatical and lexico-grammatical structure of the verb has given rise to much dispute and controversy.

1. meaning (the semantic criterion)

2. form (the morphological criterion: grammatical category)

3. function (syntactical: syntactical function of the p/of/sp + combinability)

1. Meaning

The general meaning of the verb is that of process presented dynamically (developing in time). This meaning is embedded in the semantics of all groups of verbs including verbs denoting states, types of attitude, evaluations and in non-finite forms. Non-finite verbs render process as peculiar kinds of substances or properties. It is proved by the fact that in all the forms verbals are modified by adverbs and with the transitive verbs they take direct object Blokh: The processed meaning is manifested in N-f forms in substantive or adjectival-adverbial interpretation.

2. Form

grammatical categories of finite forms:

• person and number (inseparable)

• tense

• aspect

• voice

• mood

• time correlation

• finitude (first singled out by Strang. It is built on the opposition of finite and non-finite forms of the verb. The distinctive feature in the opposition s the fact that N-f forms haven’t got the means of expressing time and mood semantics. Blokh analyzed the opposition.)

grammatical categories of non-finite forms:

10)The Infinitive (properties of a verb + noun). It serves as the verbal name of a process. It should be considered the head-form of the whole paradigm of the verb as it represents the actual derivation base for all the forms of regular verbs. The English infinitive exists in two presentation forms: with or without the pre-positional marker “to”. The use or non-use of the infinitive marker depends on the verbal environment of the infinitive.

• aspect (Continuous forms vs. non-continuous)

• voice (passive – active)

• time correlation (Perfect – Non-perfect)

The Gerund (properties of a verb + noun). Like the infinitive it serves as the verbal name of a process, but its substantive quality is more pronounced. Namely, gerund can be modified by a noun in the possessive case or its pronominal equivalents and it can be used with prepositions.

• time correlation (Perfect – Non-perfect)

• voice (passive – active)

The Present Participle (verb + adj. + noun) It serves as the qualifying-processual name. In its outer form it is wholly homonymous with the gerund. Like all the verbals it has no categorical time distinctions, the attribute “present” is used conventionally from the force of tradition.

• time correlation (Perfect – Non-perfect)

• voice (passive – active)

The Past Participle (Verb + adj.) It serves as the qualifying-processual name.

• It has the single form of the passive without “be”. It hasn’t any grammatical category –> there isn’t opposition