Are adjectives ending with -ing considered non-finite verbs?
up vote
2
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Are gerunds and present participles that function as adjectives considered non-finite? I understand that they aren't but I'm not so sure
for example:
The frightening tiger has eaten the scared doe.
I understand that "have" is the finite verb and "eaten" is non-finite.
While "frightening" and "scared" are mere adjectives.
But a friend told me that all frightening, scared and eaten are non-finite so I'm confused.
Thanks in advance.
non-finite-verbs
edited Dec 10 at 3:09
John Lawler
84k6116327
asked Dec 10 at 2:03
Gam Somchanta
113
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
Are gerunds and present participles that function as adjectives considered non-finite? I understand that they aren't but I'm not so sure
for example:
The frightening tiger has eaten the scared doe.
I understand that "have" is the finite verb and "eaten" is non-finite.
While "frightening" and "scared" are mere adjectives.
But a friend told me that all frightening, scared and eaten are non-finite so I'm confused.
Thanks in advance.
non-finite-verbs
edited Dec 10 at 3:09
John Lawler
84k6116327
asked Dec 10 at 2:03
Gam Somchanta
113
3
All participles -- past and present -- can be used as adjectives. When they lose their verbal properties (like being able to take a direct object), the question of finite or non-finite ceases to be relevant. When they are being used as main verbs in clauses, however, they're certainly non-finite. So you're right and so is your friend. What puzzles me is why people ask their friends grammar questions; would you ask them a physics question?
– John Lawler
Dec 10 at 3:14
When a gerund-participle is used as an adjective, it is bleached of its verbal properties so the matter of finiteness does not arise. I disagree with JL’s asserion that 'all participles can be used as adjectives', for there are a great many participles that can't. For example, “sleeping” in "a sleeping child" is not a participial adjective but a verb phrase. Similarly, in “an approaching train” and "the retreating army". “Sleeping”, “approaching” and “retreating” don’t have the distinctive properties of adjectives and hence must belong in the verb class.
– BillJ
Dec 10 at 13:40
@BillJ Ermm . . well that's the sources. Yes, thank you for that.
– Nigel J
Dec 10 at 18:26
John Lawler, BillJ and Nigel j Thank you for your answers, but I'm still a little bit unclear. If we only focus on the given example, the frightening tiger has eaten the scared doe, would the words frightening and scared be considered non-finite? or would they only be considered as adjectives?
– Gam Somchanta
Dec 11 at 12:25
add a comment |
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
up vote
2
down vote
favorite
Are gerunds and present participles that function as adjectives considered non-finite? I understand that they aren't but I'm not so sure
for example:
The frightening tiger has eaten the scared doe.
I understand that "have" is the finite verb and "eaten" is non-finite.
While "frightening" and "scared" are mere adjectives.
But a friend told me that all frightening, scared and eaten are non-finite so I'm confused.
Thanks in advance.
non-finite-verbs
edited Dec 10 at 3:09
John Lawler
84k6116327
asked Dec 10 at 2:03
Gam Somchanta
113
Are gerunds and present participles that function as adjectives considered non-finite? I understand that they aren't but I'm not so sure
for example:
The frightening tiger has eaten the scared doe.
I understand that "have" is the finite verb and "eaten" is non-finite.
While "frightening" and "scared" are mere adjectives.
But a friend told me that all frightening, scared and eaten are non-finite so I'm confused.
Thanks in advance.
non-finite-verbs
non-finite-verbs
edited Dec 10 at 3:09
John Lawler
84k6116327
asked Dec 10 at 2:03
Gam Somchanta
113
edited Dec 10 at 3:09
John Lawler
84k6116327
asked Dec 10 at 2:03
Gam Somchanta
113
edited Dec 10 at 3:09
John Lawler
84k6116327
edited Dec 10 at 3:09
John Lawler
84k6116327
edited Dec 10 at 3:09
John Lawler
84k6116327
84k6116327
asked Dec 10 at 2:03
Gam Somchanta
113
asked Dec 10 at 2:03
Gam Somchanta
113
asked Dec 10 at 2:03
Gam Somchanta
113
113
3
All participles -- past and present -- can be used as adjectives. When they lose their verbal properties (like being able to take a direct object), the question of finite or non-finite ceases to be relevant. When they are being used as main verbs in clauses, however, they're certainly non-finite. So you're right and so is your friend. What puzzles me is why people ask their friends grammar questions; would you ask them a physics question?
– John Lawler
Dec 10 at 3:14
When a gerund-participle is used as an adjective, it is bleached of its verbal properties so the matter of finiteness does not arise. I disagree with JL’s asserion that 'all participles can be used as adjectives', for there are a great many participles that can't. For example, “sleeping” in "a sleeping child" is not a participial adjective but a verb phrase. Similarly, in “an approaching train” and "the retreating army". “Sleeping”, “approaching” and “retreating” don’t have the distinctive properties of adjectives and hence must belong in the verb class.
– BillJ
Dec 10 at 13:40
@BillJ Ermm . . well that's the sources. Yes, thank you for that.
– Nigel J
Dec 10 at 18:26
John Lawler, BillJ and Nigel j Thank you for your answers, but I'm still a little bit unclear. If we only focus on the given example, the frightening tiger has eaten the scared doe, would the words frightening and scared be considered non-finite? or would they only be considered as adjectives?
– Gam Somchanta
Dec 11 at 12:25
add a comment |
3
All participles -- past and present -- can be used as adjectives. When they lose their verbal properties (like being able to take a direct object), the question of finite or non-finite ceases to be relevant. When they are being used as main verbs in clauses, however, they're certainly non-finite. So you're right and so is your friend. What puzzles me is why people ask their friends grammar questions; would you ask them a physics question?
– John Lawler
Dec 10 at 3:14
When a gerund-participle is used as an adjective, it is bleached of its verbal properties so the matter of finiteness does not arise. I disagree with JL’s asserion that 'all participles can be used as adjectives', for there are a great many participles that can't. For example, “sleeping” in "a sleeping child" is not a participial adjective but a verb phrase. Similarly, in “an approaching train” and "the retreating army". “Sleeping”, “approaching” and “retreating” don’t have the distinctive properties of adjectives and hence must belong in the verb class.
– BillJ
Dec 10 at 13:40
@BillJ Ermm . . well that's the sources. Yes, thank you for that.
– Nigel J
Dec 10 at 18:26
John Lawler, BillJ and Nigel j Thank you for your answers, but I'm still a little bit unclear. If we only focus on the given example, the frightening tiger has eaten the scared doe, would the words frightening and scared be considered non-finite? or would they only be considered as adjectives?
– Gam Somchanta
Dec 11 at 12:25
3
3
All participles -- past and present -- can be used as adjectives. When they lose their verbal properties (like being able to take a direct object), the question of finite or non-finite ceases to be relevant. When they are being used as main verbs in clauses, however, they're certainly non-finite. So you're right and so is your friend. What puzzles me is why people ask their friends grammar questions; would you ask them a physics question?
– John Lawler
Dec 10 at 3:14
All participles -- past and present -- can be used as adjectives. When they lose their verbal properties (like being able to take a direct object), the question of finite or non-finite ceases to be relevant. When they are being used as main verbs in clauses, however, they're certainly non-finite. So you're right and so is your friend. What puzzles me is why people ask their friends grammar questions; would you ask them a physics question?
– John Lawler
Dec 10 at 3:14
When a gerund-participle is used as an adjective, it is bleached of its verbal properties so the matter of finiteness does not arise. I disagree with JL’s asserion that 'all participles can be used as adjectives', for there are a great many participles that can't. For example, “sleeping” in "a sleeping child" is not a participial adjective but a verb phrase. Similarly, in “an approaching train” and "the retreating army". “Sleeping”, “approaching” and “retreating” don’t have the distinctive properties of adjectives and hence must belong in the verb class.
– BillJ
Dec 10 at 13:40
When a gerund-participle is used as an adjective, it is bleached of its verbal properties so the matter of finiteness does not arise. I disagree with JL’s asserion that 'all participles can be used as adjectives', for there are a great many participles that can't. For example, “sleeping” in "a sleeping child" is not a participial adjective but a verb phrase. Similarly, in “an approaching train” and "the retreating army". “Sleeping”, “approaching” and “retreating” don’t have the distinctive properties of adjectives and hence must belong in the verb class.
– BillJ
Dec 10 at 13:40
@BillJ Ermm . . well that's the sources. Yes, thank you for that.
– Nigel J
Dec 10 at 18:26
@BillJ Ermm . . well that's the sources. Yes, thank you for that.
– Nigel J
Dec 10 at 18:26
John Lawler, BillJ and Nigel j Thank you for your answers, but I'm still a little bit unclear. If we only focus on the given example, the frightening tiger has eaten the scared doe, would the words frightening and scared be considered non-finite? or would they only be considered as adjectives?
– Gam Somchanta
Dec 11 at 12:25
John Lawler, BillJ and Nigel j Thank you for your answers, but I'm still a little bit unclear. If we only focus on the given example, the frightening tiger has eaten the scared doe, would the words frightening and scared be considered non-finite? or would they only be considered as adjectives?
– Gam Somchanta
Dec 11 at 12:25
add a comment |
1 Answer
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The frightening tiger has eaten the scared doe.
They are adjectives:
[1] They can be modified by "very", which can't modify verbs.
[2] They can occur as complement to complex-intransitive verbs like "become": "It became quite frightening" / "He became quite scared".
[3] They can occur as complement to complex-transitive verbs like "find": "I found it quite frightening"/ "I found the boy scared and shivering".
But not all participles can be used as adjectives. The present participles of the verbs "sleep", "approach" and "retreat", for example, cannot be used as adjectives:
[1] They can't be modified by "very": *"She was very sleeping"; *"The train was very approaching"; *"The army was very retreating."
[2] They can't occur as complement to complex-intransitive verbs like "become": *"She became/seemed sleeping"; *"The train became approaching"; *"The army became retreating"."
[3] They can't occur as complement to complex-transitive verbs: *"I found her quite sleeping". *"I found the train quite approaching"; *"I found the army quite retreating"
The range of expressions that can occur as pre-head modifier to a noun is very large and varied: we don't want to call them all adjectives. "Frightening" and "scared" have the properties of indisputable adjectives and hence must belong in that class, but the others don't have the distinctive properties of adjectives and hence are analysed as verb phrases in examples like "a sleeping child", "the approaching train", "the defeated army.
Does that clear things up?
answered Dec 12 at 18:05
BillJ
3,9941913
add a comment |
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The frightening tiger has eaten the scared doe.
They are adjectives:
[1] They can be modified by "very", which can't modify verbs.
[2] They can occur as complement to complex-intransitive verbs like "become": "It became quite frightening" / "He became quite scared".
[3] They can occur as complement to complex-transitive verbs like "find": "I found it quite frightening"/ "I found the boy scared and shivering".
But not all participles can be used as adjectives. The present participles of the verbs "sleep", "approach" and "retreat", for example, cannot be used as adjectives:
[1] They can't be modified by "very": *"She was very sleeping"; *"The train was very approaching"; *"The army was very retreating."
[2] They can't occur as complement to complex-intransitive verbs like "become": *"She became/seemed sleeping"; *"The train became approaching"; *"The army became retreating"."
[3] They can't occur as complement to complex-transitive verbs: *"I found her quite sleeping". *"I found the train quite approaching"; *"I found the army quite retreating"
The range of expressions that can occur as pre-head modifier to a noun is very large and varied: we don't want to call them all adjectives. "Frightening" and "scared" have the properties of indisputable adjectives and hence must belong in that class, but the others don't have the distinctive properties of adjectives and hence are analysed as verb phrases in examples like "a sleeping child", "the approaching train", "the defeated army.
Does that clear things up?
answered Dec 12 at 18:05
BillJ
3,9941913
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
The frightening tiger has eaten the scared doe.
They are adjectives:
[1] They can be modified by "very", which can't modify verbs.
[2] They can occur as complement to complex-intransitive verbs like "become": "It became quite frightening" / "He became quite scared".
[3] They can occur as complement to complex-transitive verbs like "find": "I found it quite frightening"/ "I found the boy scared and shivering".
But not all participles can be used as adjectives. The present participles of the verbs "sleep", "approach" and "retreat", for example, cannot be used as adjectives:
[1] They can't be modified by "very": *"She was very sleeping"; *"The train was very approaching"; *"The army was very retreating."
[2] They can't occur as complement to complex-intransitive verbs like "become": *"She became/seemed sleeping"; *"The train became approaching"; *"The army became retreating"."
[3] They can't occur as complement to complex-transitive verbs: *"I found her quite sleeping". *"I found the train quite approaching"; *"I found the army quite retreating"
The range of expressions that can occur as pre-head modifier to a noun is very large and varied: we don't want to call them all adjectives. "Frightening" and "scared" have the properties of indisputable adjectives and hence must belong in that class, but the others don't have the distinctive properties of adjectives and hence are analysed as verb phrases in examples like "a sleeping child", "the approaching train", "the defeated army.
Does that clear things up?
answered Dec 12 at 18:05
BillJ
3,9941913
add a comment |
up vote
0
down vote
up vote
0
down vote
The frightening tiger has eaten the scared doe.
They are adjectives:
[1] They can be modified by "very", which can't modify verbs.
[2] They can occur as complement to complex-intransitive verbs like "become": "It became quite frightening" / "He became quite scared".
[3] They can occur as complement to complex-transitive verbs like "find": "I found it quite frightening"/ "I found the boy scared and shivering".
But not all participles can be used as adjectives. The present participles of the verbs "sleep", "approach" and "retreat", for example, cannot be used as adjectives:
[1] They can't be modified by "very": *"She was very sleeping"; *"The train was very approaching"; *"The army was very retreating."
[2] They can't occur as complement to complex-intransitive verbs like "become": *"She became/seemed sleeping"; *"The train became approaching"; *"The army became retreating"."
[3] They can't occur as complement to complex-transitive verbs: *"I found her quite sleeping". *"I found the train quite approaching"; *"I found the army quite retreating"
The range of expressions that can occur as pre-head modifier to a noun is very large and varied: we don't want to call them all adjectives. "Frightening" and "scared" have the properties of indisputable adjectives and hence must belong in that class, but the others don't have the distinctive properties of adjectives and hence are analysed as verb phrases in examples like "a sleeping child", "the approaching train", "the defeated army.
Does that clear things up?
answered Dec 12 at 18:05
BillJ
3,9941913
The frightening tiger has eaten the scared doe.
They are adjectives:
[1] They can be modified by "very", which can't modify verbs.
[2] They can occur as complement to complex-intransitive verbs like "become": "It became quite frightening" / "He became quite scared".
[3] They can occur as complement to complex-transitive verbs like "find": "I found it quite frightening"/ "I found the boy scared and shivering".
But not all participles can be used as adjectives. The present participles of the verbs "sleep", "approach" and "retreat", for example, cannot be used as adjectives:
[1] They can't be modified by "very": *"She was very sleeping"; *"The train was very approaching"; *"The army was very retreating."
[2] They can't occur as complement to complex-intransitive verbs like "become": *"She became/seemed sleeping"; *"The train became approaching"; *"The army became retreating"."
[3] They can't occur as complement to complex-transitive verbs: *"I found her quite sleeping". *"I found the train quite approaching"; *"I found the army quite retreating"
The range of expressions that can occur as pre-head modifier to a noun is very large and varied: we don't want to call them all adjectives. "Frightening" and "scared" have the properties of indisputable adjectives and hence must belong in that class, but the others don't have the distinctive properties of adjectives and hence are analysed as verb phrases in examples like "a sleeping child", "the approaching train", "the defeated army.
Does that clear things up?
answered Dec 12 at 18:05
BillJ
3,9941913
edited Dec 12 at 18:10
answered Dec 12 at 18:05
BillJ
3,9941913
answered Dec 12 at 18:05
BillJ
3,9941913
answered Dec 12 at 18:05
BillJ
3,9941913
3,9941913
add a comment |
add a comment |
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3
All participles -- past and present -- can be used as adjectives. When they lose their verbal properties (like being able to take a direct object), the question of finite or non-finite ceases to be relevant. When they are being used as main verbs in clauses, however, they're certainly non-finite. So you're right and so is your friend. What puzzles me is why people ask their friends grammar questions; would you ask them a physics question?
– John Lawler
Dec 10 at 3:14
When a gerund-participle is used as an adjective, it is bleached of its verbal properties so the matter of finiteness does not arise. I disagree with JL’s asserion that 'all participles can be used as adjectives', for there are a great many participles that can't. For example, “sleeping” in "a sleeping child" is not a participial adjective but a verb phrase. Similarly, in “an approaching train” and "the retreating army". “Sleeping”, “approaching” and “retreating” don’t have the distinctive properties of adjectives and hence must belong in the verb class.
– BillJ
Dec 10 at 13:40
@BillJ Ermm . . well that's the sources. Yes, thank you for that.
– Nigel J
Dec 10 at 18:26
John Lawler, BillJ and Nigel j Thank you for your answers, but I'm still a little bit unclear. If we only focus on the given example, the frightening tiger has eaten the scared doe, would the words frightening and scared be considered non-finite? or would they only be considered as adjectives?
– Gam Somchanta
Dec 11 at 12:25