Basic English Grammar rules can be tricky. In this article, we’ll get you started with the basics of sentence structure, punctuation, parts of speech, and more.
Non-Finite Verbs Exercises With Answers for Class 8 CBSE PDF
Fundamentals
Non-Finite:- Non-Finites are verbs that do not completely act as verbs. Non-Finite have no subject, no modals and no tense. They do not get affected by the number of subjects or persons.
Non-Finites are of three types:
- The Infinitive
- The Gerund
- The Participle
1. The Infinitive
The infinitive acts as a noun, as an adjective or as an adverb in a sentence. It is written by adding ‘to’ with the Ist form of Verb. For example: (to + verb) to learn, to teach, to work etc. Here are some sentences to give you a better idea of infinitive:
- To dance is a good hobby.
- It is time to watch TV.
- He fights to win.
Let us analyze these sentences:
- In the first sentence, to dance is the subject of sentence. Therefore, here it is acting as a noun.
- In the second sentence, to watch is used after the noun ‘time’ and adds to its meaning. Therefore, here it is acting as an adjective.
- In the third sentence, to win is used after the verb ‘fight’ and adds modification. Therefore, here it is acting as an adverb.
Types of Infinitives
Infinitives are of two types:
- Simple Infinitive
- Gerundial Infinitive
A. Simple Infinitive: Infinitives that are used as a noun in a sentence are called ‘simple infinitives or noun infinitives. A simple infinitive has many uses in a sentence:
As a subject of Verb:
- To err is human.
- To read is a good habit.
- To drink is a bad habit.
As an object of Verb:
- Children like to play.
- Geeta loves to dance.
- The coward feared to die.
As an object of Preposition:
- I was about to move.
- She was about to start.
- He woke up early to go to church.
After superlatives and situation of adjectives:
- David Beckham is the greatest player to see in football.
- He is the only boy to reach here on time.
- Who was the first man to go on the moon?
Case in opposition to noun or pronoun:
- It is my hobby to play football.
- It is easy to win this game.
- It is good to be with you.
B. Gerundial Infinitive:
The infinitives that are used as an adjective or an adverb are called ‘gerundial infinitives’. A gerundial infinitive has many uses:
To modify a Verb:
- He decided to work there. (Purpose)
- He went to the place to save him. (Purpose)
- We eat to live. (Cause)
In these sentences, the infinitive represents a ‘purpose or cause. Therefore, it modifies the verb here.
To qualify an Adjective:
- It is good to go for a walk daily.
- She is quick to learn things.
- He is hard to cope with.
In these sentences infinitive is representing the feature of an adjective. Therefore, it qualifies adjectives like good, quick and hard.
To qualify a Sentence:
- To go there, I need some money.
- To go for a walk, we should get up early in the morning.
- To get a job, he had to go through many interviews.
In these sentences infinitive is featuring the sentences like ‘I need some money, we should get up early in the morning and he had to go through many interviews. And it is used as isolated from the main sentence that is, it is not related to the main sentence.
The Infinitive without ‘to’:- Though the infinitive is usually recognized by a ‘to’ before the verb (to + verb) yet there are certain conditions under which the infinitive is used without the use of ‘to’. See the following to find out:
After verbs like: hear, see, bid, feel, make, behold, observe, watch, let, please, help need, etc.
- She saw me bath.
- I bade him farewell.
- She felt his touch.
- He watched her cook.
A. After a Modal:
- You need not go out.
- He dare not misbehave with me.
- You should listen to your parents.
B. After the conjunction ‘but when it means ‘except’:
- She was so much in pain that she could do nothing but cry.
- He did nothing but sleep.
- Under the weekend, I would do nothing but relax.
Some More Uses of Infinitive:
A. Along with ‘too’ and ‘enough’:
- He is too fat to catch.
- He is fast enough to win.
- The patient is too weak to walk.
B. To combine two sentences:
- He is very tired. He cannot do this work.
He is too tired to do this work. - You are very short. You cannot walk the ramp.
You are too short to walk the ramp.
C. To remove the relative clause:
- He is no one who can comment on me.
He is no one to comment on me. - I know a person who can teach you.
I know a person to teach you.
2. The Gerund
Read the following sentences:
- Smoking is harmful.
- Teaching is very difficult.
- He hates dancing.
Smoking, teaching and dancing are the gerunds in these sentences.
Let us analyze these sentences: In the Ist and IInd sentences, smoking and teaching are used as subjects and in the IIIrd sentence dancing is used as object. Therefore, these are acting as nouns.
The Gerund acts as a noun in a sentence. It is formed by adding ‘ing’ to the 1st form of
verb that is, as a ‘verb + ing’.
For example:
- working, playing, bathing, running, etc.
A. As a Subject:
- Laughing is good for health.
- Eating is necessary for life.
B. As an Object:
- He hates working late.
- Stop running
C. As the object of a Preposition:
- Was she tired of sitting?
- She is very good at cooking.
D. As complement of a Verb:
- My hobby is planting trees.
- What she detests the most is lying.
E. As case in opposition to the Pronoun ‘It’
- It is no use repenting on your mistake.
- It is no use spending money on shares.
F. Use of Pronouns and Possessive Adjectives with Gerunds, as
- She objects to your wasting time with friends.
- The selectors liked his bathing.
- The Participle
Participle: A participle acts as an adjective in a sentence and is made with a verb. A participle is also called ‘verbal adjective’.
A participle has three forms:
- Present Participle
- Past Participle
- Perfect Participle
1. Present Participle:
A participle that indicates the continuation of a work is called present participle. An ‘ing’ is used with the ‘first form of verb’. It has many uses:
As an adjective:
- The creaking door startled me.
- All the leaking taps should be repaired.
- Smiling children are very attractive.
As a subject complement:
- This movie is boring.
- All the books in the library were interesting.
- The neighbours started gossiping.
As an object complement:
- I saw them playing in the playground.
- He left the people wondering.
- We saw the couple dancing.
To combine sentences:
- I saw an old friend at the beach. I spoke to him.
Seeing an old friend at the beach, I spoke to him. - I saw that trailer. I decided to watch a movie.
Seeing the trailer, I decided to watch the movie.
2. Past Participle:
The participle that indicates the completion of work is called a past participle. It is written by using the ‘3rd form of verb’.
Use:
- He is a retired army officer. (Adjective)
- An unfinished assignment will be sent back. (Adjective)
- The tired woman sat on the bench. (Adjective)
- I was worried about you. (Subject complement)
- He got selected. (Subject complement)
- He left me stunned. (Object complement)
- I found it placed inside the drawer. (Object complement)
3. Perfect Participle:
The participle that indicates the beginning of second work after the completion of the first is called a perfect participle. It is used to combine sentences. It is written as- ‘having + 3rd form of verb’. For example: having said, having completed, etc.
Use:
- I finished my work. I went home.
Having finished my work I went home. - He took his bag. He went to school.
Having taken his bag he went to school.
A. Read the sentences given below and underline the to-infinitives as shown.
Question:
1. She has no choice but to quit her job.
2. The police forced the miscreant to tell the truth.
3. Lily wants to finish the work as early as possible.
4. Usually, Lisa tells Lily to do the needful.
5. To get passing marks is easy.
6. His ambition is to become an engineer.
Answer:
1. She has no choice but to quit her job.
2. The police forced the miscreant to tell the truth.
3. Lily wants to finish the work as early as possible.
4. Usually, Lisa tells Lily to do the needful.
5. To get passing marks is easy.
6. His ambition is to become an engineer.
We frequently use to-infinitives after some main verbs. Examples: agree, arrange, appear, attempt, ask, choose, claim, decide, expect, explain, fail, forget, hope, hesitate, learn, manage, offer, plan, prepare, promise, refuse, remember, seem, swear, try
B. Fill in the blanks with suitable options.
Question:
1. Mita attempted ……………………………….. (to jump/jumps) the queue.
2. Manoj swore’ never ……………………………….. (reveal/to reveal) my secret.
3. Mohan agreed ……………………………….. (reconsidered/to reconsider) the decision.
4. Nidhi has offered ……………………………….. (to pick/picked) his friend from the station.
5. Nina hesitated ……………………………….. (lend/to lend) him money.
6. Jamal is not prepared ……………………………….. (to accept/accepts) his fault.
7. Farida refused ……………………………….. (grant/to grant) him permission.
8. Rita tried ……………………………….. (to help/help) him.
Answer:
1. Mita attempted to jump (to jump/jumps) the queue.
2. Manoj swore never to reveal (reveal/to reveal) my secret.
3. Mohan agreed to reconsider (reconsidered/to reconsider) the decision.
4. Nidhi has offered to pick (to pick/picked) his friend from the station.
5. Nina hesitated to lend (lend/to lend) him money.
6. Jamal is not prepared to accept (to accept/accepts) his fault.
7. Farida refused to grant (grant/to grant) his permission.
8. Rita tried to help (to help/help) him.
Sometimes infinitives are preceded by a verb + object.
Examples:
Other than verbs, we use to-infinitives also after:
| Nouns | Use a tissue paper to wipe your face. |
| Adjectives | It is nice to meet you. I am delighted to be here. He is ready to start class. |
| Question words | He knows how to speak English fluently. Do you know what to do now? |
| for + object | The principal has arranged for an expert to speak at the meeting. It is important for trainees to attend this seminar. The students were impatient for the seminar to begin. |
Here are some verbs that we often use before a question word and to-infinitive-ask, decide, discover, discuss, forget, know, learn, remember, say, think, understand, wonder, etc.
Examples:
- Have you decided when to start?
- Dev wondered what to do during the summer holidays.
Too and enough We often use to-infinitive along with too and enough.
Look at these sentences:
- The hall was so small that all of them couldn’t sit comfortably.
The hall is too small for all of them to sit comfortably. - I was very excited. I couldn’t sleep.
I was too excited to sleep. - The speech will not be loud. Everyone will not be able to hear it.
The speech will not be loud enough for everyone to hear.
C. Fill in the blanks using to + the right forms of the verbs in the box.
| buy, prefer, wish, explain, go, open, let, bring, drive, eat |
Question:
1. Did you try ……………………………….. the door without the key?
2. My mother promised ……………………………….. me a microscope.
3. The principal refused ……………………………….. the students go to Shimla.
4. Did you remember ……………………………….. Suman? It was her birthday yesterday.
5. Dini is planning ……………………………….. abroad for her higher studies.
6. Did you ask Uncle Mohan ……………………………….. you some toys?
7. It is difficult ……………………………….. Our feelings to our parents.
8. We can take NH 47 ……………………………….. from Kanyakumari to Salem.
9. Mother seems ……………………………….. Chinese food.
10. The cake was too hot ………………………………..
Answer:
1. Did you try to open the door without the key?
2. My mother promised to buy me a microscope.
3. The principal refused to let the students go to Shimla.
4. Did you remember to wish Suman? It was her birthday yesterday.
5. Dini is planning to go abroad for her higher studies.
6. Did you ask Uncle Mohan to bring you some toys?
7. It is difficult to explain our feelings to our parents.
8. We can take NH 47 to drive from Kanyakumari to Salem.
9. Mother seems to prefer Chinese food.
10. The cake was too hot to eat.
D. Combine each pair of the following sentences using too or enough and an infinitive form of a suitable verb. One has been done for you.
Question:
1. This basket is too small. It cannot hold twenty apples.
This basket is too small to hold twenty apples.
2. The water is very cold. We can’t swim in it.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
3. The bed was big. It could hold three of us.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
4. My bag is very small. It can’t hold all my books.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
5. It is very late. Let us not visit them today.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
6. My school is far away. I cannot walk to school every day.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Answer:
1. This basket is too small. It cannot hold twenty apples.
This basket is too small to hold twenty apples.
2. The water is very cold. We can’t swim in it.
The water is too cold to swim in it.
3. The bed was big. It could hold three of us.
The bed was big enough to hold the three of us.
4. My bag is very small. It can’t hold all my books.
My bag is too small to hold all mv books.
5. It is very late. Let us not visit them today.
It is too late to visit them today.
6. My school is far away. I cannot walk to school every day.
6. My school is far away. I cannot walk to school every day.
My school is too far for me to walk to school every day.
E. Underline the infinitives in the following sentences and say if they are to infinitives or bare infinitives. One has been done for you.
Question:
1. I felt the needle pierce my ear. – bare infinitive
2. The customer wanted to speak to the manager. …………………………………..
3. Shaurya has offered to help me with my project. …………………………………..
4. Can you hear the bell? …………………………………..
5. She heard the bird sing. …………………………………..
6. I hate to admit that I am wrong. …………………………………..
7. Karan makes me laugh. …………………………………..
8. Do you know how to open this jar? …………………………………..
9. We need not buy everything we want. …………………………………..
10. Veeru would rather walk to school. …………………………………..
11. I watched Sameer jump into the pool. …………………………………..
Answer:
1. I felt the needle pierce my ear. bare infinitive
2. The customer wanted to speak to the manager. to infinitive
3. Shaurva has offered to help me with my project. to infinitive
4. Can you hear the bell? bare infinitive
5. She heard the birds sing. bare infinitive
6. I hate to admit that I am wrong. to infinitive
7. Karan makes me laugh. bare infinitive
8. Do you know how to open this jar? to infinitive
9. We need not buy everything we want. bare infinitive
10. Veeru would rather walk to school. bare infinitive
11. I watched Sameer jump into the pool. bare infinitive
F. Fill in the blanks with suitable options given in brackets. One has been done for you.
Mrs. Varma helped the boys of class VIII enact (enact/to enact) the play, The Merchant of Venice. She would not let anyone ……………………………….. (waste/to waste) time. One of the boys in the class was very nervous. He was not very confident he could ……………………………….. (play/to play) his part well. He observed others ……………………………….. (enact/to enact) their parts with ease.
Mrs. Varma asked him ……………………………….. (recite/to recite) his lines. When he faltered, the teacher helped the boy ……………………………….. (learn/to learn) the dialogue. Mrs. Varma watched the boy ……………………………….. (regain/to regain) his confidence. He heard his friends ……………………………….. (cheer/to cheer) him. She had the boys ……………………………….. (rehearse/to rehearse) the play several times.
Answer:
Mrs. Varma helped the boys of class VIII enact (enact/to enact) the play, The Merchant of Venice. She would not let anyone waste (waste/to waste) time. One of the boys in the class was very nervous. He was not very confident he could play (play/to play) his part well. He observed others enact (enact/to enact) their parts with ease.
Mrs. Varma asked him to recite (recite/to recite) his lines. When he faltered, the teacher helped the boy learn (leam/to learn) the dialogue. Mrs. Varma watched the boy regain (regain/to regain) his confidence.
He heard his friends cheer (cheer/to cheer) him. She had the boys rehearse (rehearse/to rehearse) the play several times.
G. Underline the participles that act as adjectives in these sentences as shown in the first one.
Question:
1. The stolen goods were recovered by the police.
2. I could not see the colour of her eyes in the faded picture.
3. Madhav has some lovely pictures of the rising sun.
4. Aladdin had a flying carpet.
5. We saw a dancing bear at the circus.
6. They took the shortlisted candidates to the director’s office.
7. We have to replace the broken TV.
Answer:
1. The stolen goods were recovered by the police.
2. I could not see the colour of her eyes in the faded picture.
3. Madhav has some lovely pictures of the rising sun.
4. Aladdin had a flying carpet.
5. We saw a dancing bear at the circus.
6. They took the shortlisted candidates to the director’s office.
7. We have to replace the broken TV.
H. Write the -ing form or the -ed form of the verbs given in brackets and fill in the blanks in these pairs of sentences. The first one has been done as an example.
Question:
1. Children were quite fascinated by Harry Potter. They found the story quite fascinating. (fascinate)
2. Are you ……………………………….. in this book? Yes, it is an ……………………………….. book. (interest)
3. It was a ……………………………….. experience. Some people are ……………………………….. of dark rooms. (frighten)
4. The explorers were very ……………………………….. The adventure was very ……………………………….. (excite)
5. Are you ……………………………….. with the food? The meal was quite ……………………………….. (satisfy)
Answer:
1. Children were quite fascinated by Harry Potter. They found the story quite fascinating. (fascinate)
2. Are you interested in this book? Yes, it is an interesting book, (interest)
3. It was a frightening experience. Some people are frightened of dark rooms, (frighten)
4. The explorers were very excited. The adventure was very exciting, (excite)
5. Are you satisfied with the food? The meal was quite satisfactory, (satisfy)
I. Combine the following pairs of sentences by making use of participles. The first one has been done for you.
Question:
1. Mohan reached the city. He looked for a place to stay.
Having reached the city, Mohan looked for a place to stay.
2. He saw a decent hotel. He walked towards it.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
3. He met the manager. After that, he was sure of getting a room.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
4. An attendant took his suitcase. He asked Mohan to follow him.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
5. The attendant found it difficult to carry the suitcase. He walked very slowly.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
6. He slipped on a step. He fell down with a thud.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
7. Mohan helped the man to get up. He asked him how he had fallen down.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
8. The man smiled sheepishly. He muttered something inaudible.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Answer:
1. Mohan reached the city. He looked for a place to stay.
Having reached the city, Mohan looked for a place to stay.
2. He saw a decent hotel. He walked towards it.
Seeing a decent hotel, he walked towards it.
3. He met the manager. After that, he was sure of getting a room.
Having met the manager, he was sure of getting a room.
4. An attendant took his suitcase. He asked Mohan to follow him.
Having taken his suitcase, the attendant asked Mohan to follow him.
5. The attendant found it difficult to carry the suitcase. He walked very slowly.
Finding the suitcase difficult to carry, he walked very slowly.
6. He slipped on a step. He fell down with a thud.
Slipping on a step, he fell down with a thud.
7. Mohan helped the man to get up. He asked him how he had fallen down.
Helping the man get up. Mohan asked him how he had fallen down.
8. The man smiled sheepishly. He muttered something inaudible.
Muttering something inaudible, he smiled sheepishly.
J. Read what Rita says about her family members. Complete the sentences using the -ing form of the verbs in the box. The first one has been done for you.
| listen, cook, go, read, watch, play |
Question:
1. My father dislikes going to the theatre to watch movies.
2. My mother loves …………………….. horror movies.
3. …………………….. cricket is my brother’s favourite pastime.
4. My brother enjoys …………………….. for us. He makes many exotic dishes.
5. I enjoy …………………….. books.
6. My grandmother spends her time …………………….. to devotional songs.
Answer:
1. My father dislikes going to the theatre to watch movies.
2. My mother loves watching horror movies.
3. Playing cricket is my brother’s favourite pastime.
4. My brother enjoys cooking for us. He makes many exotic dishes.
5. I eniov reading books.
6. My grandmother spends her time listening to devotional songs.
K. Underline the wrong words in the following sentences and write the right words in the blanks provided. One has been done for you.
Question:
1. I am interested in travel to exotic destinations. – traveling
2. I succeeded in convince him to come with us. ………………………………….
3. He apologized for bother her. ………………………………….
4. He insisted on write a letter to the president. ………………………………….
5. She is thinking of take up a job here. ………………………………….
6. She doesn’t feel like leave her hometown. ………………………………….
Answer:
1. I am interested in travel to exotic destinations. traveling
2. I succeeded in convince him to come with us. convincing
3. He apologized for bother her. bothering
4. He insisted on write a letter to the president. ” writing
5. She is thinking of take up a job here. taking
6. She doesn’t feel like leave her hometown. leaving
L. Fill in the blanks with appropriate forms of the verbs in brackets.
Akira, Sneha, Deepali and Sushmita are in the Crooked Forest in Poland, …………………….. (have) a picnic. They chose this spot because Sneha wanted …………………….. (see) the crooked trees …………………….. (grow) there.
The forest gets its name from its oddly-shaped pine trees. The trees have a 90-degree bend at the base of their trunks. Then they curve upwards …………………….. (make) giant C’s with their trunks. All the trees bend northward at their base.
It is believed that a group of farmers planted these trees in 1930. They manipulated the trees into …………………….. (bend) this way.
We think they did this …………………….. (get) naturally curved timber which can be used …………………….. (make) boats.
There are about 400 trees like this in the forest. This forest is surrounded by a larger forest which has straight …………………….. (grow) pine trees.
Answer:
Akira, Sneha, Deepali and Sushmita are in the Crooked Forest in Poland, having (have) a picnic. They chose this spot because Sneha wanted to see (see) the crooked trees growing (grow) there.
The forest gets its name from its oddly-shaped pine trees. The trees have a 90-degree bend at the base of their trunks. Then they curve upwards making (make) giant C’s with their trunks. All the trees bend northward at their base.
It is believed that a group of farmers planted these trees in 1930. They manipulated the trees into bending (bend) this way.
We think they did this to get (get) naturally curved timber which can be used to make (make) boats.
There are about 400 trees like this in the forest. This forest is surrounded by a larger forest which has straight growing (grow) pine trees.