Grammar-Quizzes › Clauses › Clause Structure › Nonfinite Clauses—Timing & Voice
Nonfinite Clauses—Timing & Voice
Express earlier or later timing in infinitive and gerund clauses
Timing
| SAME TIME | EARLIER TIMING | LATER TIMING |
|---|---|---|
A gerund or infinitive (nonfinite) clause is a reduced type of clause (1) that includes a verb that is not inflected for tense, person or number; that does not include a subject. However, there are work-arounds that allow us to include information on timing and "agent". |
The interpretation of the time in a nonfinite clause is related to the meaning of the verb in the main clause. If its meaning permits it, an earlier time can be expressed in the nonfinite clause with "perfect" auxiliary verb forms such as having -ed or to have -ed. |
If the meaning of the verb in the main clause permits it, a later time frame may be expressed in the nonfinite clause with having + participle (gerund) or to have + participle (infinitive).
|
| GERUND COMPLEMENT [ ] | GERUND COMPLEMENT [ ] | GERUND COMPLEMENT [ ] |
Jack insists on [locking his front door.] |
Jack remembers [having locked the front door.] |
Jack plans on [locking his front door.] |
| INFINITIVE COMPLEMENT [ ] | INFINITIVE COMPLEMENT [ ] | INFINITIVE COMPLEMENT [ ] |
Jack likes [to lock his front door.] |
Jack seems [to have locked the front door.] |
Jack plans [to lock his front door.] |
Nonfinite Clause — a gerund or infinite clause (no longer called a "phrase") See Nonfinite.
See Gerund Cls w/Subject and Infinitive Cls w/Subject for adding "agent" of action information.
Timing in Gerund / Infinitive Clauses
In Context
Read and note the timing expressed in the retelling of the event.
In the morning, when Jack got to his office, he couldn't help thinking that he had forgotten to do something.
When he returned home, he was surprised to find his brother Adam sitting on his sofa watching TV.
"How did you get in?" asked Jack.
"The front door was unlocked," replied Adam. "Dude, don't you ever lock your doors?"
Jack remembered leaving his house, locking the door, and walking toward his car. Then, he recalled seeing and picking up a newspaper, returning to his door, unlocking it, and putting the newspaper inside. But he did not remember re-locking the door.
"You must've forgotten¹ to lock the door after putting your newspaper inside," Adam reasoned.
Jack admitted to having been preoccupied by things happening at work.
"I had an uneasy feeling when I got to my office because I knew that I had forgotten something."
"You seem to have left the back door open too," added Adam. "When I got here, there was a raccoon in your kitchen."
"What? You're kidding, right?"
"Yeah, I am. But maybe you should be a little more concerned about locking up. Otherwise, you might find someone uglier than me sitting on your sofa waiting for you to come home."
"Someone uglier? Not a chance," smiled Jack. With that thought in mind, he began paying more attention to locking his doors.
Glossary
admit (V) — to agree unwillingly that something is true or that someone else is right
be kidding (V) — be joking
cannot help (v. p.) — cannot stop or cannot avoid
distract (V) — take someone's attention; distracted (Adj) — not paying full attention
dude (N) — (slang) a greeting or attention getter for another male, particularly used among stoners, surfers and skaters. (US-Eng)
door knob (N) — the handle, the part you turn to open the door or to check if it is locked
forget to lock vs. forget locking (See Meaning Differs.)
get to (v. prep.) — arrived at
must've (modal + aux.) — contraction of must + have (heard in informal speech)
preoccupied by (participle v.) / preoccupied with (participle adj.) — be thinking about something so much that other things are not watched or completed properly
priority (N) — something given special attention; comes first
raccoon (N) — a small North American animal with black fur around its eyes and black and gray rings on its tail
ugly (Adj) / uglier (comparative) — unpleasant in appearance
uneasy feeling (expr.) — a state of being anxious or worried about something
yeah (informal) — a affirmative, yes
Also see: Nonfinite Clauses (primary vs. secondary verb forms) and Because -ing (comparing past events) and Gerunds (gerund meaning differs from infinitive meaning).
Nonfinite Clauses "Earlier"
Comment on past activities or events
Earlier Timing (Active vs. Passive)
| ACTIVE NONFINITE CLAUSES | |
|---|---|
The interpretation of the timing in a nonfinite clause is related to the meaning of the verb in the main clause. If the meaning of the verb permits it, an earlier time frame may be expressed in a gerund nonfinite clause with having + participle or infinitive nonfinite clause with to have + participle. |
|
| MEMORY | EARLIER TIME |
Jack remembers Jack remembered recall, recollect, forget ¹Memory verbs already carry the meaning of recalling an earlier activity. Both -ing and having + ed forms imply an earlier time. |
having left the house unlocked. not having checked the door knob. And also¹: leaving the house unlocked. not checking the door knob. |
| ATTITUDE COMMENT | EARLIER TIME |
He admits (to) He admitted (to) acknowledge, admit (ger.), apologize for, celebrate, confess to, deny, regret, resent (claim, mention, comment on, report) |
having left the door unlocked. |
| OPINION COMMENT | EARLIER TIME |
He seems He seemed He is believed ² [be] believe, [be] likely, seem, appear, happen, turn out, (ought) |
to have left it unlocked. (infin.) |
| OPINION / MODAL | EARLIER TIME |
He may (bare inf.) may, must, will, might |
have left the house unlocked. (bare infin³.) have been leaving it unlocked. (bare infin. progressive) |
| PASSIVE NONFINITE CLAUSES | |
|---|---|
Similarly, if the meaning of the verb in the main clause permits it, an earlier time frame may be expressed in a passive gerund nonfinite clause with having been + participle or in a passive infinitive nonfinite clause with (to) have been + participle (infinitive). |
|
| MEMORY | EARLIER TIME |
Jack remembers Jack remembered recall, recollect, forget ¹Memory verbs already carry the meaning of recalling an earlier activity. Both -ing and having + ed forms imply an earlier time. |
having been distracted by … not having been focused on… And also¹: being distracted¹ by the newspaper. not being focused¹ on locking… |
| ATTITUDE COMMENT | EARLIER TIMIE |
He admits (to) He admitted (to) acknowledge, admit (ger.), apologize for, celebrate, confess to, deny, regret, resent (claim, mention, comment on, report) |
having been preoccupied. |
| OPINION COMMENT | EARLIER TIME |
He seems He seemed He is believed ² [be] believe, [be] likely, seem, appear, happen, turn out, (ought) |
to have been preoccupied. (infin.) |
| OPINION / MODAL | EARLIER TIME |
He may may, must, will, might
|
have been preoccupied. (bare (infin.³) |
² This group of verbs also takes a "dummy" pronoun "it" and (be) — It seems that he left the door unlocked. / He seems to have left the door unlocked. ("ought" — is marginally included but cannot be used with an "It" pronoun.) See It Seems.
³ bare infinitive —a modal is followed by a "bare infinitive" verb form that does not include to; "bare infinitive" indicates the plain or base form of the verb (e.g., He can go. / He is able to go.) That is, both "go" and "to go" are infinitive forms, but "go" is called a "bare infinitive". (See Bare Infinitives.)
forget (V)—carries the meaning of recalling an earlier activity; mostly used in past or present perfect tenses. See "I Forget".
Nonfinite Clauses "Same Time"
Comment on current activities or events
Same Time (Active vs. Passive)
| ACTIVE VOICE NONFINITE CLAUSES | |
|---|---|
If the meaning of the verb in the main clause permits it, a current time frame may be expressed in an infinitive nonfinite clause with to + verb or to be + verb-ing (participle) or a gerund nonfinite clause with verb-ing (participle). |
|
| ATTITUDE COMMENT | SAME TIME |
He admits to He admitted to acknowledge, admit, admit to, apologize for, celebrate, confess to, deny, regret, resent, claim, mention, comment on, report |
leaving the door unlocked. (ger.) |
He seems He seemed ¹ [be] believe, [be] likely, seem, appear, happen, turn out, (ought) |
to leave the door unlocked. (infin.) to be leaving it unlocked. (progressive infin.)
|
| ASPECT ² | SAME TIME |
He began begin, start, stop, continue (a verb whose meaning specifies a point in time) |
to leave the house unlocked. (infin.) leaving the house unlocked. (ger.) |
| OPINION / MODAL | SAME TIME |
He may may, must, will, might |
leave the house unlocked. (bare infin.) be leaving the house unlocked. (bare infin. progressive) |
He likes like, hate, dislike, love (detest, can't stand [ger. only]) |
to leave the house unlocked. (infin.) leaving the house unlocked. (ger.) |
| PASSIVE VOICE NONFINITE CLAUSES | |
|---|---|
Similarly, if the meaning of the verb in the main clause permits it, a current time frame may be expressed in a passive infinitive nonfinite clause with to be + past participle and a passive gerund nonfinite clause with being + past-participle. |
|
| ATTITUDE COMMENT | SAME TIME |
He admits to He admitted to acknowledge, admit, admit to, apologize for, celebrate, confess to, deny, regret, resent, claim, mention, comment on, report |
being preoccupied by work. (ger.) |
He seems He seemed ¹ [be] believe, [be] likely, seem, appear, happen, turn out, (ought) |
to be preoccupied by work. (infin.) |
| ASPECT | SAME TIME |
He began begin, start, stop, continue |
to be preoccupied by work. (infin.) being preoccupied by work. (ger.) |
| OPINION / MODAL | SAME TIME / LATER |
He may may, must, will, might |
be preoccupied by work. (bare infin.)
|
He likes like, hate, dislike, love |
to be distracted by others. (infin.) being distracted by others. (ger.) |
"aspect" relates to the timing of an action: progressive /nonprogressive, ongoing / completed (Huddleston 162)
³ bare infinitive —a modal is followed by a "bare infinitive" verb form that does not include to; "bare infinitive" indicates the plain or base form of the verb (e.g., He can go. / He is able to go.) That is, both "go" and "to go" are infinitive forms, but "go" is called a "bare infinitive". (See Bare Infinitives.)
"Men at Work." by reynermedia, Albumariun. 5 Dec 2013. Licensed under CC BY 2.0. Accessed on 6 Jan 2017. Reaccessed 8 Jun 2021.
Nonfinite Clauses "Later"
Comment on future activities or events
Later Time (Active vs. Passive)
| ACTIVE NONFINITE CLAUSES | |
|---|---|
The interpretation of the time in the nonfinite clause is related to the meaning of the verb in the main clause. If the meaning of the verb in the main clause permits it, an earlier time frame may be expressed in the nonfinite clause with having + participle (gerund) or to have + participle (infinitive). |
|
| OPINION / MODAL | SAME OR LATER TIME |
Adam may may, must, will, might, should |
stay a while. (bare infin.³) |
Adam likes He'd like like, hate, dislike, love (detest, can't stand [ger. only]) |
to lounge in his brother's house. (infin.) |
| FUTURE INTENT | LATER TIME |
Adam plans aim, expect, hope, intend, plan, propose, want |
to stay a while. (infin.) |
He plans on plan on, consider, intend on |
staying a while. (ger.) |
| PASSIVE NONFINITE CLAUSES | |
|---|---|
Similarly, if the meaning of the verb in the main clause permits it, a later time frame may be expressed in a passive infinitive nonfinite clause with (to) be + past participle or a passive gerund nonfinite clause with being + past-participle. |
|
| OPINION / MODAL | SAME OR LATER TIME |
He may may, must, will, might, should |
be invited to stay by his brother. (bare infin.³) |
Adam likes He'd like like, hate, dislike, love (detest, can't stand [ger. only]) |
to be entertained by his brother. (infin.) |
| FUTURE INTENT | LATER TIME |
He plans aim, expect, hope, intend, plan, propose, want |
to be less preoccupied by work. (infin.) |
He plans on plan on, consider, intend on |
being less preoccupied by work. (ger.) |
³ bare infinitive —a modal is followed by a "bare infinitive" verb form that does not include to; "bare infinitive" indicates the plain or base form of the verb (e.g., He can go. / He is able to go.) That is, both "go" and "to go" are infinitive forms, but "go" is called a "bare infinitive". (See Bare Infinitives.)
Common Mistakes
Errors and Solutions
Error and Solution
| ERROR |
|---|
*He remembered he meeting him but didn't know where. |
*The house seemed to occupied by someone. |
He began to be liking his new job. |
The dome of the church is thought to be constructed from 1296 to 1436. |
They ought asked us before taking the car. |
| SOLUTION |
|---|
He remembered meeting him, but didn't know where. A nonfinite clause (gerund clause) is reduced. The subject is not usually included but may be included in a possessive form. He remembered his having met him, but didn't know where. |
The house seemed to be occupied by someone. (same time) The house seemed to have been occupied by someone. (earlier) |
He began to like his new job. He began liking his new job. A verb indicating an exact point in time (began) is not used with clause indicating progressive timing. |
The dome of the church is thought to have been constructed from 1296 to 1436. (earlier)
|
They ought to have asked us before taking the car. The past form of the quasi modal expression "ought" includes a bare infinitive (omit "to") have+ -ed. |
Grammar Notes (Advanced)
Traditional and Linguistic Descriptions
Traditional / ESL and Linguistic Descriptions
| TRADITIONAL DESCRIPTION | LINGUISTIC DESCRIPTION |
|---|---|
Passive infinitive: to be + past participle (Azar 15-4) I didn't expect to be asked (by him). Passive Gerund: being + past participle (Azar 15-4) I enjoyed being asked (by him). Perfect -ing form: having + past participle (Swan 293.2) Having slept for twelve hours, I felt rested. Perfect or Past Meaning: to have + past participle (Swan 288.1) I am sorry to have left the party early. I was sorry to have left the party early.
Verbs followed by infinitives or gerunds (Huddleston 1241) Historically, "to" verbs are associated with a goal, with a projected time in the future. He asked them to come. She promises to bake some cookies. They told us to eat one. In contrast "ing" verbs are commonly associated with what is current and actual: We enjoy talking. He finished reading. They practiced playing piano. |
The catenative construction— Huddleston and Pullum include five classes of verbs whose meanings affect the interpretation of the timing of the activity in the nonfinite clause. (3 §7 [1-3]) Class 1 I remember talking about it. [anterior] Class 2 He resents her talking about it when he was not there. [anterior] He resents her talking about it. [anterior or simultaneous] Class 3 She is believed to be hiding. [simultaneous] Class 4 She may be a gossip. [simultaneous] She may apologize. [posterior] Class 5 She plans to apologize. [posterior] The interpretation of the time in the nonfinite clause is related to the semantic properties of the verb in the matrix clause.
Infinitive Form-types 14 §1.1 [5] I expect to have finished soon. [perfect have] I expect to be working soon. [progressive be] I expect to be interviewed. [passive be]
Gerund-participle Form-types 14 §1.1[6] I regret having finished so soon. [perfect have] I regret being interviewed. [passive be] I regret having been interviewed (by them). [perfect, passive] *I regret being working soon. [progressive be]
|
Also see Finite / Nonfinite.
Works Cited
- Azar, Betty Schrampfer, and Stacy A. Hagen. Understanding and Using English Grammar. 4th ed., Pearson Education, 2009.
- Huddleston, Rodney D., and Geoffrey K. Pullum. The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. Cambridge UP, 2002.
- Swan, Michael. Practical English Usage. 3rd ed., Oxford UP, 2005.
Practice 1
Missing Person
It's a Mystery!
Michael Wilson loved to walk. However, on March 4, he seems (walk away) and (disappear). No one has seen him for a month. A neighbor remembers (see) him on his way to the foothills on that March morning. He was supposed (meet up) with his ex-wife later that evening, but he never appeared.
A restless wanderer, Michael could often (find¹) strolling the bay lands, hiking in the foothills, or trekking the wooded paths along Crystal Springs Lake. One time, he walked so far that he had to pay a taxi driver $40 to get him back home.
At first, he appeared (be) lost. Then, he was feared (be) hurt.
His family searched every trail that he was known (walk). The police began (search) the hillsides and lake area methodically with search dogs.
Still a month later, no one has seen him. His family regrets not (involve) the police immediately. Michael Wilson suffers from depression. He is thought just (walk away) from life. At this point, Michael is considered to be a voluntary missing adult.
Police agencies in Northern California have been notified of Wilson's disappearance. He has also been listed on a national database of missing persons.
comb (V) — search in detail
on his way (prep phr.) — walking, going in a particular direction
methodically (adv.) — systematically, in an organized manner
voluntary (Adj) — something done from one's own will or desire; free choice
wanderer (N) — a person who moves or travels about without any definite purpose or destination
wooded paths — walking trails (walkways) among the trees
¹ sensory verbs hear, see, feel, find, notice, catch are followed by gerunds [-ing] in active voice, but are followed by participles [-ed] in passive voice.
Complete the sentence with a nonfinite clause that has the correct voice (active/passive) and timing (earlier, same, later).
- Select the response from the list that best completes the sentence.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "Check 1-10" button at the bottom.
Practice 2
Distracted Driving
Read for Errors
When the police arrived on the scene of an accident at Townsend Boulevard and Main Street, they could not believe their eyes. Fortunately, the driver had escaped out of the back of the car and was not hurt.
Police: What happened?
Driver: I recall having stopped at the red light at the intersection of Townsend Blvd. and Main St. And I remember watching the tram come to a stop on my left. So when the light turned green, I began making a left turn onto Townsend.
Police: You appeared to turn left onto the tram tracks rather than the boulevard.
Driver: I admit being distracted by a guy on a blue motorbike who was turning left, just as I was about to turn left.
Police: A motorbike? Well, he is likely to pass between the trains without any problem. Is he still around here?
Driver: No, he seems to be vanished down the middle of the tracks.
Police: When did you realize you were in the middle of the tracks rather than on the street?
Driver: I realized I was between the rails when a train started coming the opposite direction, on my right, towards the one that was on my left. I panicked and didn't have time to back up.
Police: Did you continue to be driving forward?
Driver: Yes. I thought I could squeeze between them, but now I regret having trying that.
Police: I bet you do.
escape (V) — leave, get out of a place you were inside of
distract (V) — take ones attention away; distracted (Adj) — having one's attention drawn to something else
I/You bet (expression) — yes, indeed; —Can you fix it? —You bet! ("You can bet on it." or "You can be sure of it.")
panic / panicked (V) — a sudden overwhelming fear that causes irrational behavior
tracks (N) — rails on which a train moves
tram (N) — a street car; a light weight train
vanish (V) — disappear; He vanished.
Identify correct or incorrect timing in nonfinite clauses.
- Select your response "correct" or "incorrect"
- Compare your response to the answer by clicking the "check 11-20" button.
Practice 3
"When's Day"
Read the Context (with errors)
In school, I was good at recess but terrible at spelling. I remember the teacher asking me to spell the fourth day of the week.
"W-E-N-S-D-A-Y".
"You seem to forget a few letters," commented the teacher.
I began say the letters again, "W-H-E-N-S-D-A-Y".
The class laughed. I felt embarrassed.
"Did you spell it 'when' like the question?" asked the teacher.
"Yes, 'When's day'. "
"No," she smiled. "The name Wednesday comes from Norse mythology. The day is named after the god Odin, also called Wodanaz. So think of it as 'Woden's day'. In Old English, it was Wōdnesdæg, and in Middle English, it became Wednesdai. And now, it is Wednesday."
"Why don't we pronounce all the letters?" I asked.
"Well, we seem to have simplified the pronunciation of Wednesday but not the spelling. Perhaps in the future, the spelling will change, but for now, plan to spell it like this (Wednesday)," she added.
"Can't we just call it Humpday?" asked a student in the back of the class.
"I don't recall seeing that word in the dictionary," replied the teacher. Dictionaries must formally accept a word before we can confidently use it in our writing.
"How does a word become accepted?"
As more people begin to use a word, it starts to appear more frequently in writing—newspapers, magazines and books—and in speech—conversation, newscasts, and lectures. The more frequently a word occurs, the more likely it is to be accepted into a dictionary.
"So does that mean that we should start using "Humpday" so that we can get it accepted?" asked the student.
You can try, but you'll still need to be able to spell Wednesday correctly on your next spelling test.
academic (Adj) — pertaining to schools, colleges, and universities
confidently (adv.) — with certainty, with sureness
hump day (expr.) — Wednesday; used in the context of climbing a hill to get through a difficult week; being "over the hump" of the work week.
Norse (proper noun) — from ancient Scandinavia and its people (Norway, Sweden, Denmark and sometimes Finland)
recess (N) — break time; play time
The more, the more (expr.) — as one thing changes, the other thing also changes at a relative rate
Edit the gerund and infinitive clauses (nonfinite clauses).
- Edit the sentence(s) in the text box.
- Compare your response to the feedback by clicking the "check 21-30" button.