FINITE VERB

Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language | 1998 | 435 words | Copyright

FINITE VERB. A form of the VERB with a distinction in tense: likes, like, liked are finite verbs in Justin likes strawberry ice cream, Anne and Robert like my story, and David liked his wife's cooking. On the other hand, like, liked are non-finite in Justin may like strawberry ice cream and David has always liked his wife's cooking, since no tense contrast is possible in these sentences. Compare FINITE, INFINITIVE, NON-FINITE VERB.

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TOM McARTHUR. "FINITE VERB." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 29 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

TOM McARTHUR. "FINITE VERB." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (May 29, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O29-FINITEVERB.html

TOM McARTHUR. "FINITE VERB." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Retrieved May 29, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O29-FINITEVERB.html

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