Finites dan Non Finites

Verb atau kata kerja dapat tergolong Finites atau Non Finites. Yang disebut Non Finites adalah Infinitives ( present atau perfect yaitu yang memakai ‘to’ atau tanpa memakai ‘to’), present dan past participles dan “gerund”. Sedang yang disebut finites adalah bentuk lain selain yang telah disebutkan diatas. Jadi Non Finites dari’be’, misalnya adalah : to be, to have is, are, was, were. Non Finites dari ‘see’ adalah : to see, see, sees dan saw.

Contoh :
‘be’ Non Finites :
I want to be a teacher
He will be a teacher
He has been in London
I will have been in London next month
Lucy is being treated in Darmo Hospital

Finites :
I am teaching English . ( present continuous tense )
He is sent to prison. ( passive voice )
She was not at school last Monday. ( kalimat negative )
Were you present last night. ( kalimat interogative )

Catatan :
Am, is, are, was dan were digunakan untuk :
a. Membentuk kalimat negative dan interrogative
b. Membentuk kalimat progressive atau continous tense, dan
c. Membentuk kalimat passive.
Mereka berfungsi sebagai copula atau connecting ( lingking verb dalam kalimat Affirmative ).
Contoh :
I am a teacher
She is at school
They are students
He was absent on Tuesday
We were busy last night.

‘To see’ Non Finites :
We cannot see without eyes
She wants to seethe Minister
I am very glad to have seen you
We have seen the film
Seeing horse race is interesting
Bacteria cannot be seen with bare eyes

Finites :
I see my doctor every Wednesday
Hellen sees films every Saturday evening
I saw her two day ago.