NCERT Textbook: Non Finites | English Grammar (Communicative) Interact In English Class 10 PDF Download

 Page 1


4
NON FINITES
51 
A. What are non-finites?
A.1. Read the items given below. Some are sentences and have a finite verb. 
Others are phrases and have a non-finite verb. Write       for sentences and             
for phrases in the boxes provided. 
A.2. Now read the items again. Circle the non-finite verbs. Write them in the 
box below. How many types of non-finite verbs do you have?
1. Subroto is playing with my brother.
2. Playing the piano
3. Trees fallen on the road
4. Rohan fell down and hurt himself.
5. The medals won by our house
6. This year we won the gold medal.
7. Hanging on a silver chain
8. Sheetal is hanging the decorations in the room.
9. It is impossible to ignore the beggars on the roads. 
10. Ignoring my warnings
11. I swim for an hour daily.
12. To swim in the pool
S
P
In this unit you will learn to distinguish between non-finite and finite verbs. You will also practise 
the appropriate use of the three different types of non-finites: the 'ing' form, the infinitive (plain) 
form and 'ed' form.  The use of non-finites in formal writing helps us achieve compactness and 
economy by avoiding repetition.
Page 2


4
NON FINITES
51 
A. What are non-finites?
A.1. Read the items given below. Some are sentences and have a finite verb. 
Others are phrases and have a non-finite verb. Write       for sentences and             
for phrases in the boxes provided. 
A.2. Now read the items again. Circle the non-finite verbs. Write them in the 
box below. How many types of non-finite verbs do you have?
1. Subroto is playing with my brother.
2. Playing the piano
3. Trees fallen on the road
4. Rohan fell down and hurt himself.
5. The medals won by our house
6. This year we won the gold medal.
7. Hanging on a silver chain
8. Sheetal is hanging the decorations in the room.
9. It is impossible to ignore the beggars on the roads. 
10. Ignoring my warnings
11. I swim for an hour daily.
12. To swim in the pool
S
P
In this unit you will learn to distinguish between non-finite and finite verbs. You will also practise 
the appropriate use of the three different types of non-finites: the 'ing' form, the infinitive (plain) 
form and 'ed' form.  The use of non-finites in formal writing helps us achieve compactness and 
economy by avoiding repetition.
CBSE
A.3 Look at the pictures and complete the story below them, using an 
appropriate form of one of the verbs in the box below.
52
Bhola (on the verandah) 
watching a spacecraft 
about to land
Bhola hiding behind the 
bushes and watching 
through binoculars.
Strange creature frightened by a 
small mouse jumping out of a 
small box amidst the loot near 
the spacecraft.
An idea strikes Bhola.
I shall catch some mice
Bhola releasing mice from the cage behind 
the bushes.  Mice running towards 
spacecraft.
SPACECRAFT FLYING AWAY, 
people rejoicing.
Bhola, the Genius 
Strange creatures plundering the 
town, looting bank, shops, houses. 
People running away in fright. 
Page 3


4
NON FINITES
51 
A. What are non-finites?
A.1. Read the items given below. Some are sentences and have a finite verb. 
Others are phrases and have a non-finite verb. Write       for sentences and             
for phrases in the boxes provided. 
A.2. Now read the items again. Circle the non-finite verbs. Write them in the 
box below. How many types of non-finite verbs do you have?
1. Subroto is playing with my brother.
2. Playing the piano
3. Trees fallen on the road
4. Rohan fell down and hurt himself.
5. The medals won by our house
6. This year we won the gold medal.
7. Hanging on a silver chain
8. Sheetal is hanging the decorations in the room.
9. It is impossible to ignore the beggars on the roads. 
10. Ignoring my warnings
11. I swim for an hour daily.
12. To swim in the pool
S
P
In this unit you will learn to distinguish between non-finite and finite verbs. You will also practise 
the appropriate use of the three different types of non-finites: the 'ing' form, the infinitive (plain) 
form and 'ed' form.  The use of non-finites in formal writing helps us achieve compactness and 
economy by avoiding repetition.
CBSE
A.3 Look at the pictures and complete the story below them, using an 
appropriate form of one of the verbs in the box below.
52
Bhola (on the verandah) 
watching a spacecraft 
about to land
Bhola hiding behind the 
bushes and watching 
through binoculars.
Strange creature frightened by a 
small mouse jumping out of a 
small box amidst the loot near 
the spacecraft.
An idea strikes Bhola.
I shall catch some mice
Bhola releasing mice from the cage behind 
the bushes.  Mice running towards 
spacecraft.
SPACECRAFT FLYING AWAY, 
people rejoicing.
Bhola, the Genius 
Strange creatures plundering the 
town, looting bank, shops, houses. 
People running away in fright. 
CBSE
53
look, watch, view, steal, find,
jump, climb, run, search, live, 
stay, land, peer, speed
One night Bhola, while + ______________________ the sky from his verandah, 
heard a strange sound.  Just about + _______________ in the forest nearby was a 
spacecraft.  Next day the people of the town were      + ___________ away from 
their homes, frightened by the strange creatures who had landed in their 
midst.  The intruders ran all over the town, + __________________ food, money 
and all that they could lay their hands on.  Scared out of his wits, Bhola hid in 
the bushes.   +____________ through his binoculars, Bhola * _________ one of 
the intruders + ____________ into a box.  On + __________ a small mouse            
+ ________ out of the box, the intruder * ____________ off in terror.  This gave 
Bhola an idea.  He spent the next day +_______________ for mice.
Next morning Bhola * ____________________ a cage full of mice to the spacecraft 
and set them free.  On +______________________ the mice, the intruders were 
too frightened + __________________ on Earth any longer, and they     
* _______________ in their spacecraft immediately.
A. 4 Now put the verbs you have just filled in above, in column A (verbs 
marked +) and B (verbs marked*) below.
COLUMN A (verbs marked +)                 
COLUMN B (verbs marked*)
Page 4


4
NON FINITES
51 
A. What are non-finites?
A.1. Read the items given below. Some are sentences and have a finite verb. 
Others are phrases and have a non-finite verb. Write       for sentences and             
for phrases in the boxes provided. 
A.2. Now read the items again. Circle the non-finite verbs. Write them in the 
box below. How many types of non-finite verbs do you have?
1. Subroto is playing with my brother.
2. Playing the piano
3. Trees fallen on the road
4. Rohan fell down and hurt himself.
5. The medals won by our house
6. This year we won the gold medal.
7. Hanging on a silver chain
8. Sheetal is hanging the decorations in the room.
9. It is impossible to ignore the beggars on the roads. 
10. Ignoring my warnings
11. I swim for an hour daily.
12. To swim in the pool
S
P
In this unit you will learn to distinguish between non-finite and finite verbs. You will also practise 
the appropriate use of the three different types of non-finites: the 'ing' form, the infinitive (plain) 
form and 'ed' form.  The use of non-finites in formal writing helps us achieve compactness and 
economy by avoiding repetition.
CBSE
A.3 Look at the pictures and complete the story below them, using an 
appropriate form of one of the verbs in the box below.
52
Bhola (on the verandah) 
watching a spacecraft 
about to land
Bhola hiding behind the 
bushes and watching 
through binoculars.
Strange creature frightened by a 
small mouse jumping out of a 
small box amidst the loot near 
the spacecraft.
An idea strikes Bhola.
I shall catch some mice
Bhola releasing mice from the cage behind 
the bushes.  Mice running towards 
spacecraft.
SPACECRAFT FLYING AWAY, 
people rejoicing.
Bhola, the Genius 
Strange creatures plundering the 
town, looting bank, shops, houses. 
People running away in fright. 
CBSE
53
look, watch, view, steal, find,
jump, climb, run, search, live, 
stay, land, peer, speed
One night Bhola, while + ______________________ the sky from his verandah, 
heard a strange sound.  Just about + _______________ in the forest nearby was a 
spacecraft.  Next day the people of the town were      + ___________ away from 
their homes, frightened by the strange creatures who had landed in their 
midst.  The intruders ran all over the town, + __________________ food, money 
and all that they could lay their hands on.  Scared out of his wits, Bhola hid in 
the bushes.   +____________ through his binoculars, Bhola * _________ one of 
the intruders + ____________ into a box.  On + __________ a small mouse            
+ ________ out of the box, the intruder * ____________ off in terror.  This gave 
Bhola an idea.  He spent the next day +_______________ for mice.
Next morning Bhola * ____________________ a cage full of mice to the spacecraft 
and set them free.  On +______________________ the mice, the intruders were 
too frightened + __________________ on Earth any longer, and they     
* _______________ in their spacecraft immediately.
A. 4 Now put the verbs you have just filled in above, in column A (verbs 
marked +) and B (verbs marked*) below.
COLUMN A (verbs marked +)                 
COLUMN B (verbs marked*)
CBSE
54
Study the verbs given in Column A and Column B. How do they differ 
from each other?
The verbs in Column A are not controlled by the number, person and tense 
of their subject. Therefore they are …………………………………………..
The verbs in Column B are controlled by the number, person and tense of 
their subject. Therefore they are …………………………………………..
What are the verbs in Column A called (Write in the box below)?
worry      change        peer hit    frighten          blaze
One day there came some strange news. Everybody was talking about it. 
Round eyes, busy mouths, ........................... voices - everybody was talking 
about it. 
A. 5 Here is part of a letter that Anuradha wrote to Raji about her experience in 
a city that she was visiting. Complete the letter using suitable non-
finites.
A.6. Given below is an extract from the story The Iron Man and The Space 
Being. Complete the story using suitable non-finite verbs. You may 
choose words from the box given below.
When I saw a beggar _____________ near the Big Temple, I decided to help him.  
But when the other beggars saw me ___________ him some money, they started 
__________ around me.  I was a little embarrassed and __________ the menace, 
I entered a hotel nearby.  The manager of the hotel made me __________ the need 
for caution while _________ beggars.  After _______ me, he went on to ask me if I 
would like ____________ a guide _________ me round the city.  I politely refused his 
offer of help and went back to my own hotel.
Page 5


4
NON FINITES
51 
A. What are non-finites?
A.1. Read the items given below. Some are sentences and have a finite verb. 
Others are phrases and have a non-finite verb. Write       for sentences and             
for phrases in the boxes provided. 
A.2. Now read the items again. Circle the non-finite verbs. Write them in the 
box below. How many types of non-finite verbs do you have?
1. Subroto is playing with my brother.
2. Playing the piano
3. Trees fallen on the road
4. Rohan fell down and hurt himself.
5. The medals won by our house
6. This year we won the gold medal.
7. Hanging on a silver chain
8. Sheetal is hanging the decorations in the room.
9. It is impossible to ignore the beggars on the roads. 
10. Ignoring my warnings
11. I swim for an hour daily.
12. To swim in the pool
S
P
In this unit you will learn to distinguish between non-finite and finite verbs. You will also practise 
the appropriate use of the three different types of non-finites: the 'ing' form, the infinitive (plain) 
form and 'ed' form.  The use of non-finites in formal writing helps us achieve compactness and 
economy by avoiding repetition.
CBSE
A.3 Look at the pictures and complete the story below them, using an 
appropriate form of one of the verbs in the box below.
52
Bhola (on the verandah) 
watching a spacecraft 
about to land
Bhola hiding behind the 
bushes and watching 
through binoculars.
Strange creature frightened by a 
small mouse jumping out of a 
small box amidst the loot near 
the spacecraft.
An idea strikes Bhola.
I shall catch some mice
Bhola releasing mice from the cage behind 
the bushes.  Mice running towards 
spacecraft.
SPACECRAFT FLYING AWAY, 
people rejoicing.
Bhola, the Genius 
Strange creatures plundering the 
town, looting bank, shops, houses. 
People running away in fright. 
CBSE
53
look, watch, view, steal, find,
jump, climb, run, search, live, 
stay, land, peer, speed
One night Bhola, while + ______________________ the sky from his verandah, 
heard a strange sound.  Just about + _______________ in the forest nearby was a 
spacecraft.  Next day the people of the town were      + ___________ away from 
their homes, frightened by the strange creatures who had landed in their 
midst.  The intruders ran all over the town, + __________________ food, money 
and all that they could lay their hands on.  Scared out of his wits, Bhola hid in 
the bushes.   +____________ through his binoculars, Bhola * _________ one of 
the intruders + ____________ into a box.  On + __________ a small mouse            
+ ________ out of the box, the intruder * ____________ off in terror.  This gave 
Bhola an idea.  He spent the next day +_______________ for mice.
Next morning Bhola * ____________________ a cage full of mice to the spacecraft 
and set them free.  On +______________________ the mice, the intruders were 
too frightened + __________________ on Earth any longer, and they     
* _______________ in their spacecraft immediately.
A. 4 Now put the verbs you have just filled in above, in column A (verbs 
marked +) and B (verbs marked*) below.
COLUMN A (verbs marked +)                 
COLUMN B (verbs marked*)
CBSE
54
Study the verbs given in Column A and Column B. How do they differ 
from each other?
The verbs in Column A are not controlled by the number, person and tense 
of their subject. Therefore they are …………………………………………..
The verbs in Column B are controlled by the number, person and tense of 
their subject. Therefore they are …………………………………………..
What are the verbs in Column A called (Write in the box below)?
worry      change        peer hit    frighten          blaze
One day there came some strange news. Everybody was talking about it. 
Round eyes, busy mouths, ........................... voices - everybody was talking 
about it. 
A. 5 Here is part of a letter that Anuradha wrote to Raji about her experience in 
a city that she was visiting. Complete the letter using suitable non-
finites.
A.6. Given below is an extract from the story The Iron Man and The Space 
Being. Complete the story using suitable non-finite verbs. You may 
choose words from the box given below.
When I saw a beggar _____________ near the Big Temple, I decided to help him.  
But when the other beggars saw me ___________ him some money, they started 
__________ around me.  I was a little embarrassed and __________ the menace, 
I entered a hotel nearby.  The manager of the hotel made me __________ the need 
for caution while _________ beggars.  After _______ me, he went on to ask me if I 
would like ____________ a guide _________ me round the city.  I politely refused his 
offer of help and went back to my own hotel.
55
CBSE
One of the stars of the night sky had begun  ........................... This star had 
always been a very tiny star, of no importance at all. It had shone up there for 
billions and trillions and zillions of years in the Constellation of Orion. In all its 
time this tiny star had never changed in any way. 
Now suddenly, it began to get bigger. Astronomers, ........................... through 
their telescopes, noticed it first. They watched it with ............. frowns. 
The tiny star was definitely getting bigger. And not just bigger. But  bigger and 
bigger and Bigger. Each night it was BIGGER. 
Bigger than the Dog-star, the large, coloured twinkler at the heel of the Hunter 
Orion. 
Bigger than Jupiter, the great ........................... planet. Everybody could see it 
clearly, night after night, as it grew and Grew and GREW. They stared up with 
frightened faces. 
Till at last it hung there in the sky over the world, blazing down, the size of the 
moon, a deep gloomy red. And now there could be only one explanation. The 
star was getting bigger because it was getting nearer. And nearer and Nearer 
and, NEARER.
It was rushing towards the world. 
Faster than a bullet: 
Faster than any rocket. 
Faster even than a meteorite.
 And if it hit the world at that speed why, the whole world would simply be 
blasted to bits in the twinkling of an eye. It would be like an express train 
........................... a bowl of goldfish.
No wonder the people stared up with frightened faces. No wonder the 
astronomers watched it through their telescopes with worried frowns.