The Verb: Special Finite Verbs
Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
Some verbs have an object. The object of a verb is the person or thing that is affected by the action of the verb. Objects are usually nouns or pronouns that receive the action.
Look at this sentence:
- Mayank eats an apple for breakfast.
- The subject is the person who does the action. The verb is the action word. The object is the person or thing affected by the action.
The subject of the verb is Mayank. He does the action: he eats. The object of the verb is an apple, which is affected by the action of the verb. In this sentence the verb "eat" has an object, an apple. Verbs that take an object are called transitive verbs.
Here are some sentences with transitive verbs. The verb is the action; the object receives the action.
- Sandeep likes apples.
- Ajit knows the answer to the question.
Some verbs do not have an object. A verb that does not have an object is called an intransitive verb. The action is complete in itself and is not done to any object.
- Lots of people cycle to work in China.
- The boys play in the garden after school.
Some verbs can be either transitive or intransitive. In such cases the meaning often changes with the presence or absence of an object. For example:
- He opened the door. (transitive: door is the object)
- The door opened. (intransitive: no object; the verb describes the state/change)
Finite Verbs and Special Finite Verbs
Finite verbs are verbs that indicate tense (past, present, future) and change according to the subject (person and number). A complete sentence must contain a finite verb to show when the action happens and who performs it.
Among the finite verb forms there is a group of forms that are used specially as auxiliaries or modals and for particular grammatical functions. These are referred to here as special finite verbs. Out of the various finite forms, 24 are commonly listed as special finite verbs because they perform special functions such as forming negatives with contracted not (n't), forming questions, expressing tense, aspect, permission, ability, obligation, suggestion, etc.
The 24 special finite verbs are shown below:
Most of these special finite verbs can be used with the contracted form of not (n't): isn't, aren't, wasn't, weren't, haven't, hasn't, hadn't, don't, doesn't, didn't, shan't, won't, shouldn't, wouldn't, can't, couldn't, mayn't, mightn't, mustn't, oughtn't, needn't, daren't, usedn't, ain't. Note that some of these (for example ain't) are informal or nonstandard and should be used with caution in formal writing.
Functions of Special Finite Verbs
1. As Principal (Main) Verbs
Some special finite verbs also act as principal (main) verbs when they carry the main meaning of possession, action, or state rather than serving only as auxiliaries.
Be (is / am / are / was / were / be / been / being)
As a principal verb, be expresses existence, identity, state or condition.
- Be a practical man. (imperative: be = main verb)
- Are they rich? (question with be as main verb)
To Have
Have functions in three important ways:
- As auxiliary to form perfect tenses: I have finished my work. / He had not seen the Taj before.
- As auxiliary in perfect continuous tenses: I have been writing for five hours. / She has been reading since 2 o'clock.
- As a full (main) verb to show possession or experience: I have a house in Delhi. / Vikrant has five cars.
To Do (do / does / did / done / doing / don't / doesn't / didn't)
Do also has two main uses:
- As a principal verb: I do my duty.
- As an auxiliary to form negatives, questions, and emphasis with other main verbs: I do not play football. / Do you like apples? / I did finish the work.
Modals and Their Uses
Modal verbs (may, might, can, could, shall, will, should, would, must, ought, etc.) are special finite forms that express ability, permission, obligation, probability, requests, offers, suggestions and more. They do not change form for number or person and are followed by the base form of the main verb.
May / Might
May is used for present/future possibility and for permission; might is its past form and is often used for more remote possibility or polite permission.
- To indicate permission: May I come in? (seek)
- You may come in. (grant)
- For possibility: It may rain today.
Can / Could
Can expresses present ability, capacity or possibility; could is its past form and also used for polite requests or less certain possibility.
- Aman can run very fast. (ability)
- I can lift this heavy stone. (ability)
- Could you help me, please? (polite request)
Shall / Will
Shall and will are used to form the future. In modern usage, will is common for most persons; shall is sometimes used for offers or formal statements with first person.
- You shall have a holiday today. (promise/order or formal usage)
- I will do it at any cost. (future intention or promise)
Should
Should is used to give advice, make suggestions, or indicate obligation weakly.
- We should help the poor. (advice / moral obligation)
Would
Would is the past form of will and is used for polite requests, hypothetical situations, and repeated past actions.
- Would you like to have a cup of tea? (polite offer)
- If I had time, I would go. (hypothetical)
Must
Must expresses strong obligation or necessity. It has no distinct past form.
- A servant must obey his master. (obligation)
Ought
Ought is used to express duty or correctness and is normally followed by to.
- We ought to love our country. (duty / moral obligation)
Other Special Forms and Notes
Many of the special finite verbs are accompanied by their negative contracted forms using n't (for example, isn't, haven't, don't, can't, won't, shouldn't, wouldn't, etc.). These contracted negatives are commonly used in speech and in informal writing.
Some forms listed among the 24 (such as ain't, mayn't, mightn't, daren't, usedn't) are either dialectal, archaic, or informal and are not recommended in formal writing. Ain't is widespread in colloquial speech but is considered nonstandard in formal contexts.
How Special Finite Verbs Work in Sentences
Special finite verbs often serve as auxiliaries to form tenses, questions, negatives and passive voice. As auxiliaries they combine with a main verb to express tense, aspect or mood. As principal verbs they carry the main lexical meaning (for example, have meaning possession, be meaning existence/state).
- Auxiliary use (forming tenses): She has finished - has helps form the present perfect.
- Auxiliary use (negation): They don't know. - do is used to form the negative of the main verb.
- Auxiliary use (questions): Did you go? - did forms the past question.
- Principal use: I have a pencil. - have is the main verb and shows possession.
Examples and Practice Sentences
- She is a teacher. (be as principal verb: state)
- They are playing cricket. (be as auxiliary forming progressive)
- He has written the letter. (have as auxiliary forming perfect)
- Do you like mangoes? (do as auxiliary to form a question)
- She can swim. (can expressing ability)
- You must finish your homework. (must expressing obligation)
- We ought to follow the rules. (ought followed by to)
Summary
Transitive verbs take an object; intransitive verbs do not. Finite verbs show tense and agree with the subject. Among finite forms, a set of special finite verbs (24 forms commonly noted) perform important grammatical functions: they act as auxiliaries to build tenses, form negatives and questions, and as modals to show ability, permission, obligation, probability and more. Some of these can also be principal verbs showing possession or state. Learn their uses with examples and note that contracted negatives with n't are a common feature of many of these forms.
FAQs on The Verb: Special Finite Verbs
| 1. What are finite verbs and how do they differ from non-finite verbs? |  |
| 2. Can you provide examples of finite verbs in sentences? | |
| 3. What are the different forms of finite verbs? | |
| 4. How do finite verbs function in different tenses? | |
| 5. Why is understanding finite verbs important for language learners? | |
