Finite and non-finite forms: the test

Multiple-choice exercise

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Choose the best answer for each question

  1. "He came to see me" contains
    1.   A non-finite verb with a non-finite infinitive
    2.   A finite verb marked for person with a non-finite infinitive
    3.   A finite verb marked for tense with a non-finite infinitive
    4.   A finite verb marked for tense with a finite verb marked for person
  2. "I can smell something burning" contains
    1.   A finite use of 'burn' in the progressive
    2.   A non-finite use of 'smell'
    3.   A finite verb and a non-finite participle
    4.   A finite verb and a non-finite gerund
  3. "I walked to the park" contains
    1.   A non-finite verb post-modified with a prepositional phrase
    2.   A finite verb post-modified with a prepositional phrase
    3.   A finite verb post-modified with an adverb phrase
  4. "What do they want to have done about it?" is an example of
    1.   the non-finite passive voice use of 'want'
    2.   non-finite modal auxiliary verbs
    3.   chaining non-finite verbs
    4.   non-finite perfect tense indicators
  5. In "I am here", the use of 'am' indicates
    1.   number only
    2.   number and person
    3.   person only
    4.   gender and tense
  6. "Opening the box, he saw it was empty" contains
    1.   A non-finite gerund followed by a finite verb
    2.   A non-finite participle verb followed by a finite verb
    3.   A non-finite participle verb followed by a non-finite verb
    4.   A finite verb followed by a finite verb
  7. The infinitive with to can:
    1.   only follow an auxiliary verb
    2.   follow a main verb or be the subject of a verb
    3.   only follow an auxiliary verb and a main verb
    4.   only follow a main verb
  8. English verbs do not inflect for gender.
    1.   False
    2.   True
  9. The imperative form in English has no subject normally so is ...
    1.   ... unusual but still a finite form
    2.   ... a finite, non-finite
    3.   ... an example of person indicated by verb form alone
    4.   ... a non-finite form
  10. The infinitive without to can:
    1.   follow an auxiliary verb and a main verb
    2.   act as a noun or follow an auxiliary verb and a main verb
    3.   only follow an auxiliary verb
    4.   follow an auxiliary verb and a main verb or be the subject of a verb