Finite and non-finite forms: the test

Multiple-choice exercise

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Choose the best answer for each question

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