Non Finite Subordinate Clauses

A COMPLETE CLASSIFICATION OF THE NON FINITE SUBORDINATE CLAUSES IN ENGLISH GRAMMAR

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Non Finite Subordinate Clauses
Non Finite Subordinate Clauses

Non Finite Subordinate Clauses | A must-read for all teachers teaching higher level English grammar

A subordinate clause, as it is named, is below the rank of a principal clause.

Sub = below ; ordinate = rank

That being said, a subordinate clause is dependent on a principal clause in order to be grammatically meaningful both semantically and syntactically.

While a principal clause is independent, a subordinate clause is always dependent on the former.

Subordinate Clauses Classification | Non Finite Subordinate Clauses

In MODERN ENGLISH GRAMMAR, we classify all the subordinate clauses into two basic groups : (1) FINITE SUBORDINATE CLAUSES & (2) NON-FINITE SUBORDINATE CLAUSES.

While a finite subordinate clause has a subject and a finite verb, a NON-FINITE SUBORDINATE CLAUSE, in which the subject is often understood, generally shows a nonfinite verb — infinitive or gerund or participle — followed by object/ modifier/ complement.

Non Finite Subordinate Clauses Examples

There are, in all, thirty one (31) classes of non-finite subordinate clauses, as given below with a single example for each class :

(1) INFINITIVAL NON-FINITE SUBJECT NOUN CLAUSE

eg. To smoke cigarette is injurious to health.

(2) INFINITIVAL NON-FINITE DELAYED SUBJECT NOUN CLAUSE

eg. It is your duty to finish the work in time.

(3) INFINITIVAL NON-FINITE OBJECT NOUN CLAUSE

eg. I have decided to meet her tomorrow.

(4) INFINITIVAL NON-FINITE DELAYED OBJECT NOUN CLAUSE

eg. The extreme heat made it dangerous to work outside.

(5) INFINITIVAL NON-FINITE SUBJECT COMPLEMENT NOUN CLAUSE

eg. His goal was to become a well-known writer.

(6) INFINITIVAL NON-FINITE OBJECT COMPLEMENT NOUN CLAUSE

eg. Janet’s father wants her to go to Harvard.

(7) INFINITIVAL NON-FINITE ADJECTIVE COMPLEMENT NOUN CLAUSE

eg. I am very happy to meet you.

(8) INFINITIVAL NON-FINITE SUBJECT APPOSITIVE NOUN CLAUSE

eg. His only dream, to become a doctor, came true.

(9) INFINITIVAL NON-FINITE OBJECT APPOSITIVE NOUN CLAUSE

eg. He always cherished his only dream, to become a doctor.

(10) INFINITIVAL NON-FINITE TERMINAL ADJECTIVE CLAUSE

eg. I want a book to read.

(11) INFINITIVAL NON-FINITE EMBEDDED ADJECTIVE CLAUSE

eg. The beautiful place to visit on a holiday is a sea beach.

(12) INFINITIVAL NON-FINITE TERMINAL ADVERB CLAUSE

eg. He goes to school to learn his lessons.

(13) INFINITIVAL NON-FINITE EMBEDDED ADVERB CLAUSE

eg. He drove for a long time and, to meet his friend on the way, occasionally stopped his car.

(14) GERUNDIAL NON-FINITE SUBJECT NOUN CLAUSE

eg. Smoking cigarette is injurious to health.

(15) GERUNDIAL NON-FINITE DIRECT OBJECT NOUN CLAUSE

eg. He enjoys reading story books.

(16) GERUNDIAL NON-FINITE INDIRECT OBJECT NOUN CLAUSE

eg. Charles gave running the marathon his best shot.

(17) GERUNDIAL NON-FINITE SUBJECT COMPLEMENT NOUN CLAUSE

eg. His hobby is playing football.

(18) GERUNDIAL NON-FINITE OBJECT COMPLEMENT NOUN CLAUSE

eg. How can you call this gibberish writing creatively ?

(19) GERUNDIAL NON-FINITE PREPOSITIONAL OBJECT NOUN CLAUSE

eg. Holidays are perfect time for visiting tourist spots.

(20) GERUNDIAL NON-FINITE SUBJECT APPOSITIVE NOUN CLAUSE

eg. His ambition, becoming a famous actor, never came true.

(21) GERUNDIAL NON-FINITE OBJECT APPOSITIVE NOUN CLAUSE

eg. He always cherished his only dream, becoming a doctor.

(22) GERUNDIAL NON-FINITE EMBEDDED ADVERB CLAUSE

eg. Driving a car without paying attention will cause great trouble.

(23) GERUNDIAL NON-FINITE TERMINAL ADVERB CLAUSE

eg. He did the job without seeking help from anyone.

(24) PRESENT PARTICIPIAL NON-FINITE POST-MODIFIER EMBEDDED ADJECTIVE CLAUSE

eg. The man walking down the street looked like a stranger.

(25) PAST PARTICIPIAL NON-FINITE POST-MODIFIER EMBEDDED ADJECTIVE CLAUSE

eg. The man seated at the back of the door is the caretaker of this house.

(26) PRESENT PARTICIPIAL NON-FINITE TERMINAL ADJECTIVE CLAUSE

eg. I saw an old man walking down the street.

(27) PAST PARTICIPIAL NON-FINITE TERMINAL ADJECTIVE CLAUSE

eg. He took one cup of tea mixed with honey and lemon juice.

(28) PRESENT PARTICIPIAL NON-FINITE EMBEDDED ADVERB CLAUSE

eg. He went on working and, hearing the noise, lost his attention.

(29) PAST PARTICIPIAL NON-FINITE EMBEDDED ADVERB CLAUSE

eg. He continued walking and, exhausted of the hot weather, finally decided to stop.

(30) PRESENT PARTICIPIAL NON-FINITE TERMINAL ADVERB CLAUSE

eg. Entering into the garden, he saw a beautiful rose.

(31) PAST PARTICIPIAL NON-FINITE TERMINAL ADVERB CLAUSE

eg. The president left the meeting hall, annoyed with the behaviour of the staff.

                -----  Somranjan Pal

FAQ

Q.1: What is a subordinate clause?

Ans: A subordinate clause is a clause that depends on a principal (main) clause to be meaningful. It is lower in rank and cannot stand alone.

Q.2: What is the difference between a principal clause and a subordinate clause?

Ans: A principal clause is independent and can stand alone, while a subordinate clause is dependent and needs the principal clause for meaning.

Q.3: What are the two main types of subordinate clauses?

Ans: In modern English grammar, subordinate clauses are classified into:
Finite subordinate clauses (with a subject and a finite verb)
Non-finite subordinate clauses (with a non-finite verb like an infinitive, gerund, or participle)

Q.4: What is a finite subordinate clause?

Ans: A finite subordinate clause has a subject and a verb in a finite form (shows tense).

Q.5: What is a non-finite subordinate clause?

usually has an implied subject and uses a non-finite verb (infinitive, gerund, or participle).

Q.6: How many types of non-finite subordinate clauses are there?

Ans: There are 31 types of non-finite subordinate clauses.

Q.7: Can you give an example of an infinitival non-finite subject noun clause?

Ans: Example: “To smoke cigarette is injurious to health.”

Q.8: What is a gerundial non-finite subject noun clause?

Ans: A gerundial clause uses a gerund to function as the subject. Example: “Smoking cigarette is injurious to health.”

Q.9: What is an infinitival non-finite object noun clause?

Ans: This clause uses an infinitive to function as the object of the sentence. Example: “I have decided to meet her tomorrow.”

Q.10: 10. Can you provide an example of a participial non-finite post-modifier embedded adjective clause?

Ans: Example: “The man walking down the street looked like a stranger.”

Q.11: What’s the difference between gerundial and participial clauses?

Ans: Gerundial clauses use gerunds (verb + ing) to act as nouns (e.g., subject, object).
Participial clauses use present or past participles (verb forms) to act as adjectives or adverbs.

Q.12: What is an example of a past participial non-finite terminal adverb clause?

Ans: Example: “The president left the meeting hall, annoyed with the behavior of the staff.”
Let me know if you’d like more specific details on any o

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