The dual nature of non-finite forms of the verb. Morphological categories of verbals

The main division inside the verb is that between the finite verbs (finites) and non-finite verbs (verbals). Through the opposition of finite and non-finite forms the category of finitude is revealed. Finites present marked and intensive member of the opposition. Non-finite forms present unmarked and extensive member of the opposition.

Verbals possess some verbal and some non-verbal features. Lexically verbals do not differ from finite forms. Grammatically non-finites may denote a secondary action or a process related to that expressed by the finite verb.

The finites can be subdivided into 3 systems - moods: indicative, imperative, subjunctive.

The verbids can be subdivided into 3 systems: infinitive, gerund, participle.

Formal morphological characteristics. Verbals possess the verb categories of voice, perfect, and aspect. They lack the categories of person, number, mood, and tense. None of the forms have morphological features of non-verbal parts of speech, neither nominal, adjectival or adverbial.

Combinability and functions. Non-verbal character of verbals reveals itself in their syntactical functions. Thus, the infinitive and the gerund perform the main syntactical functions of the noun, which are those of subject, object and predicative. Participle I functions as attribute, predicative and adverbial modifier; participle II as attribute and predicative. They cannot form a predicate by themselves, although unlike non-verbal parts of speech they can function as part of a compound verbal predicate.

Verbals may combine with nouns functioning as direct, indirect, or prepositional objects, with adverbs and prepositional phrases used as adverbial modifiers, and with subordinate clauses. Non-finites may also work as link verbs, combining with nouns, adjectives or statives as predicatives, as in. They may also act as modal verb semantic equivalents when combined with an infinitive. All non-finite verb forms may participate in the so-called predicative constructions.

The infinitive has the verb categories of voice (to praise – to be praised), order (to keep – to have kept) and aspect (to bring – to be bringing).

The gerund is a non-finite form of the verb with some noun features. Morphologically the verbal character of the gerund is manifested in the categories of voice and order.

Participle is a non-finite form of the verb with some adjectival and adverbial features. The verbal character of participle is manifested morphologically in the categories of voice and order.

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