Cambridge Grammar of English Hardback with cd-rom a comprehensive Guide

Û

539 Glossary for any unfamiliar terms

Clause types | 545

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Examples of finite clauses

clause

tense

He 

lives on his own.

present

Aren’t you going anywhere in between times?

present

I seriously 

considered private health care.

past

She always 

rings | when we’re out.

present | present

We 

could go up and get one.

modal*

* Some modal verbs have forms which can indicate present and past time

reference (e.g. can/could, shall/should, will/would, may/might) (

Û

380b

). Past

forms in such cases are often used to make indirect statements about a present or

future situation, or to perform particular speech acts (

Û

408–423 Speech acts

):

I thought I 

would wait and see what happened.

Could you hold this for me, please?

NON-FINITE CLAUSES

298

Non-finite clauses contain a lexical verb which does not indicate tense. Non-finite

clauses can normally only be subordinate, and typically combine with finite ones

in sentences. 

References to time (and person and number) are normally interpreted from context

or from information in the finite clause to which the non-finite clause is related. 

Examples of non-finite clauses (non-finite clauses are shaded, verbs are in bold)