by R. S. Karunaratne

Finite and non-finite verbs

A sentence must have at least one finite verb. The finite verb changes its form according to the tense and subject of the sentences. Let's have a look at some finite verbs.

Present tense

Sam wants to see a film.
Jayamini likes ice-cream.
Sedera cycles to school.
Anjali forgets what she learns.
Birds fly in the sky.

Past tense
Yesterday Kanthi wanted to see her grandmother.
I liked the new house.
We climbed Sri Pada last Sunday.
Susila danced beautifully at the concert.
Narmada forgot to bring her notebook.

Future tense
Tomorrow we will visit the zoo.
You will meet her at the gym.
We will study English at school.
Cabral will drive my car.
The teacher will test our knowledge of English.
A verb ending in 'ing' is a non-finite verb. It cannot stand on its own. We usually
add a 'be' verb before it to turn it into a finite verb.
Mala is dancing on the stage.
The principal is coming to school.
We are studying English.

Leslie is buying a sweep ticket.
The monkey is eating a mango.
A verb with 'to' before it is also a non-finite verb. It also cannot stand on its own.
We usually add a finite verb before the non-finite verb to make the sentence complete.
All of you are to sing the National Anthem now.
The minister is trying to settle the dispute at the Ceylon Electricity Board.
Every child has to wear a uniform.
We have to rush to the hospital.
She had to finish the work before noon.

Starters :

Future continuous tense

We form the future continuous tense using ‘shall’ for ‘I’ and ‘we’. However, today it is more common to use ‘will’ for all nouns and pronouns. The method: ‘will be’ + base form of the verb + ‘ing’.

We use the future continuous tense to show that an action will be going on in the future.

At 8 a.m. tomorrow I will be working in the laboratory.

At 3 p.m. tomorrow he will be attending a board meeting.

Matilda will be leaving for Italy next Tuesday.

We will be flying to Delhi tomorrow.

Harry will be calling you next week.

All the schoolchildren will be attending a seminar tomorrow morning.

Affirmative
I will be working (First person singular)
You will be working (Second person singular)
He will be working (Third person singular)
We will be working (First person plural)
You will be working (Second person plural
They will be working (Third person plural)

Negative
I will not be working.
You will not be working.
He will not be working.
We will not be working.
You will not be working.
They will not be working

Negative (Contracted)
I won’t be working.
You won’t be working.
He won’t be working.
We won’t be working.
You won’t be working.
They won’t be working.

Interrogative
Will I be working?
Will you be working?
Will he be working?
Will we be working?
Will you be working?
Will they be working?

Negative interrogative
Will I not be working?
Will you not be working?
Will he not be working?
Will we not be working?
Will you not be working?
Will they not be working?

Like other continuous tenses the future continuous tense is also used with a point in time.

This time tomorrow I will be undergoing an operation.

He will still be sleeping when I visit him tomorrow morning.

The future continuous tense can be used to express future without intention.

I will be meeting Sam tomorrow.

She will be meeting her uncle next week.

Rex won’t be coming to the class tomorrow.

Roy won’t be working next week.

Match the synonyms

A synonym is a word or phrase which has the same or nearly the same meaning as another word or phrase. For instance, ‘small’ and ‘little’ are synonyms. Here is a quiz on synonyms. Pick the right synonym for the following words in column ‘A’ from those in column ‘B’.

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[Column A]

1. vegetate
2. real
3. naught
4. unmade
5. substance
6. substantial
7. Baseless
8. characteristics
9. innate
10. essential
11. mode
12. role
13. detailed
14. relevance
15. approximate
16. kindred
17. unrelated ness
18. farfetched
19. interact
20. identity
21. reproduce
22. contrary
23. regularity
24. similarity
25. dissimilar

KEY

 1. J, 2. R 3. B 4. Y 5. O 6. U 7. F 8. S 9. A 10. X 11. V 12. L 13. M 14. P 15. N 16. C 17. I 18. H 19. K 20. T 21. W 22. Q 23. G 24. D 25. E

Collective nouns You find some important collective nouns in column ‘A’. Match them with the words in column ‘B’. Check your answers with the key.

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Column A

1. an anthology of .............
2. an assembly of ...............
3. a batch of .................
4. a bench of ..................
5. a bevy of ..................
6. a board of .................
7. a bouquet of ................
8. a brood of ................
9. a chattering of ................
10. a choir of ................
11. a clump of .................
12. a cluster of ................
13. a clutch of .................
14. a colony of ...................
15. a company of .................
16. a compendium of ................
17. a congregation of ................
18. a covey of .................
19. a crew of a .................
20. a drove of ..................
21. a fleet of ................
22. a flight of .................
23. a flock of ................
24. a gaggle of .................
25. a galaxy of ..................

Column B

A. magistrates
B. actors
C. beautiful women
D. geese
E. flowers
F. sheep G. stars
H. poems
I. steps
J. ships
K. singers
L. cakes
M. games
N. chicks
O. cattle
P. directors
Q. eggs
R. gulls
S. starlings
T. statesmen
U. trees
V. partridges
W. worshippers
X. ship
Y. quails

[KEY] 1. H, 2. T, 3. L, 4. A, 5. Y, 6. P, 7. E, 8. N, 9. S, 10. K, 11. U, 12. G, 13. Q, 14. R, 15. B, 16. M, 17. W, 18. V, 19. X, 20. O, 21. J, 22. I, 23. F, 24. D, 25. C.