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finite vs non-finite

In the sentence "I will eat my lunch", is "eat" a verb, or is it some kind of participle? Or is it "will" that is the verb? Confused. The page on finite vs non-finite on grammar monster is very clear, but provides no examples of future tense.

Re: finite vs non-finite

Amanda Brown
In the sentence "I will eat my lunch", is "eat" a verb, or is it some kind of participle? Or is it "will" that is the verb? Confused. The page on finite vs non-finite on grammar monster is very clear, but provides no examples of future tense.


"Eat" in your example is the plain form of the verb, and as such it is non-finite. "Will" is a modal auxiliary verb that is finite, thus the clause itself is also finite. The modal auxiliaries "can" and "could", "will" and "would", "may" and "might" "shall" and "should", "must" "ought", "need" and "dare" are all finite.

Note that "will eat" indicates future time, but it is NOT future tense. English does not have a future tense.

PaulM