Finite verb
SAT glossary · Reading & Writing
Definition
A verb marked for tense and agreeing with a subject (runs, ran, has run, is running); only a finite verb can head an independent clause. Infinitives, bare participles, and gerunds are non-finite, and blurring the distinction is what loses Boundaries items a student otherwise knows.
Finite verb in plain English
A finite verb is a verb that's actually marked for TENSE and matches up (agrees) with a specific subject — like 'runs,' 'ran,' 'has run,' or 'is running.' Only a finite verb is capable of being the MAIN verb that holds up an entire independent (complete) clause. Words like 'to run' (an infinitive), 'running' by itself (a bare participle), or 'running' used as a noun (a gerund) are all NON-finite — they look like verbs but can't actually do the job of the sentence's real verb. Mixing up a finite verb with one of these non-finite look-alikes is exactly what causes students to lose Boundaries questions they otherwise fully understand.
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