2. Non-finite dependent clauses

Syntactic functions and complexity features

Structural type 2: Non-finite dependent clauses
- Syntactic function 1: clause constituent: adverbial
  - Complexity feature 1: to-clause as adverbial
  - Complexity feature 2: ing-clause as adverbial
  - Complexity feature 3: ed-clause as adverbial
- Syntactic function 2: clause constituent: verb complement
  - Complexity feature 1: verb + to complement
  - Complexity feature 2: verb + ing complement
- Syntactic function 3: noun phrase constituent: modifier
  - Complexity feature 1: noun + to relative clause
  - Complexity feature 2: noun + ing relative clause
  - Complexity feature 3: noun + ed relative clause
- Syntactic function 4: noun phrase constituent: complement
  - Complexity feature 1: noun + to complement clause
- Syntactic function 5: other phrase constituent: adjective complement
  - Complexity feature 1: adjective + to complement clause
  - Complexity feature 2: extraposed adjective + to complement clause
- Syntactic function 6: other phrase constituent: prepositional complement
  - Complexity feature 1: preposition + ing complement clause

Non-finite dependent clauses

In contrast to finite dependent clauses, non-finite dependent clauses are distinct from their finite counterparts in that they do not contain a verb phrase marking tense or modality. Therefore, structurally they are more succinct and implicit compared to finite clauses. They typically omit an explicit subject and often do not require a subordinator, which leads to a lack of explicitness and a compact semantic structure. Interpreting a non-finite clause often requires context from the main clause and sometimes from the broader context of the discourse. There are three primary types of non-finite clauses, each characterized by a different form of verb phrase: to-infinitive clauses, ing-clauses, and ed-clauses (pp. 198-201). Below are some examples to compare between non-finite and finite clauses:

Example 1: to-infinitive clause
- Non-finite: I don't know what to write in the report.
- Finite: I don't know what I should write in the report.
Example 2: ing-clause
- Non-finite: Reading through the document, she found several critical errors.
- Finite: As she was reading through the document, she found several critical errors.
Example 3: ed-clause
- Non-finite: Shocked by the news, he was unable to respond.
- Finite: Because he was shocked by the news, he was unable to respond.

Subjects in non-finite clauses

In non-finite clauses, a subject is frequently implicit, inferred from the context rather than explicitly stated. When the subject is expressed within non-finite clauses, it takes the form of a noun phrase. In this case, the subject cannot be a clause and always appears before the verb phrase (p. 125).

Do you want [us] to put them back in?
I asked [Mother] to put his bike in the garage.