Non-Finite Verbs

[InquisitorJL]

I have been working on the verbal morphology for my current conlang, and have come up to the topic of non-finite verbs. While I have a vague understanding of what they are (inifinitive, participles etc.) I don't really understand what they do in a language, and what possibilities are possible for their usage.

So I was wondering - what are different types of non-finite verbs there are and how they are used in natlangs, as well as your own conlangs?

[clockworkbanana]

I thought this was going to be a thread about verbs of eating...

[InquisitorJL]

I thought this was going to be a thread about verbs of eating...

Thanks for pointing that out :-D ... maybe I need to get something to eat, clearly that's where my mind is...

[Sankon]

Non-finite verbs don't act like verbs. They act like nouns, adjectives, or whatever you can think up. They are also often used in periphrastic constructions, such as "I have been sleeping", where they act as an oblique argument of the verb.

Examples:

I run. Your plain garden variety finite verb, showing what the subject does.
The running man. A non-finite verb form (participle) used as an adjective
Running is fun. Used as a noun (gerund)
I like to run. Used as a noun (infinitive)