Non-finite clauses rhetoric impact¶

Non-finite clause type	Example	Grammatical role	What is packaged?	Rhetorical effect on the reader
Infinitival clause	To leave now would be a mistake.	Subject	Action/proposition	Encourages the reader to consider the action as an abstract possibility or policy choice.
Infinitival clause	Her goal is to win.	Predicative complement	Intended action	Presents the action as a purpose, objective, or future outcome.
Infinitival clause	I want to leave.	Complement	Desired action	Directs attention to intention, desire, or potential action.
Infinitival clause (purpose)	She left early to catch the train.	Adjunct	Purpose	Explains motivation efficiently and naturally.
Gerund-participial clause	Swimming is healthy.	Subject	Activity	Treats an activity as a general concept or category.
Gerund-participial clause	I enjoy swimming.	Complement	Activity	Presents the activity as an object of attitude or evaluation.
Gerund-participial clause	Ben’s leaving surprised us.	Subject	Event	Reifies the event, allowing it to be discussed as a thing.
Gerund-participial clause	After leaving the office, she went home.	Adjunct	Prior event	Compresses background information and improves flow.
Past-participial clause	Defeated by the storm, the expedition returned home.	Adjunct	Resulting state	Highlights circumstances or consequences without a separate clause.
Past-participial clause	The documents submitted yesterday are complete.	Modifier	State/result	Efficiently adds descriptive information.
Bare infinitival clause	I saw him leave.	Complement	Whole event	Presents the event as directly perceived and complete.
Gerund-participial clause (perception)	I saw him leaving.	Complement	Ongoing event	Presents the event from the inside, as unfolding.

Verbless (with comparison to alternatives):

Example	Verbless?	Focus / rhetorical impact
He’d been there without anyone noticing him.	✗	Presents an accompanying event; more explicit and process-oriented.
He was sunbathing without any sunscreen on.	✓	Presents an accompanying state or condition; more compressed and immediate.
While I was working in Rome, I lived with them.	✗	Presents a full background event with explicit time and viewpoint.
While working in Rome, I lived with them.	✗	Presents the background activity more compactly and integrates it with the main event.
While in Rome, I lived with them.	✓	Presents only the relevant setting or state; highly compressed and backgrounded.
Just imagine — our son being a doctor!	✗	Presents the situation as an imagined state of affairs; more event-like.
Just imagine — our son a doctor!	✓	Presents the imagined state directly and vividly; more immediate and emphatic.