VERBALS

Let’s WARM UP! Underline all the verbs in the sentences, and encircle those that you
think are verbals (those that look like verbs but perform other functions in the sentence).

I like to go out with James again. He and I share the same interest in reading
books. We both have fascinating books. I love African-American writers such as Alice
Walker and Toni Morrison. He, on the other hand, loves reading books of much-
celebrated writers like Nathaniel Hawthorne and Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Must Know 1[Grammar in Focus]

VERBALS are verb forms used not as verbs anymore
but as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.

The president is eating.

subject verb

The president loves eating. 1. Listening is my weakness.

subject verb object
2. Jeremy enjoys reading.
3. I saw a shooting star.
A VERBAL PHRASE consists of a verbal and all of its 4. The crushed bug looks
modifiers and objects.
disgusting.
She loves eating foie gras at that French restaurant. 5. I went there to eat.
6. I need to go now.
To go to Europe is a once-in-a-lifetime1 experience.

The woman crossing the road is Dianne’s mother.

Must Know 2 [Grammar in Use]

THE VERBAL TRIO

1. GERUND (verb + -ing) 1. My hobby is baking.
- function as nouns
- a phrase starting with a gerund is called a 2. Raising the funds was difficult.
gerund phrase 3. The Smiths love cooking for
their relatives.
I enjoy singing.
4. Joseph hoped to get a job by
gerund
learning a new language.
I enjoy singing songs from the 1990s. 5. My dream, becoming a chef,
gerund phrase will come true.

2. PARTICIPLE (verb + -ing or verb + -ed)

- function as adjectives
- a phrase starting with a participle is called a 1. The boy wearing a red shirt is
participial phrase Jackson.
2. Joe saved the drowning kid.
I saw a broken window. 3. Frozen food is not healthy.
participle
4. The house destroyed by fire
The window broken into tiny pieces was my room’s.
was demolished.
participial phrase
5. The car taken to the shop
needs a total makeover.
3. INFINITIVE (to + verb) 6. Clay wants to eat homemade
- function as nouns, adverbs, or adjectives sweets.
- a phrase starting with an infinitive is called an 7. The purpose of the class was to
infinitive phrase teach children English.
8. To clean the house seemed
To steal is a sin.
infinitive impossible.
I would like to say a word.
9. He is the one to blame.
infinitive phrase 10. I’ll do it to show you how it is
done.
Must Know 3 [Grammar Issues]

VERBALS

 COLLOCATIONS
In English, some verbs take only gerunds as
direct objects while other verbs take only
infinitives.

Verbs followed by GERUNDS only

stop consider miss
complete enjoy mind
practice dislike suggest
1. I enjoy (to eat, eating) spicy food.
I dislike smoking . 2. Would you mind (to close, closing) the door for
I don’t mind conducting another test. me?
3. She failed (to pass, passing) the exam.
Verbs followed by INFINITIVES only
decide want wish 4. She tried (to lift, lifting) the table alone, but she
promise fail refuse
mean hope would like couldn’t.
5. I like (dance, dancing).
Randy hopes to see the content of the book soon .
Germaine doesn’t mean to hurt you .

Verbs followed by GERUNDS or INFINITIVES

start love forget/remember
begin try continue
like hate prefer

It began/started to rain just as we were leaving.

It began/started raining just as we were leaving.

GUIDED PRACTICE 3
Gerund, Participle, Infinitive: Encircle the answer(s) that correctly complete(s) the
sentences.

1. I decided (staying, to stay) here over vacation.

2. I dislike (shopping, to shop) alone.
3. I would like (going, to go) to Athens with you.
4. I don’t mind (waiting, to wait) for you.
5. We began (having, to have) dinner at 10 pm.
6. I fail (watching, to watch) that episode.
7. I promise not (visiting, to visit) that place anymore.
8. I miss (fishing, to fish) at the river nearby.
9. I don’t mean (offending, to offend) you.
10. Melinda refused (giving, to give) me some more details.
11. I like (having, to have) one whole weekend only for myself.

Must Know 2 [Grammar in Use]

Certain verbs may be followed by either
GERUND or an INFINITIVE.

(a) She will begin singing any time soon.

We started buying new books.
(b) She will begin to sing any time soon.
We started to buy new books.
Most of the times, these sentences have the
same meaning as in (a) and (b). However, some
differ in meaning as in the following:

LIKE I like going out with you.

I like working here. (You work here now)
I like to work here. (You want to work here in the future) I like to go out with you.

TRY
I found a phone and I tried calling you to know if it’s
I tried pushing the bed.
working. It did. (I tested it)
I tried to call you. (I exerted effort in doing it.) I tried to push the bed.

STOP We all stopped working.

I stopped smoking. (You quit)
We all stopped to work.
I stopped to smoke. (You were doing something else and
you stopped in order to smoke)

She remembered kissing Mom goodbye.

REMEMBER
Shane remembered feeding the dog. (He did it, and he
She remembered to kiss Mom goodbye.
remembered that he did this.)
Shane remembered to feed the dog. (He remembered
that he had to feed the dog.)
I forgot selling those clothes.
FORGOT
Jack forgot sending the package. (He did it, but he couldn't I forgot to sell those clothes.
remember that he sent it.)
Jack forgot to send the package.
(He did not do it.)
REGRET I regret leaving you here.
I regret telling you my secret. (I told you my secret and now
I regret that I did it.) I regret to leave you here.
I regret to tell you that you are fired. (I am sorry to inform
you...)

GO ON I will go on swimming with Shandy.

We went on playing for hours. (We continued doing it)
I will go on to swim with Shandy.
After studying, we went on to play for hours. (This is what
I did next)
EXTRA GUIDED PRACTICE 1
Finding the Right Verbal!: Encircle the answer that best completes the following sentences based on
the following context.

1. The garage is now open because you remembered (to open, opening) it before you left.
2. Your mother told you to close the door, but you did not. You forgot what she told you to do. You
forgot (to close, closing) the door.
3. You go to the beach every Saturday because you are a professional surfer.
You like (going, to go) to that beach on Saturdays.
4. I told her that she was the most boring person I’d been with. Now, she’s crying.
I regret (to blurt, blurting) that thing out. If only I could undo things.
5. I regret (to fire, firing) them but I can’t do anything. I’ll tell them the bad news next week.
6. A: Don’t stop playing. I’ll be back.
B: Sure. I’ll go on (playing, to play).
7. A: What will you do after playing?
B: I think I’ll go on (watching, to watch) Shrek.
8. You don’t have money anymore to send yourself to school. So you stopped.
You stopped (studying, to study).
9. You’ve been working to earn money for the purpose of going back to school.
After a year, you’ll stop (studying, to study) again.
10. You’ve been out of job for a year. Why are you very lazy? Why don’t you try (looking, to look) for
a job?
11. In cooking spaghetti, try (adding, to add) some oregano. It will enhance the taste of the pasta.
Must Know 3 [Grammar Issues]
 TO MEET or TO MEETING? 1. _______ I am accustomed to eating only
Be careful with the preposition to (followed
by a noun, thus by a gerund) and the particle to fruits.
of an infinitive (followed by the base form of the
verb). The following sentences are correct… 2. _______ Candy is committed3 to serving
you.
I want to sleep now.
3. _______ We are dedicated to saving
Annie deserves to meet a better guy.
endangered animals.
BUT
I look forward to meeting you.
4. _______ He is dedicated to promoting
We are committed to serving you. organic farming.

List of common expressions followed by 5. _______ I would like to object4 to

gerund. cutting education budget.

be accustomed to be committed to
be dedicated to be opposed to
be devoted to object to
look forward to contribute2 to

 USED TO GO OR GOING? 1. _______ I used to cook a lot.

- used to + base form of the verb expresses
the idea of something often repeated in the past, 2. _______ I used to cooking a lot serving
but it is not usually done now. you.
I used to live on my own. (That was before; I now live
with someone)
3. _______ Luke is used to talk to a crowd.

- be used to + gerund expresses the idea 4. _______ Luke is used to talking to a

about something that is normal or familiar to us. crowd.

I am used to living on my own. (I live on my own and It’s 5. _______ I got used to eating with my
fine with me. I am accustomed to this) left hand.

EXTRA GUIDED PRACTICE 2

Compare them!: Encircle the answer that correctly completes the following sentences.

1. Everyone hopes (getting, to get, to getting) a glimpse of Tom Cruise.

2. I am looking forward (having, to have, to having) dinner with you again.
3. I am not used (watching, to watch, to watching) horror films alone.
4. My mom used (cooking, to cook, to cooking) for us every weekend.
5. You will be used (dealing, to deal, to dealing) with them.
6. Our country needs (uniting, to unite, to uniting) now more than ever.
7. I would like to contribute (creating, to create, to creating) a better world.
8. I have always been used (working, to work, to working) hard.
9. She used (being, to be, to being) a very high-spirited5 kid.
10. This institution is committed (protecting, to protect, to protecting) abused women.
11. He used (knowing, to know, to knowing) how to speak Spanish.