VERBALS

Verbals
• Verbals are formed from verbs.
• They may express action.
• They may have modifiers (adjectives and
adverbs).
• They may be followed by complements such
as direct objects, indirect objects, predicate
nominatives, and predicate adjectives.
More on Verbals
• However, verbals ARE NOT USED AS VERBS!!!
They ARE used as:
• nouns
• adjectives
• adverbs
Infinitives
• An infinitive is a verb form that is proceeded by the word
“to.”
• To play
• To sleep
• To be seen
• To steal
• To have been stolen
• To speak
Infinitives
• In some sentences (following certain verbs), the “sign of
the infinitive” (the word “to) is omitted.
• This is done for clarity.
• Help him (to) move the sofa.
• Watch the fish (to) snap at the hook.
• Can you feel the floor (to) move?
Infinitives
• The verbs which call for an omitted “to” are:
• See
• Hear
• Feel
• Help
• Let
• Make
• Watch
Infinitives
• An infinitive has three possible functions:
• As a noun
• As an adjective
• As an adverb
• Knowing where an infinitive should go helps make the
structure of the sentence more clear.
Infinitives
• As a noun:
• I hate to go. (direct object)
• To steal is a crime. (subject)
• As an adjective:
• It’s time to go. (modify time)
• There are jobs to be done (modify jobs)
• As an adverb:
• He always plays to win. (modify plays)
Infinitives
• Infinitives can also have modifiers or complements.
• This can be done because there is a verb form in the
infinitive that (if being used as a verb in another sentence)
could take a complement such as an indirect or direct
object or a predicate complement.
Infinitives
• Be careful not to create “split” infinitives.
• This is done when an adverb is placed between the “to”
and the verb form.
• To boldly go….
• To strenuously object…
• To always comply…
• It is bad structure for this to be formed.
Participles
• Verb forms that are used as adjectives are called
participles.
• They will have two forms:
• Present (ending in “-ing”)
• Past (ending in “-ed” or “-en”)
• These contain action, but they are not used as verbs in
the sentence.
Participles
• Examples:
• Smoking gun
• Snoring spouse
• Broken window
• Elected official
• Streaming video
• Buzzing noise
• Winning touchdown
• Walking track
Participles
• Participles can appear in several places in the sentence,
but they are most commonly found describing / modifying
the subject.
• Participle phrases can also be made from single
participles
• Running along the path
Participles
• Most participle phrases will have commas setting them
off. This is especially true when they open a sentence
and modify the subject.
• Running at full speed, the back raced twenty yards for a score.
• Crying loudly, the baby wanted some attention.
Gerunds
• A gerund looks a lot like a participle because it ends in “-
ing.”
• However, the gerund is going to be used as a noun.
• Gerunds will show up as subjects, direct or indirect
objects or objects of prepositions.
Gerunds
• Examples:
• Chewing gum in class is not allowed. (subject)
• I liked eating at the new restaurant. (direct object)
• Without running very hard I won the race.
• Abusing the warm fuzzy kitten is not allowed in this class.
(subject)
Tips and Tricks
• Participles may be past tense verbs or present
tense verbs.
• Find the main verb of the sentence first.
• Cross out prepositional phrases.
• Find the subject.
• Now look for single participles or entire
participial phrases.
• Remember: participles act as adjectives.
They describe nouns or pronouns.
• “What kind?” “Which one?” “How many?”
“Whose?
Practice:
• You will be shown ten sentences with a word or phrase
underlined.
• Identify the word or phrases as:
• Infinitive
• Participle
• Gerund
Practice:
1. Sleeping soundly in his bed, Ron was not going to be
disturbed by anyone in his house.
2. I wanted to try out for the lacrosse team this spring.
3. The rushing waters of the Colorado River were great
for rafting.
Practice:
4. The warm fuzzy kitten, meowing loudly in the hallway,
was a nuisance.
5. We tried shooting with the NBA’s new basketball and
found it to be challenging.
6. To run a mile in less than four minutes is nearly
impossible.
Practice:
7. Charging wildly down the street, the bulls tried to
crush the citizens of Pamplona.
8. Cheating on a final exam in English is not an
advisable solution to not studying.
9. To sleep, perchance to dream.
Practice:
10. On the sixth day of Xmas, my true love gave to me six
geese a-laying, five gold rings, four calling birds, three
French hens, two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear
tree.