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Name _________________________
English 8
Period _____
Date ______________
Didio/Fragola/Hult/Pierce
Gerunds, Participles, and Infinitives…OH BOY!
GERUNDS
A gerund is a verbal noun. It looks like a verb, but when you really analyze it, you can see it is being used
as a noun. It has the properties of a verb and the uses of a noun.
A gerund has one form: add –ing to the present-tense verb
Write ------------ Writing
Give --------------Giving
See-----------------Seeing
Since a gerund is a verbal noun, it can be used as a subject.
For example: Playing piano is my favorite hobby.
Playing is a gerund because no one is actually playing the piano at that moment. Playing is used as a
‘thing.’ Things are nouns.
PRACTICE TIME!
Directions: Write a G over the words that are a gerund and an AV over the words that are an action
verb.
1. Singing in our glee club requires a lot of practice.
2. I am cooking all day long for the bake sale.
3. Throwing water balloons during lunch is forbidden.
4. Dropping your pencil during class can be very distracting.
5. She is eating pumpkin pie at the table.
6. Washing clothes is a boring chore.
PARTICIPLES
A participle is a verbal adjective. This means it often looks like a verb, but it does the same job as an
adjective. Participles generally end in –ing or –ed.
For example: The crying baby had a wet diaper.
Crying is the participle in this sentence. It seems like crying is an adjective describing the noun, baby, but it
is really a verbal acting like an adjective, so crying is a participle.
PRACTICE TIME
Directions: Highlight the participles in the following sentences.
1. The burning log fell off of the fire.
2. The running water provided a sense of tranquility in the spa.
3. The crushed bug was quite gross.
4. The squirming toddler crossed the floor.
5. The referee stopped the raging athlete from storming the court.
INFINITIVES
An infinitive is a verbal usually preceded by to, the sign of the infinitive. Infinitive means not limited (see
how you can point out the word ‘infinite’?) Infinitives show something that is without limit.
For example: He likes to read.
In that sentence, to read is the infinitive. There is no limit to the fact that he likes reading.
PRACTICE TIME
Directions: Underline the infinitives in the following sentences.
1. To take good pictures is not always easy.
2. To write short stories was his one goal.
3. Molly’s class was the last to arrive.
4. To love is a wonderful achievement.
Adapted from uhv.edu; Grammar Mastery – for Better Writing Level 1