Download Gerund

Gerund
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A verb + ing that is now a noun
Dance + ing = Dancing is fun.
In that sentence dancing is the subject
I enjoy eating. (eating is the direct object)
How are these gerunds used?
We appreciated your sending the new software
documentation.
Anthony enjoyed teaching software programs.
Using spreadsheet software simplifies financial
calculations.
Participle
A participle is a verbal that functions as an
adjective to modify a noun or pronoun.
Verb + d, ed, or ing that is now an adjective.
A participle requires a comma to set off an
introductory participle or participial phrase.
WALKING through the park, I saw a bear.
A present participle ends in ing.
Using a new keyboard, I improved my data entry
speed.
Participle
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A past participle ends in ed for regular
verbs.
Determined to learn the software, she
asked Lynn for help.
The man DRESSED in black is the robber.
Dangling Participles / Misplaced Modifiers .
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Participles must be used with care. They will
modify the closest noun. Consider the
following sentences:
The robber ran from the policeman, still
holding the money in his hands.
After being whipped fiercely, the cook boiled
the egg.
Flitting from flower to flower, the football
player watched the bee.
Dangling Participles
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Here's another example: Walking along the beach, the sun
rose majestically over the ocean. Now, that's a nice trick. This
sentence has the sun walking along the beach!
Here's a corrected version: Walking along the beach, we saw
the sun rise majestically over the ocean. Now the participial
phrase modifies "we," as it should.
Changing the oil every 3,000 miles, the car seemed to run
better.
Corrected version:
Changing the oil every 3,000 miles, Fred found he could get
much better gas mileage.
Misplaced Modifiers
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A modifier is a word or a phrase that describes
something else. You should place it as close as
possible to what it describes. If you don't, your
intended meaning may not be clear.
Consider the unintentional meanings in the following:
The young girl was walking the dog in a short skirt.
The dog was chasing the boy with the spiked collar.
Infinitive
Consists of the present part of a verb plus
the word “to.”
It cannot stand alone as the verb in a
sentence.
It requires use of a comma for setting off
introductory infinitive phrases that are not
subjects.
It functions as a noun, adjective, or an
adverb.
Infinitive
To sleep is my only desire.
• To sleep would be the subject
• I love to eat. To eat would be the DO
• Her desire to act is strong. To act is an adj.
Infinitive Phrases:
To avoid forgetting the assignment, Joe wrote it down
in his notebook.
To be perfectly honest, I forgot to finish my homework.
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Split Infinitive
Sara hopes to quickly finish her
chemistry homework so that she can
return to the more interesting
Stephen King novel she had to
abandon.
Right>
< Wrong
Sara hopes to finish her chemistry
homework quickly so that she can
return to the more interesting
Stephen King novel she had to
abandon.
To Split or Not To Split?
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An infinitive will occasionally require splitting,
sometimes for meaning and sometimes for sentence
cadence. One of the most celebrated split infinitives
begins every episode of Star Trek: "To boldly
go where no one has gone before ...." Boldly to go?
To go boldly? Neither option is as effective as the
original!
By the book it is wrong to split in formal writing, but
it may sound better to do so.
Appositives
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Nonessential appositives, which rename the noun or
antecedent, are separated by commas
Poe, a popular American author, only received $14 for
composing the classic poem “The Raven.”
Neil Armstrong, the first person to walk on the moon,
took his historic step on July 20, 1969.
The popular US President John Kennedy was known
for his eloquent and inspirational speeches. - - essential
so no commas - - there have been more than one
President, so “Kennedy” is essential to the meaning
Prepositions
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A preposition connects words, clauses, and
sentences together and shows the relation
between them.
"My hand is on the table" shows relation
between hand and table.
Examples of common English Prepositions:
above, after, behind, during, from, toward
and until
Prepositions continued
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If the prepositional phrase describes a noun,
the phrase functions as an adjective:
The table with the broken leg is downstairs.
If the phrase describes a verb, adverb, or adjective,
then it is acting like an adverb
 The rabbit hopped through the pretty garden.
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