Download Verbals

Verbals
• Verbals are verb forms: words that
look like verbs or could be verbs in other
sentences BUT are NOT used as verbs.
• Like a piggy bank, they look like something
that they are not!
• Verbals are used as one of the following:
Noun
Adjective
Adverb
• A verbal can NEVER be the verb of
the sentence!
Is it a VERB or a VERBAL?
Telling the difference between a verb and a
verbal is not done by looking only at the
word itself: You have to see how the
word is being used (context). In both
cases the word looks like a verb, but if it
is used as something other than a verb…
it’s a VERBAL.
Examples:
– My mom waxed the floors.
– The waxed floors were slippery and
dangerous.
Which is a verb and which is a verbal?
My mom waxed the floors.
In the first sentence, the word is being used as a
verb to tell what action is being done.
The waxed floors were slippery and
dangerous.
In this sentence the word still looks like a
verb, but it is being used as an adjective;
therefore, it is a VERBAL!
Which of these is a verbal?
– Water was flowing over the rocks in the
stream.
– Flowing water carries a great deal of
potential energy.
There are three different kinds of verbals:
Participles
Infinitives
Gerunds
Each verbal has a specific purpose and use
in a sentence. They may be used alone or
as a phrase.
Participles
• Participles are verb forms that are used
as adjectives.
• They will have two forms:
– Present (ending in “-ing”)
– Past (usually ending in “-ed”)
• These contain action, but
they are NOT used as verbs
in the sentence.
Participles
describe a noun and end in –ing or -ed
• Examples:
– Oinking pig
– Broken window
– Elected official
– Streaming video
– Winning touchdown
Most participle phrases will have commas
setting them off. This is especially true
when they open a sentence and modify
the subject. For example,
– Untackled by the defense, the player
raced twenty yards.
– Crying loudly, the baby
wanted some attention.
Infinitives
An infinitive is a verb form that is the word
“to” and an action verb (but it is NOT
used as a verb or a prep phrase).
– To play
– To sleep
– To be
– To write
– To speak
Infinitives
(TO + ACTION WORD)
An infinitive may be used as a:
– Noun (person, place, thing)
– Adjective (describes a noun)
– Adverb (describes a verb, adjective, or
another adverb)
•Infinitives as nouns:
– I to
hate
go. (direct
object)
– I hate
go.to(direct
object)
– To is
steal
is a crime.
(subject)
– To steal
a crime.
(subject)
• As adjectives:
an adjective:
– It’s to
time
go. (modifies
– It’s time
go.to(modify
time) time)
– There
areto
jobs
be done
– There
are jobs
be to
done
(modifies jobs)
(modify jobs)
• As an adverb:
– He always
to win.
– He always
plays plays
to win.
(modifies plays)
(modify plays)
• 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 go boldly
– To strenuously object…
– To always comply…
Gerunds
Gerunds are verb forms ending in “-ing”
that are used as nouns.
Gerunds
“-ing” verb forms that act as nouns
*Gerunds can be subjects, predicate
nominatives, direct objects, indirect
objects, and objects of prepositions.
Examples of gerunds:
– Eating is not allowed in class. (subject)
– I liked eating at the new
restaurant. (direct object)
– Without eating I would die. (object of a
preposition)
REMEMBER…
• Verbals are PIGs:
Participles
Infinitives
Gerunds
Practice, Part 1:
Label the types of verbals that are already
underlined in the following sentences as
participles, infinitives, or gerunds.
1. To run a mile in less than four minutes is
nearly impossible.
2. Charging wildly down the street, the
bulls tried to crush the citizens of
Pamplona.
3. Cheating on a final exam in English is not
an advisable solution to not studying.
4. Mom served creamed spinach for dinner.
5. My dream is to go to the Olympics.
Practice, Part 2:
Identify and label the verbals in the
following five sentences.
6. Sleeping soundly in his bed, Jake dreamed of
his future career.
7. I wanted to try out for the baseball team this
spring.
8. The fierce waters of the Chattahoochie River
were great for rafting.
9. The sweet little baby, crying loudly in the den,
was a nuisance.
10. We tried shooting with the NBA’s new
basketball and found that it was difficult.
The End