Stop. Grammar Time. · Stop. Grammar Time. a most timely endeavor in language usage. APR 2013 iNFiNiTiVES. REVIEW. Copy the sentences. Circle the infinitives and underline the complete

Stop. Grammar Time. a most timely endeavor in language usage.

APR 2013

VERBALS are verb forms used as other parts of speech. There are three:

• infinitives • participles • gerunds

VERBALS

How to Use Verbals in Writing By Geraldine Woods from English Grammar For Dummies, 2nd Edition

Sometimes in English, we use verb forms as other parts of speech. When this happens, what we are dealing with is called a verbal. Verbals come in three forms: gerunds, infinitives, and participles.


APR 2013

GERUNDS. REVIEW.

A gerund ends in -ing and functions as a noun.

Examples:

Jogging is good for your health.

I went shopping Saturday.


APR 2013

GERUNDS. REVIEW. Copy the sentences. Circle the gerunds

and underline the complete gerund phrases.

1. My family enjoys eating lunch together.

2. Riding a bicycle can be good exercise.

3. Jumping rope is good for your heart.

4. His favorite activity is reading great new books.

5. I dream of skydiving from an airplane.


APR 2013

iNFiNiTiVES.

VERBALS

What is an infinitive, anyway?

Infinitives are the “to” form of a verb. They may be

used as nouns, and, as such, adopt the properties of

both nouns and verbs. They may also, less

frequently, be used as adjectives or adverbs.

VERBALS

How about infinitives in sentences?

Infinitives inherit several important characteristics

from verbs:

• Infinitives look like verbs, with the word to tacked on

in front — to dance, to dream, to be, and so on.

• Words or phrases that usually describe verbs may

also describe infinitives — to dance divinely, to

dream daily, to be in the kitchen, and so on.

VERBALS



from verbs:

• Similarly, the type of clause that usually describes

verbs may also describe infinitives — to dance until

the cows come home, to hope against all odds,

to be the kind of person you should be, and so on.

VERBALS



from verbs:

• Infinitives may have objects or subject

complements — to dance a jig, to

dream an impossible dream, to be silly, and so on.


APR 2013

iNFiNiTiVES. Summary. An infinitive consists of the word “to,” followed by a verb form. It may function as a noun, an adjective, or even an adverb. Examples: You need to study for the test. Mortimer stopped to buy a snack. I have homework to finish before class.


APR 2013

iNFiNiTiVES. REVIEW. Copy the sentences. Circle the infinitives and underline the complete infinitive phrases. 1. Most dogs love to bark at cars. 2. To master a skill takes patience and practice. 3. Jessica entered the race in order to win. 4. My goal is to live happily as a Christian! 5. The kitties mewed to get my attention.


APR 2013

PARTiCiPLES.

VERBALS

Participles? Whatever.

Participles are actually parts of verbs. In some

sentences, participles act as part of the complete

verb (helping verb and main verb), and in those

situations, they are not called verbals.

VERBALS


When participles are verbals, they, like the other two

verbals, inherit some important traits from their mom

the verb:

• Participles look like verb parts, though they may

have several different forms. Most end with -ed,

some with -ing, and some take an irregular form.

VERBALS




the verb:

• Words or phrases that usually describe verbs may

also describe participles:

driven home, coping bravely, elevated to theposition

of Emperor, having crossed illegally, gone with the

wind, and so on).

VERBALS




the verb:

• Similarly, the type of clause that usually describes

verbs may also describe participles:

driven although he has two perfectly good

feet, coping bravely when tragedy strikes,

gone after the sun sets, and so on.

VERBALS




the verb:

• Participles may have objects or subject:

elevated Ella to the position of Empress, having

crossed the road, and so on.

VERBALS


Participles describe nouns and pronouns; as such,

they are adjectival.

• They may precede the noun or pronoun that they

describe: tired feet, sneezing dwarves, boiled noodles.

VERBALS


Participles may appear in different parts of a sentence.

• They may follow a linking verb, in which case they

describe the subject:

Ella is exhausted. (The participle exhausted follows

the linking verb is and describes Ella.)

VERBALS



• They may follow the noun or pronoun that they

describe. In this position, participles often include

descriptive words or objects. The participles and the

words associated with them are called participial

phrases.

VERBALS



• The participles and the words associated with them

are italicized here:

Martin, having accidentally angered the bull, is

running for the fence as fast as he can. (Having

accidentally angered the bull describes Martin.)

VERBALS



• Participles may begin the sentence, in which case

they must describe the subject of the sentence:

Poked in the tummy, the doll immediately said, “Watch

it, Buster!” (Poked in the tummy describes doll.)


APR 2013

PARTiCiPLES. SUMMARY.

A participle usually ends in -ed or -ing. Participles function as adjectives. Examples: Have you ever seen a dancing monkey? The tired child fell asleep in the car. A broken pencil lay on the floor.


APR 2013

PARTiCiPLES. REVIEW. Copy the sentences. Circle the participles

and underline the complete participle phrases.

1. Have you seen my biking helmet?

2. I really do not like burnt toast.

3. I responded to the student asking a question.

4. The plants growing near the window need water.

5. This filtered water tastes really strange.

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Stop. Grammar Time. · Stop. Grammar Time. a most timely endeavor in language usage. APR 2013 iNFiNiTiVES. REVIEW. Copy the sentences. Circle the infinitives and underline the complete