Chapter 3: Verbals

What is a verbal?

A form of a verb that performs the function of a noun, adjective, or adverb.

Ex. Running is good exercise – Running is a gerund, subject of the sentence

Ex. Running swiftly, he caught the thief– Running is a participle, modifying “he”

Ex. The boy is running down the street– Running is a sentence verb.

What is a verbal?

A verbal can NOT take the place of a sentence verb.

Ex. The boy running– This is a fragment!

Ex. The boy running up the stairs is Charles– Running is a participle, modifying boy

What is a verbal?

A verbal can NOT take the place of a sentence verb.

Ex. To face an audience.– This is a fragment!

Ex. To face an audience was a great effort for me.– To face is an infinitive, subject of the sentence

Types of verbals

There are three types of verbals

1.Gerund2.Participle3. Infinitive

Types of verbals – 1. Gerund

Definition of a Gerund:– Verbal used as a noun– in present tense ends –ing

Be careful not to confuse it with a participle, which is used as an adjective.

Gerund as a subject

Because a gerund is a noun, it can be used as a subject– Ex. Planning the work carefully required a great

deal of time.– The gerund is Planning

Gerund as a complement

Because a gerund is a noun, it can be used as a complement– Ex. I appreciated your taking time

to help me– The gerund is taking

Gerund as an object of a preposition

Because a gerund is a noun, it can be used as an object of a preposition– Ex. She was not to blame for

breaking the vase– The gerund is breaking

Gerund as an appositive

Because a gerund is a noun, it can be used as an appositive– Ex. His greatest ambition,

teaching, became a reality

Advanced Gerunds

A. Gerund’s can also take an object, like a verb.

– Ex. Planning the work carefully required a great deal of time

The object of Planning is “the work carefully”

– Ex. She was not to blame for breaking the vase

– The object of breaking is “the vase”

Advanced Gerunds

B. Always use the possessive form of a noun or pronoun before a gerund.

- Ex. Mr Bridges was surprised at Doug’s offering him the motorboat.

Types of verbals – 2. Participle

Definition of a Participle:– Verbal used as an adjective– in present tense ends –ing– In past tense ends in –ed, -d, -t, -n,

or may have a vowel change

sing -> sung

Participle

ExamplesEx. The broken doll can be mended– The participle is broken

Ex. An old coat, faded and torn, was her only possession

- The participles are faded and torn

Types of verbals – 3. Infinitive

Definition of an infinitive:– It is the simplest form of the

verb and the word to

Uses of infinitive verbals

It can be used as a noun– Ex. To err is human– To err is the infinitive, subject

Adjective– Ex. He had a few books to read– To read is the adjective, modifying

books

Uses of infinitive verbals

Or as an adverb.– Ex. Frank seemed eager to go– To go is the adverb modifying eager.

HINT: If you can use the phrase “in order” before it, it is usually an adverb– Ex. Katy paid ten dollars (in order) to

get good seats.

Advanced Uses of infinitive verbals

What about?

Susan helped carry the packages.– To is omitted because it is

understood as “Susan helped to carry the packages.”

– It is a noun, direct object of helped