Verbals

Grammar Lesson 10
English 10
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.
• In both cases, the word
looks like a verb, but if it’s
used as something other
than a verb…it’s a VERBAL
Is it a VERB or a VERBAL??
• Examples:
– Waxed
– Flowing
– Playing
– Sleeping
• These can be verbs or
verbals depending upon
how they are used in the
sentence.
Is it a VERB or a VERBAL??
• Examples:
– Our butler waxed the floors.
– The waxed floors were
slippery and dangerous.
• In the first sentence, the
word is being used as a
verb to tell what action is
being done.
• In the other one, the word
still looks like a verb, but it is
being used as an adjective
Is it a VERB or a VERBAL??
• Examples:
– Water was flowing over the
rocks in the stream.
– Flowing water carries a great
deal of potential energy.
• The same thing is true here
as in the other example.
• The second sentences
shows the verb working as
an adjective instead of a
verb.
Basic Information on Verbals
• Verbals are verb forms
(words that look like verbs
or could be verbs in other
sentences) that are used
as one of the following:
– Noun
– Adjective
– Adverb
• A verbal can never be the
verb of the sentence.
Basic Information on Verbals
• There are three different
kinds of verbals:
– Infinitive
– Participle
– Gerund
• Each verbal has a specific
purpose and use in a
sentence.
Infinitives
• An infinitive is a verb form
that is proceeded by the
word “to.”
– To play
– To sleep
– To be seen
– To steal
– To have been stolen
– To speak
Infinitives
• In some sentences
(following certain verbs),
the “sign of the infinitive”
(the word “to) is omitted.
• This is done for clarity.
– Help him (to) move the sofa.
– Watch the fish (to) snap at
the hook.
– Can you feel the floor (to)
move?
Infinitives
• The verbs which call for an
omitted “to” are:
– See
– Hear
– Feel
– Help
– Let
– Make
– Watch
Infinitives
• An infinitive has three
possible functions:
– As a noun
– As an adjective
– As an adverb
• Knowing where an infinitive
should go helps make the
structure of the sentence
more clear.
Infinitives
• As a noun:
– I hate to go. (direct object)
– To steal is a crime. (subject)
• As an adjective:
– It’s time to go. (modify time)
– There are jobs to be done
(modify jobs)
• As an adverb:
– He always plays to win.
(modify plays)
Infinitives
• Infinitives can also have
modifiers or complements.
• This can be done because
there is a verb form in the
infinitive that (if being used
as a verb in another
sentence) could take a
complement such as an
indirect or direct object or
a predicate complement.
Infinitives
• 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 strenuously object…
– To always comply…
• It is bad structure for this to
be formed.
Participles
• Verb forms that are used as
adjectives are called
participles.
• They will have two forms:
– Present (ending in “-ing”)
– Past (ending in “-ed” or
“-en”)
• These contain action, but
they are not used as verbs
in the sentence.
Participles
• Examples:
– Smoking gun
– Snoring spouse
– Broken window
– Elected official
– Streaming video
– Buzzing noise
– Winning touchdown
– Walking track
Participles
• Participles can appear in
several places in the
sentence, but they are
most commonly found
describing / modifying the
subject.
• Participle phrases can also
be made from single
participles
– Running along the path
Participles
• Most participle phrases will
have commas setting them
off. This is especially true
when they open a
sentence and modify the
subject.
– Running at full speed, the
back raced twenty yards for
a score.
– Crying loudly, the baby
wanted some attention.
Gerunds
• A gerund looks a lot like a
participle because it ends
in “-ing.”
• However, the gerund is
going to be used as a
noun.
• Gerunds will show up as
subjects, direct or indirect
objects or objects of
prepositions.
Gerunds
• Examples:
– Chewing gum in class is not
allowed. (subject)
– I liked eating at the new
restaurant. (direct object)
– Without running very hard I
won the race.
– Abusing the warm fuzzy
kitten is not allowed in this
class. (subject)
Practice:
• You will be shown ten
sentences with a word or
phrase underlined.
• Identify the word or
phrases as:
– Infinitive
– Participle
– Gerund
Practice:
1. Sleeping soundly in his
bed, Ron was not going
to be disturbed by
anyone in his house.
2. I wanted to try out for the
lacrosse team this spring.
3. The rushing waters of the
Colorado River were
great for rafting.
Practice:
4. The warm fuzzy kitten,
meowing loudly in the
hallway, was a nuisance.
5. We tried shooting with the
NBA’s new basketball and
found it to be
challenging.
6. To run a mile in less than
four minutes is nearly
impossible.
Practice:
7. Charging wildly down the
street, the bulls tried to
crush the citizens of
Pamplona.
8. Cheating on a final exam
in English is not an
advisable solution to not
studying.
9. To sleep, perchance to
dream.
Practice:
10. On the sixth day of Xmas,
my true love gave to me
six geese a-laying, five
gold rings, four calling
birds, three French hens,
two turtle doves and a
partridge in a pear tree.
SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE!!
• Now that you can identify
these verbals, you have
the great privilege of going
on to the next great step in
verbals……..
DIAGRAMMING!!