Verbals and Verbal Phrases

Verbals in Action
The farmers lamented to see their
crops dying.

Waiting for formal announcements of

classes suspension can sometimes be
stressful.

Students promise to study hard to

improve performance.
 What is a VERBAL?
□ A verb acting like another part
of speech

□ 3 types: infinitives, gerunds,

and participles
 Infinitives

□ to + a verb

□ Can be used as a noun, an

adjective, or an adverb in a
sentence
Examples:

■ I like to read before I go to sleep.

■ Most people like to watch

comedies on TV.

■ To succeed in school, you must

work hard.
Infinitives vs. Prepositional Phrases

□ Be aware that the word TO does not

always mean you have an infinitive.

□ If TO is not followed by a verb, it is

NOT an infinitive.
■ I like to shop at the mall.
■ Let’s go to the mall.
Infinitives as Nouns

□ To fly scares many people.

□ With two weeks off, Nina planned to
relax.
□ This semester, all Joel wanted was to
pass.
□ The race was about to start.
□ The suggestion, to forfeit, was
rejected.
Infinitives as Modifiers

□ The whole team displayed an ardent

desire to participate.

□ The Golden Gate Bridge was a sight

that was beautiful to see.
Reminder:
□ To is sometimes omitted when an
infinitive follows such verbs as dare,
feel, hear, help, let, make, need, see,
or watch.

□ The to is understood to be there.

Review: Infinitive or Prepositional

My mother went to see a doctor last

Friday.

The scholars gave the gift to the needy.

The farmers are about to plant their

crops.
 Review Functions
To finish my high school here in PSHS is
my long – term goal.

Her ambition is to write a research paper

for publication.

My teacher’s plan to bring the class to

community might immersion may not be
possible.
Review Functions

My groupmates are excited to present

a panel discussion.

Our assignment, to bring different

substances for experiment, is costly.
Write the infinitive phrase and
identify its use.
I tried hard to prepare for the exams.

To present a paper in an international

organization is her dream.

Her plan, to finish the novel, is

doable.
Write the infinitive phrase and
identify its use.
The lawyer found the document to be
presented.

I cannot let her fail in the

examination.

The researcher’s goal is to reject the

hypothesis.
Write the infinitive phrase and
identify its use.
The rainbow was wonderful to see.

Her parents were disappointed to

realize the mistake they made.

The teachers were happy to know

they passed.
 Gerunds
□ A verb acting like a noun

□ Always ends in –ing

□ Can be used as subjects, direct

objects and indirect objects, objects
of prepositions, and predicate
nominatives.
 Gerunds continued
Examples

■Swimming is my favorite sport.

■Do you like riding horses?
■Many students like playing
basketball in PE.
Gerund or Participle?

■ The dog, carrying its bone in

its mouth, ran around the
house.
■ Smiling is an indication that a
person is happy.
Uses of Gerunds
□ Subject: Talking loudly always
attracts attention.

□ Indirect object: He gave voting

for class president careful
thought.
Uses of Gerunds

□Direct object: Everyone in my house

enjoys watching the World Series.
Uses of Gerunds
□ Object of a preposition: She worked
eight hours without taking a break.

□ Predicate nominative: A great thrill

for her was winning the state
tennis tournament.

□ Appositive: Dad’s hobby, carving

wooden soldiers, has taught him
much about history.
Practice
Write each gerund phrase.
Then identify its function
as a subject, direct object,
indirect object, object of
preposition, predicate
nominative, or appositive.
Practice

1. Trying harder is
sometimes the answer.
Practice

2. I just finished my
term paper.
Practice

3. Sally wants a job in

banking.
Practice

4. Compulsive gambling
is a disease that is not
easy to cure.
Practice

5. Kim has developed

her gift, singing,
exceptionally well.
Practice

6. One serious crime for

hunters is poaching.
Practice

7. We finally stopped
the bleeding from the
cut in her leg.
Practice

8. When you clean,

avoid mixing bleach with
ammonia.
Practice

9. I became ill after

eating the spoiled
meat.
Practice

10. The clown’s best

trick was juggling.
 Participles
□ A verb acting like an adjective

□ Often ends in –ing or –ed but

occasionally ends in another way
Showing the difference
As a verb As a participle

She coveted the The coveted ring

ring. was soon hers.
Showing the difference
As a verb As a participle

The accountant The swindling

is swindling his accountant was
clients. apprehended.
Examples

■ Smiling, the teacher collected

homework from her students.

■ I like ice skating on frozen ponds.

■ Barking dogs can be a nuisance.

■ The burnt popcorn made the entire

house smell.
Punctuating?

Nonessential Essential
Participial Participial
Phrase Phrase
Participial Phrases
Essential Nonessential

Mark, running The boy running

with his with those
scissors, should scissors should
be stopped. be stopped.
 Participial Phrases
Nonessential Essential

PSHS, highly The school highly

recognized school recognized for
for science and instruction in
math instruction, science and math
is applying for is applying for
ISO accreditation. ISO accreditation.
Forms
□ There are three types of participles:
past, present, perfect.

■ Past participles end in –ed

■ Present participles end in –ing
■ Perfect partciples
 Participial Phrases
□ A participial phrase is a participle and
all of its objects or modifiers
□ Examples
■ Rounding third base, the runner charged
toward home plate.
■ The pitcher, losing control, has
overthrown the ball.
■ Especially pleased, the crowd cheered
loudly.
 Write each participle or participial
phrase.Then indicate if it is present,
past, or perfect.
Expecting good news, the student raced
to the mailbox.

The slouching model soon found herself

out of a job.

The key witness, protected by two

guards, has arrived.
Write each participle or participial
phrase. Then indicate if it is present,
past, or perfect.

I, having auditioned yesterday,

waited for the results

The soccer players, having grown

faint from the thirst, gratefully
accepted the cold oranges.
Write each participle or participial
phrase. Then indicate if it is present,
past, or perfect.
1. We drink purified water in our home.

2. Famished from the exercise, the

wrestler ate a whole pizza.

3. The chef, having buttered the bread,

warmed it in the oven.
Write each participle or participial
phrase. Then indicate if it is present,
past, or perfect.

4. Impeached by his constituents, the

politician headed home.

5. Hitting the shelf, I almost

dislodged the jars of fruit.
 Nominative Absolutes
One hour having elapsed, we returned the
call. (time)

The wizard’s spell broken, the people began

the arduous task of rebuilding the village.
(reason)

The boy could not reach the campsite, his

broken leg hurting him badly. (circumstance)
 Hints
□ Participles and participial phrases are
almost always near the noun or pronoun
they modify.
□ Participles and participial phrases can
usually be taken out of a sentence and the
sentence will still make sense.
■ The skilled catcher trapped the wild pitch in his
mitt.
■ The catcher trapped the wild pitch in his mitt.
Source
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