English Grammar for the Utterly Confused - Laurie Rozakis 2003
Verbal Phrases
Chapter 7 Phrases and Clauses
Part 3 Sentence Sense
A verbal is a verb form used as another part of speech. Verbals come in three varieties: participles, gerunds, and infinitives. Each type has a different function in a sentence:
• Participles function as adjectives.
• Gerunds function as nouns.
• Infinitives function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.
Although a verbal doesn’t function as a verb in a sentence, it does retain two qualities of a verb:
• A verbal can be described by adverbs and adverbial phrases.
• A verbal can add modifiers to become a verbal phrase.
3. Participle phrases
A participle is a form of a verb that functions as an adjective. There are two kinds of participles: present participles and past participles.
• Present participles end in -ing (jumping, burning, speaking).
• Past participles usually end in -ed, -t, or -en (jumped, burnt, spoken).
The wailing cats disturbed the neighbors.
The present participle “wailing” describes the noun cats.
Annoyed, the customer stalked out of the store.
The past participle “annoyed” describes the noun customer.
Participle phrases contain a participle modified by an adverb or an adverbial phrase. They function as an adjective. A participle phrase can be placed before or after the word it describes.
Walking carefully, I avoided the spilled juice.
The participle phrase “walking carefully” describes the pronoun I.
Nina, bothered by the mess, cleaned it up.
The participle phrase “bothered by the mess” describes the noun Nina.
4. Gerund phrases
A gerund is a form of a verb used as a noun. Gerunds can function as subjects, direct objects, indirect objects, objects of a preposition, predicate nominative, and appositives.
• Gerunds always end in -ing.
• Gerunds always act as nouns.
In adult education, the Kitters discovered dancing.
The gerund “dancing” is a direct object.
Like a participle, a gerund can be part of a phrase.
The slow, steady dripping annoyed him.
The gerund phrase is “the slow, steady dripping.”
Jill’s morning schedule includes exercising for a full hour.
The gerund phrase is “exercising for a full hour.”