Verbals in English Grammar Made Easy: Gerunds, Infinitives, and Participles Explained

Verbals are verb forms that are used as different parts of speech rather than as verbs in a sentence. They retain some characteristics of verbs but function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. 

A verbal is a verb form that acts as a noun, adjective, or adverb. The three types of verbals include gerunds, participles, and infinitives.

1. GERUND

Gerunds are verb forms that act as nouns in a sentence. They are formed by adding “-ing” to the base form of a verb. As such, gerunds can be used as subjects, subject complements, direct objects, indirect objects, or objects of prepositions. For example:

• Playing piano is Alex’s favorite hobby. (acts as subject)
• Reading directions is important before taking a test. (acts as subject)
• Sara enjoys cleaning her room. (acts as object)

2. PARTICIPLES

Participles are verb forms that act as adjectives in a sentence; that is, they modify nouns or pronouns. Present participles always end in –ing (and thus look just like gerunds). Past participles most frequently end in –ed, but they may also end in –en, -t, -d, or –n. There are two types of participles in English: past and present.

Present Participle

The present participle is formed by using the -ing form of a main verb. For example:

• The boiling water is on the stove.
• The speeding car was stopped by the police.
• The starving tiger ran away at last.

Past Participle

The past participle is formed by using the V3 form of the main verb. For example:

• The broken window was fixed this morning.
• The damaged boat needed some repairs.
• I love burnt toast.
• My father, tired after a day of hard work, was happy to see me.

More Examples

Both present and past participles can be used as participial adjectives to describe nouns and pronouns. In this case, the descriptive word is placed before the noun in the sentence. For example:

• The going rate for freelancers is more than the minimum wage.
• He took a gardening class at the community college.
• My baked beans come from an old family recipe.
• The dyed fabric should not be washed in hot water.
• The broken record is not worth keeping.

Present participles

• The running water provided a picturesque view.
• The clown was able to stop the raging bull from attacking the rider.
• The car stopping at the light was hit by the truck.
• The bull came running towards the rodeo clown.

Past participles

• The crushed bug was an unpleasant sight.
• He was able to repair the broken lock.
• James, amused by the crowd’s response, continued to perform magic tricks.
• Shaken from his near-death experience, John was unable to speak.

Difference between present participle and gerund

3. INFINITIVES

Infinitives are verb forms that are usually preceded by the word “to” and function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. They can be used as subjects, direct objects, complements, or modifiers. For examples:

• We must study to learn. (used as adverb)
• To prepare for the party, Donna put on her favorite dress. (used as adjective)
• To lie is a big mistake. (used as noun)

Common Mistakes

Particular verbs in English are either followed by a gerund or an infinitive.

• Incorrect: He admits to do the work.
• Correct: He admits doing the work.

Common verbs followed by the gerund:

Some verbs can be followed by an -ing form or an infinitive, with no difference in meaning:

It’s important to note that verbals retain some verb-like qualities, such as the ability to take objects or be modified by adverbs, while functioning as different parts of speech. Understanding and correctly using verbals can enhance the clarity and effectiveness of your writing.