Verbal Phrases (participle, gerund& infinitive).pdf

Verbal Phrases (participle, gerund& infinitive).pdf

1. Verbal Phrases

2. Notice the differences !
•The baby is cryingloudly.
•The cryingbaby kept his parents up all night.
•Cryingwas the shortest way to exonerate herself
from every accusation.
•The girl was too tough to cry.

3. What are verbal Phrases?
•Sometimes, verbs are used as nouns, adjectivesor adverbs. It is called a
Verbal.
•A verbal does not function as a verb and can be modified in different
ways and even have one or more complements.
•A verbal with modifiers or complements are called verbal phrases.

4. Participle Phrases
•A participle is a form of verb that can act as an adjective!
Present Participle: usually ends in –ing (playing-travelling).
Past Participle: usually ends in –ed for regular form (played-travelled),
Other verbs have irregular form such as slept-written.

5. Examples
Present participle
▪The dancing girl is graceful.
▪The rushing driver is reckless.
Past participle
▪Written in Spanish, the boy couldn’t read the newspaper.
▪Delivered at high speed, the meal was hot and delicious.

6. •Like other adjectives, participles answers the questions what kind? Or which
one?about the noun or pronoun they modify.
•Examples: Joe’s tearingeyes betrayed the pain of his injury.
(What kind of eyes? Answer: tearing eyes)
The splinteredfloorboard needs to be replaced.
(which floorboard? Answer: splintered floorboard)
❑Participles may also have a present perfect form.
▪Examples: Having slept all day, Maria couldn’t sleep at night.
Having studied hard, the student excelled in the exam.

7. Remember!
•Averbshows an action, a condition or the fact that something
exists. Aparticipleacts as an adjective modifying a non or a pronoun.
Acting as verbs Acting as adjectives
▪The baby is crying at the loud
noise. ( what is baby doing?)
▪The doctor delighted the new
parents. (what did the doctor do?)
▪The crying baby sat in her crib.
( which baby)
▪Delighted, the new parents
thanked the doctor.
(What kind of parents?)

8. •If a participle is modified by an adverb or adverbial phrase or
accompanied by a complement, the entire phrase function as an
adjective.
•With an adverb : Travelling quickly, we made it in time for the delivery.
•With an adverb phrase: Travelling at top speed, we made it in time for the
delivery.
•With a complement: Avoiding stops, we made it in time for the delivery.

9. •When the participle phrase is non essential, we set it off by
commas or other punctuation. If the phrase is essential, we do
not set it offby punctation.
Non Essential phrasesEssential phrases
▪There is Tim, waiting in the car.
▪Built in 1900, the building was
innovative.
▪The man waiting in the car is Tim.
▪The building built in 1900 was
innovative.

10. •Participle phrases can often be used to combineinformation
from twosentences into one.
•Two sentences: We were exhausted from the flight to Greece.
We rested at the airport.
▪Combined:Exhausted from the flight to Greece, we rested at the airport.
▪Two sentences: We ate brunch. We shared storied from the past.
▪Combined:Eating brunch, we shared stories from the past.

11. Participial Phrases Exercise
•Underline the participial phrase in each of the following sentences. Watch
for past and present participles. Circle the word modified by the participial
phrase.
1. Working hard all day, the boys finished the job by dinner time.
2. Driven from their homelands, many people each year seek refuge in the United
States.
3. Jumping up and down, the cheerleaders urged the team on.
4. The basketball team, encouraged by its performance in the semifinals, went on to
the finals.
5. Having recorded the results of the experiment, Kate closed her notebook.
6. We saw an old woman walking up the path.
7. Having been told of her job offer, Kathy smiled happily.
8. Having spent each afternoon at the beach, Alice soon had a nice tan.

12. Gerunds
•A Gerundis a form of verb that ends in ingand acts as a noun.
Functions of Gerund
Subject Paintingis my favorite pastime.
Direct Object I enjoy travelling.
Indirect Object Mrs. Kim’s recipes give home cookinga good name.
Predicate Nominative My brother’s favorite activity is swimming.
Object of a preposition The pilot’s smooth flight showed signs of his extensive training.
Appositive Tim’s hobby, climbing, strenuous.

13. Verb, Participle or Gerund?
•Verbs end in ing that act as nouns are called Gerunds.
•Unlike verbs ending in ing, Gerunds do not have helping verbs.
•Unlike participles ending in ing, they do not act as adjective.
•Verb: The class was yawning, and that distracted the teacher.
•Participle:Yawning, the class distracted the teacher.
•Gerund: The class’s yawningdistracted the teacher.

14. To Simplify!
Difference between Gerund and Participial
Phrases.
•Gerund Phrases are used as nounswherein the participial phrases are used
as adjectives.
For Example:
1-Sitting all day can harm your back. (Gerund phrase)
2-The man, sitting by the corner, is my cousin. (Participial Phrase)

16. Gerunds Phrases
Gerunds Phrases
With adjectives Her consistent, happy smiling, made everyone around her joyful.
With an adverb Writing quickly does not always help.
With a prepositional phraseMany Hotels in the city prohibit pets sleepingin the beds.
With a direct object Owen was incapable of rememberingthe list.
With an indirect and direct
object
The history teacher tried givingher students praise.

17. Gerunds and possessive pronouns
•Always use possessive pronouns in front of a Gerund.
•Incorrect: We never listen to himbragging.
•Correct: We never listen to hisbragging
•Incorrect: Themrefusing to drive slowly is dangerous.
•Correct: Theirrefusing to drive slowly is dangerous

18. Gerund Phrase Exercises
•Underline the gerund phrases in the sentences below.
1. Mr. Olson never tires of talking about his grandchildren.
2. Bird watching with binoculars is a popular pastime.
3. Arguing with me takes much of my little brother's time.
4. Constant complaining helps no one.
5. Listening to the concerto is sheer pleasure for Joan.
6. After standing behind the counter all day, Jim likes to relax at night.

20. •An infinitive phrase can play the role of anoun, anadjective, or
anadverb.
•Example: The police officer asked them not to speed.
Infinitives used as nouns
Subject To converse requires careful listening.
Direct Object The villagers decided to rebel.
Predicate Nominative The couple’s only option was to wait.
Object of a preposition I have no goal in life except to sing.
Appositive There is only one choice, to leave!

21. •Unlike gerunds, infinitives can also function as adjectives and adverbs.
Infinitives used as modifiers
•Adjective:We have time to walk.
•Adverb:The soldier was too tired to fight.

22. Prepositional phrase or Infinitive?
•A prepositional phrase always ends with a noun or pronoun that acts as the
object of preposition. An infinitive always ends with averb.
Prepositional phrase Infinitive
❑The pilot listened to the command.
❑We were glad to go to the back of the
house.
❑The president’s purpose is to command.
❑Please make sure to back up the supply list.

23. •With some verbs, the to is generally omitted, however it may be understood.
For example: He won’t dare (to) gowithout a map.
-Please help me (to) find the destination.
-Spencer helped Alan (to) climb the hill.
Verbs that precede infinitives without to
Dare Help Make See
Hear Let Please Watch

24. •An infinitive phrase consists of an infinitive and its modifiers, complement, or
subject, all act together as a single part of speech.
Infinitive Phrases
With an adverb Kate’s family likes to run early.
With an adverb phrase To walk in high heels is not easy.
With a direct object Quinn hated to leave Houston.
With an indirect and a direct
object
He promised to show usthe slides from his hiking
trip. IO DO
With a subject and a complementI want himto finish his speech.
S C

25. Infinitive Phrase Exercises
Underline the infinitive phrase in each of the following sentences.
Mention whether the phrase functions as noun, adjective or an adverb.
1. The only solution wasto lower the standards.
2. He helpedto build the roof.
3. He opened the boxto reveal a huge bullfrog.
4. The officer returnedto help the inspectors.
5. Let him show you the best wayto paint the door.
6. To have a big dreamrequires the same effort as having a small
dream.