Verbals: It’s a verb; no it’s not…it is a verbal!

Verbals are words that are derived from verbs but do not function as verbs in the sentence. There are three types of verbals:

participles (also known as “verbal adjectives”)
gerunds (also known as “verbal nouns”)
infinitives

Participles

A participle is a word that looks like a verb (it indicates action), but it works as an adjective. It modifies either a noun or a pronoun.

The girl catching the ball is my cousin.

In this sentence, the word catching is a participle. It looks like a verb; however, in this sentence catching functions as an adjective, describing the noun girl.

There are three kinds of participles: present, past, and present perfect:

Present Participle

Present participles end in –ing and refer to an action taking place at the present time.

The people wearing coats are paramedics.

Past Participle

A past participle is also a verb form that functions as an adjective. It expresses an action that is already complete. The past participle frequently ends in –ed, but may also end in t (kept), n or ne (done), or en (chosen).

The man wounded in the fall cried for help.

Present Perfect Participle

When the word having is used with a past participle to describe a noun or a pronoun, the two words together form a present perfect participle.

Having found their seats, the students prepared for their exam.

Gerunds

A gerund is another type of verbal. Like the participle, it is formed from a verb. Like the present form of the participle, it also ends in –ing. Gerunds, however, act as nouns in a sentence. Nouns may be used as subjects of verbs, objects of verbs, objects of prepositions, or complements of linking verbs (predicate noun subjective completions):

Skating is a winter sport.

In this example, skating is a gerund; it is working as a noun. Notice that the function of skating in this sentence is as the subject of the verb is.

More examples:

She enjoys skating. (Skating is the noun object of the verb enjoys.)

Canada’s most popular sport is skating. (Skating is the noun subjective completion of the linking verb is.)

Saturday is the best time for skating in the arena. (Skating is the noun object of the preposition for.)

Infinitives

An infinitive is made up of the word to and a verb form (for example, to skate, to walk, to jump). It is formed from a verb, but it functions in a sentence as a noun, as an adjective, or as an adverb.

To skate well requires much practice. (To skate is an infinitive functioning as the subject of the verb requires.)

I like to skate frequently. (To skate is an infinitive functioning as the object of the verb like.)

To teach a subject is to instruct someone. (To teach is an infinitive functioning as the subject of the verb is and to instruct is an infinitive functioning as subjective completion of the linking verb is.)

She wanted a place to store her doll collection. (To store is an infinitive used as an adjective, modifying the noun place.)

He is wise to read philosophy. (To read is an infinitive used as an adverb, modifying the adjective wise.)

So next time, check first whether a word is a verb or a verbal!

Source: Edwards, Nadine, et al. Foundations of Canadian College English. Toronto: Nelson Canada, 1996.