Verbals and Verbal Phrases ELA 8 C 1

Verbals and Verbal Phrases ELA 8 C 1 f—The student analyzes the structure of a sentence (basic sentence parts).

What is a VERBAL? o A verb acting like another part of speech o 3 types: infinitives, gerunds, and participles

Infinitives o to + a verb o Can be used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb in a sentence o Examples: n I like to read before I go to sleep. n Most people like to watch comedies on TV. n To succeed in school, you must work hard.

Infinitives vs. Prepositional Phrases o Be aware that the word TO does not always mean you have an infinitive. o If TO is not followed by a verb, it is NOT an infinitive. n I like to shop at the mall. n Let’s go to the mall. o Which sentence contains an infinitive and which sentence contains a prepositional phrase? Why?

Gerunds o A verb acting like a noun o Always ends in –ing o Can be used as subjects, direct objects and indirect objects, objects of prepositions, and predicate nominatives.

Gerunds continued o Examples n Swimming is my favorite sport. n Do you like riding horses? n Many students like playing basketball in PE. o Gerund or not? n The dog, carrying its bone in its mouth, ran around the house. o Carrying is NOT a gerund; not used as a noun n Smiling is an indication that a person is happy. o Smiling is a gerund; it is used as a noun (subject of the sentence)

Participles o A verb acting like an adjective o Often ends in –ing or –ed but occasionally ends in another way o Examples n Smiling, the teacher collected homework from her students. n I like ice skating on frozen ponds. n Barking dogs can be a nuisance. n The burnt popcorn made the entire house smell.

Participial Phrases o A participial phrase is a participle and all of its objects or modifiers o Examples n Rounding third base, the runner charged toward home plate. n The pitcher, losing control, has overthrown the ball. n Especially pleased, the crowd cheered loudly.

Hints o Participles and participial phrases are almost always near the noun or pronoun they modify. o Participles and participial phrases can usually be taken out of a sentence and the sentence will still make sense. n The skilled catcher trapped the wild pitch in his mitt. n The catcher trapped the wild pitch in his mitt.