As an adjective, the term verbal can mean (1) relating to words (as in verbal irony), (2) spoken rather than written (as in "a verbal agreement"), or (3) relating to or formed from a verb (as in verbal noun).
WHEN IS A VERB NOT A VERB? THE ANSWER: WHEN IT'S A VERBAL. THE VERBAL IS A VERB FORM USED AS ANOTHER PART OF SPEECH.
Definition
In traditional grammar, a verbal is a verb form that functions in a sentence as a noun or a modifier rather than as a verb.Verbals include infinitives, gerunds (also known as -ing forms), and participles (also known as -ing forms and -en forms). A word group based on a verbal is called a verbal phrase. (See below for definitions and examples.)
Unlike ordinary verbs, verbals are not inflected for person and tense.
VERBALS (Gerunds, participles & infinitives)
1. Gerunds
A verbal is a word formed from a verb but functioning as a different part of speech.A gerund is a verbal ending in -ing that functions as a noun.
Like an ordinary single-word noun, a gerund may be used as a
SUBJECT
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/gerund1.jpg)
DIRECT OBJECT
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/gerund2.jpg)
RETAINED OBJECT : An object in a passive construction that is identical to the object in the corresponding active construction, as story in Susan was told the story by John.
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/gerund3.jpg)
SUBJECTIVE COMPLEMENT
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/gerund4.jpg)
OBJECT OF PREPOSITION
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/gerund5.jpg)
APPOSITIVE
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/gerund6.jpg)
DELAYED APPOSITIVE
In the example below, the gerund phrase renames the subject, this.
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/gerund7.jpg)
NOTE: Do not confuse gerunds with verbs (predicates) in the progressive tense.
GERUND
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/gerund8.jpg)
PREDICATE VERB
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/gerund9.jpg)
Even though is cooking and was scratching end in -ing, they are not gerunds because they are used as predicate verbs, not as nouns.
2. Participles
A verbal is a word formed from a verb but functioning as a different part of speech.A participle is a verbal that functions as an adjective.
Two kinds of participles:
A. Present participles, always ending in -ing, are created from the form of a verb used with the verb to be ( am, is, are, was, were, been) as an auxiliary verb (progressive tense).
Removing the auxiliary verb and using the -ing form of the main verb as an adjective produces a present participle.
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/participle1a.jpg)
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/participle2.jpg)
Removing the auxiliary verb and using the -en form of the main verb as an adjective produces a past participle.
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/participle2a.jpg)
Past participles may also be part of a participial phrase.
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/participle2b.jpg)
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/participle2b.jpg)
Participles and participial phrases should be placed near the nouns they modify. They may either precede or follow a noun.
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/participle3.jpg)
For punctuation rules used with participles and participial phrases, follow this link.
3. Infinitives
A verbal is a word formed from a verb but functioning as a different part of speech.An infinitive is a verbal formed by placing to in front of the simple present form of a verb.
Examples:
to swim to think to read to be to cut to turn
Infinitives may function as adjectives, adverbs, or nouns.
A. Adjectival infinitives
Just like a single-word adjective, an infinitive used as an adjective always describes a noun.
An adjectival infinitive always follows the noun it describes.
EXAMPLE
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/infinitive1.jpg)
Like gerunds and participles, infinitives may incorporate other words as part of their phrase.
EXAMPLE
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/infinitive2.jpg)
B. Adverbial infinitives
Just like a single-word adverb, an infinitive used as an adverb always describes a verb.
An adverbial infinitive usually occurs at the beginning or at the end of a sentence and does not need to be near the verb it describes.
EXAMPLE: Adverbial infinitive at sentence beginning
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/infinitive3.jpg)
EXAMPLE: Adverbial infinitive at sentence end
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/infinitive4.jpg)
HINT: You can always identify an adverbial infinitive by inserting the test words in order in front of
infinitive. If the words in order make sense, the infinitive is adverbial.
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/infinitive5.jpg)
PUNCTUATION NOTE:
1. Use a comma after the adverbial infinitive when it starts a sentence.
2. Do not separate the adverbial infinitive from the rest of the sentence if the infinitive ends the
sentence.
C. Nominal infinitives
Like a single-word noun, a nominal infinitive may function as a
SUBJECT
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/infinitive6.jpg)
DIRECT OBJECT
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/infinitive7.jpg)
RETAINED OBJECT: An object in a passive construction that is identical to the object in the corresponding active construction, as story in Susan was told the story by John.
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/infinitive8.jpg)
SUBJECTIVE COMPLEMENT
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/infinitive9.jpg)
APPOSITIVE
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/infinitive10.jpg)
DELAYED APPOSITIVE
![](https://webapps.towson.edu/ows/infinitive11.jpg)