Verbals

Verbals

1. Verbals are not verbs, even though they look like them.

2. They cannot be conjugated

3. Infinitives

   • They can act as:
     • Nouns
       • Thet can perfom most of the roles as nouns, except for genitives and indirect objects.
         • I have decided to study in my room.
     • Adjectives
       • When an infinitive is an adjective, it will provide information about a noun.
       • The position of an infinitive as an adjective will normally go after the noun it is describing.
         • Her attitude is difficult to stand.
       • It is better to identify an infinitive as an adjective by noticing if it offers information about the noun and not just by its position.
     • Adverbs
       • An infinitive as an adverb usually performs the role of one of purpose.
       • If the infinitive is modifying the verb, you can move it to the begginig of the sentence. If it makes sense, then it is an adverb of purpose.
         • To be sure about the recipe, we called my mom.
         • We called my mom to be sure about the recipe.
   • When they take the role of a subject in a sentence.
     • When the speaker does not have experience on an issue, they use an infinitive.
       • To travel is amazing.
   • Verbs that require an infinitive without any objects before it.
     • Manage
     • Care
     • Resolve
     • Arrange
     • Demand

4. Gerunds

   • They can act as:
     • Nouns
       • Playing with my friends is amazing
   • When they take the role of a subject in a sentence.
     • Gerunds usually function as uncountable nouns.
     • Gerunds take singular verbs.
     • There are some cases where gerunds can be countable.
     • When the speaker has experience on an issue, they use a gerund.
       • Traveling is amazing.
   • Some verbs that are followed only by gerunds.
     • Omit
     • Mention
     • Practice
     • Deny
     • Imagine

5. Present participles

   • They can act as:
     • Part of continuos forms
       • For this to happen, you need the verb to be as well.
       • The verb to be in the sentence, takes the role of an auxiliary.
         • Mark has been trying to fix his Xbox with no success.
     • Adjectives
       • They can appear in the attributive or predicative position.
         • The house was horrifying inside and out.

6. Past participles

   • They can act as:
     • Part of passive voice
       • In these cases, the past participle is accompanied by a form of verb to be.
         • This girl was told not to cry.
     • Adjectives
       • They can be positioned predicatively or attributably.
         • I was worried for my dad's health.
     • Part of perfective forms
       • In these cases, it is accompanied by a form of the auxiliary verb have.
         • I should have given her a chance to show me that she knew what she was doing.

7. If verbals are accompanied by complements and modifiers, they are called verbal phrases.

   • Verbal phrases
     • Gerund phrases
       • I really enjoy walking slowly.
     • Infinitive phrases
       • Their advice, to paint my room purple, was actually pretty good.
     • Present participle phrases
       • Reading a book you are not interested in is boring.
     • Past participle phrases
       • I am very excited about school today.

8. Verbs that change menaing if they are used with a gerund or infinitive.

   • Forget
     • Remember
       • Regret
     • Help
       • Stop
         • Try
         • Mean