Verbals for Grade 8: Gerunds, Participles and Infinitives (Grade 8 English)

Hi, I'm Luna from DoodleBeez. Some words look like verbs but do a different job in a sentence. They are called verbals. There are three kinds: gerunds, participles and infinitives. Let's meet each one.

A gerund is a verb form ending in i, n, g that acts as a noun. Swimming is my favorite sport. Swimming names a thing, so it is a noun here. It can be a subject or an object.

A participle acts as an adjective. It describes a noun. Present participles end in i, n, g, like the barking dog. Past participles often end in e, d, like the broken window.

An infinitive is to plus a verb, like to run or to learn. It can act as a noun, an adjective or an adverb. To win is our goal. Here the infinitive is the subject, a noun.

Infinitives can describe too. I need a book to read. To read describes the book, so it acts as an adjective. She practiced to improve. To improve tells why, so it acts as an adverb.

How do you tell a gerund from a participle? Both can end in i, n, g. Ask what job the word does. If it names a thing, it is a gerund. If it describes a noun, it is a participle.

Now it's your turn. In the sentence, the frightened cat hid under the bed, what kind of verbal is frightened? Pause and try. Frightened describes the cat, so it is a past participle acting as an adjective.

Great job! Verbals are verb forms doing other jobs. Gerunds act as nouns, participles act as adjectives, and infinitives act as nouns, adjectives or adverbs. Practice verbals in the English Lab at doodlebeez.com. See you next time!