Verbals

Definition

• A verbal is not a verb; it is a former verb doing a different job. Gerunds, participles, and infinitives are the three kinds of verbals. Gerunds are nouns made of verbs; participles are adjectives made of verbs; and infinitives are nouns or modifiers made of verbs. In other words, when we change a verb into a different part of speech, we call it a verbal. Verbals are nouns, adjectives, or adverbs made out of verbs.

A verbal can be a single word, or it can join other words to become a verbal phrase.

Example: Take was thinking, saw off the helping verb was and now we can use the verb thinking as a noun.

Thinking is my favorite activity.

In that sentence, thinking is a gerund. It is not yet a verbal phrase, but we can add words to it to make it one.

Rapidly thinking thoughts is my favorite activity.

Brushing his face was Bigfoot’s hobby.

Do we have a verbal phrase?

What is the subject of the sentence?

Which sentence is correct?

Meeting you and me was his purpose.

Meeting you and I was his purpose.

REMEMBER: A subject is a subject and an object is an object.

Remember

• A phrase acts as a single part of speech; this means that it can also be a single part of sentence.

• The phrase could be the subject. It might be the direct object. We have to think of phrases as a group of words acting as one word.