Verbals: Gerunds, Participles, and Infinitives

Gerunds
A gerund is a verbal that ends in -ing and functions as a noun. The term verbal indicates that a gerund,
like the other two kinds of verbal, is based on a verb and therefore expresses action or a state of being.
However, since a gerund functions as a noun, it occupies some positions in a sentence that a noun
ordinarily would, for example: subject, direct object, subject complement, and object of preposition.

Gerund as subject:

· Traveling might satisfy your desire for new experiences.

· The study abroad program might satisfy your desire for new experiences.

Gerund as direct object:

· They do not appreciate my singing.

· They do not appreciate my assistance.

Gerund as subject complement:

· My cat's favorite activity is sleeping.

· My cat's favorite food is salmon.

Gerund as object of preposition:

· The police arrested him for speeding.

· The police arrested him for criminal activity.

A Gerund Phrase is a group of words consisting of a gerund and the modifier(s) and/or (pro)noun(s) or
noun phrase(s) that function as the direct object(s), indirect object(s), or complement(s) of the action or
state expressed in the gerund, such as:

 Finding a needle in a haystack would be easier than what we're trying to do.

The gerund phrase functions as the = subject of the sentence.

Finding (gerund)

a needle (direct object of action expressed in gerund)

in a haystack (prepositional phrase as adverb)

 I hope that you appreciate my offering you this opportunity.

The gerund phrase functions as the = direct object of the verb appreciate.

my (possessive pronoun adjective form, modifying the gerund)

offering (gerund)

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 you (indirect object of action expressed in gerund)

this opportunity (direct object of action expressed in gerund)

 Newt's favorite tactic has been lying to his constituents.

The gerund phrase functions as the = subject complement.

lying to (gerund)

his constituents (direct object of action expressed in gerund)

 You might get in trouble for faking an illness to avoid work.

The gerund phrase functions as the = object of the preposition for.

faking (gerund)

an illness (direct object of action expressed in gerund)

to avoid work (infinitive phrase as adverb)

 Being the boss made Jeff feel uneasy.

The gerund phrase functions as the = subject of the sentence.

Being (gerund)

the boss (subject complement for Jeff, via state of being expressed in gerund)

Punctuation
A gerund virtually never requires any punctuation with it.

Points to remember:

1. A gerund is a verbal ending in -ing that is used as a noun.

2. A gerund phrase consists of a gerund plus modifier(s), object(s), and/or complement(s).

3. Gerunds and gerund phrases virtually never require punctuation.

Exercise on Gerunds:

Underline the gerunds or gerund phrases in the following sentences and label how they function in the
sentence (subject, direct object, subject complement, object of preposition).

1. Swimming keeps me in shape.

2. Swimming in your pool is always fun.

3. Telling your father was a mistake.

4. The college recommends sending applications early.

5. He won the game by scoring during the overtime period.

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6. Her most important achievement was winning the national championship.

7. Going to work today took all my energy.

8. Fighting for a losing cause made them depressed.

Participles
A participle is a verbal that is used as an adjective and most often ends in -ing or -ed. The term verbal
indicates that a participle, like the other two kinds of verbals, is based on a verb and therefore expresses
action or a state of being. However, since they function as adjectives, participles modify nouns or
pronouns. There are two types of participles: present participles and past participles. Present participles
end in -ing. Past participles end in -ed, -en, -d, -t, or - n, as in the words asked, eaten, saved, dealt, and
seen.

· The crying baby had a wet diaper.

· Shaken, he walked away from the wrecked car.

· The burning log fell off the fire.

· Smiling, she hugged the panting dog.

A participial phrase is a group of words consisting of a participle and the modifier(s) and/or (pro)noun(s)
or noun phrase(s) that function as the direct object(s), indirect object(s), or complement(s) of the action
or state expressed in the participle, such as:

 Removing his coat, Jack rushed to the river.

The participial phrase functions as an adjective modifying Jack.

Removing (participle)

his coat (direct object of action expressed in participle)

 Delores noticed her cousin walking along the shoreline.

The participial phrase functions as an adjective modifying cousin.

walking (participle)

along the shoreline (prepositional phrase as adverb)

 Children introduced to music early develop strong intellectual skills.

The participial phrase functions as an adjective modifying children.

introduced (to) (participle)

music (direct object of action expressed in participle)

early (adverb)

 Having been a gymnast, Lynn knew the importance of exercise.

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 The participial phrase functions as an adjective modifying Lynn.

Having been (participle)

a gymnast (subject complement for Lynn, via state of being expressed in participle)

Placement: In order to prevent confusion, a participial phrase must be placed as close to the noun it
modifies as possible, and the noun must be clearly stated.

· Carrying a heavy pile of books , his foot caught on a step. *

· Carrying a heavy pile of books , he caught his foot on a step.

Punctuation: When a participial phrase begins a sentence, a comma should be placed after the phrase.

· Arriving at the store, I found that it was closed.

· Washing and polishing the car , Frank developed sore muscles.

If the participle or participial phrase comes in the middle of a sentence, it should be set off with commas
only if the information is not essential to the meaning of the sentence.

· Sid, watching an old movie, drifted in and out of sleep.

· The church, destroyed by a fire, was never rebuilt.

Note that if the participial phrase is essential to the meaning of the sentence, no commas

should be used:

· The student earning the highest grade point average will receive a special award.

· The guy wearing the chicken costume is my cousin.

If a participial phrase comes at the end of a sentence, a comma usually precedes the phrase if it modifies
an earlier word in the sentence but not if the phrase directly follows the word it modifies.

· The local residents often saw Ken wandering through the streets. (The phrase modifies Ken,
not residents.)

· Tom nervously watched the woman, alarmed by her silence. (The phrase modifies Tom, not
woman.)

Points to remember:
1. A participle is a verbal ending in -ing (present) or -ed, -en, -d, -t, or -n (past) that functions as an
adjective, modifying a noun or pronoun.

2. A participial phrase consists of a participle plus modifier(s), object(s), and/or complement(s).

3. Participles and participial phrases must be placed as close to the nouns or pronouns they modify as
possible, and those nouns or pronouns must be clearly stated.

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4. A participial phrase is set off with commas when it: a) comes at the beginning of a sentence, b)
interrupts a sentence as a nonessential element, or c) comes at the end of a sentence and is separated
from the word it modifies.

Exercise on Participles:

Underline the participial phrase(s) in each of the following sentences, and draw a line to the noun or
pronoun modified.

1. Getting up at five, we got an early start.

2. Facing college standards, the students realized that they hadn't worked hard enough in high school.

3. Statistics reported by the National Education Association revealed that seventy percent of American
colleges offer remedial English classes emphasizing composition.

4. The overloaded car gathered speed slowly.

5. Gathering my courage, I asked for a temporary loan.

In each of the following sentences, underline the participial phrase(s), draw a line to the word(s)
modified, and punctuate the sentence correctly. Remember that some sentences may not need
punctuation.

6. Starting out as an army officer Karen's father was frequently transferred.

7. Mrs. Sears showing more bravery than wisdom invited thirty boys and girls to a party.

8. The student left in charge of the class was unable to keep order.

9. Applicants must investigate various colleges learning as much as possible about them before applying
for admission.

10. The crying boy angered by the bully began to fight.

Rewrite the following sentences (you may need to reword them slightly) with the correct placement and
punctuation of the participial phrases.

11. Espousing a conservative point of view the proposal for more spending on federal social programs
bothered him.

12. Absorbed in an interesting conversation my scheduled appointment time passed unnoticed.

Infinitives
An infinitive is a verbal consisting of the word to plus a verb (in its simplest "stem" form) and functioning
as a noun, adjective, or adverb. The term verbal indicates that an infinitive, like the other two kinds of
verbal, is based on a verb and therefore expresses action or a state of being. However, the infinitive may
function as a subject, direct object, subject complement, adjective, or adverb in a sentence. Although an
infinitive is easy to locate because of the to + verb form, deciding what function it has in a sentence can
sometimes be confusing.

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 · To wait seemed foolish when decisive action was required. (subject)

· Everyone wanted to go. (direct object)

· His ambition is to fly. (subject complement)

· He lacked the strength to resist. (adjective)

· We must study to learn. (adverb)

Be sure not to confuse an infinitive--a verbal consisting of to plus a verb--with a prepositional phrase
beginning with to, which consists of to plus a noun or pronoun and any modifiers.

Infinitives: to fly, to draw, to become, to enter, to stand, to catch, to belong

Prepositional Phrases: to him, to the committee, to my house, to the mountains, to us, to this address

An Infinitive Phrase is a group of words consisting of an infinitive and the modifier(s) and/or
(pro)noun(s) or noun phrase(s) that function as the actor(s), direct object(s), indirect object(s), or
complement(s) of the action or state expressed in the infinitive, such as:

 We intended to leave early.

The infinitive phrase functions as = the direct object of the verb intended.

to leave (infinitive)

early (adverb)

 I have a paper to write before class.

The infinitive phrase functions as an adjective modifying paper.

to write (infinitive)

before class (prepositional phrase as adverb)

 Phil agreed to give me a ride.

The infinitive phrase functions as = the direct object of the verb agreed.

to give (infinitive)

me (indirect object of action expressed in infinitive)

a ride (direct object of action expressed in infinitive)

 They asked me to bring some food.

The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of the verb asked.

me (actor or "subject" of infinitive phrase)

to bring (infinitive)

some food (direct object of action expressed in infinitive)

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 Everyone wanted Carol to be the captain of the team.

The infinitive phrase functions as = the direct object of the verb wanted.

Carol (actor or "subject" of infinitive phrase)

to be (infinitive)

the captain (subject complement for

Carol, via state of being expressed in infinitive)

of the team (prepositional phrase as adjective)

Actors: In these last two examples the actor of the infinitive phrase could be roughly characterized as
the "subject" of the action or state expressed in the infinitive. It is somewhat misleading to use the word
subject, however, since an infinitive phrase is not a full clause with a subject and a finite verb. Also
notice that when it is a pronoun, the actor appears in the objective case (me, not I, in the fourth
example). Certain verbs, when they take an infinitive direct object, require an actor for the infinitive
phrase; others can't have an actor. Still other verbs can go either way, as the charts below illustrate.

Verbs that take infinitive objects without actors:

agree begin continue decide fail hesitate hope intend learn neglect
offer plan prefer pretend promise refuse remember start try

Examples:

Most students plan to study. They neglected to pay.

We began to learn. She promised to return.

They offered to pay.

In all of these examples no actor can come between the italicized main (finite) verb and the infinitive
direct-object phrase.

Verbs that take infinitive objects with actors:

advise allow convince remind encourage force hire teach instruct invite
permit tell implore incite appoint order

Examples:

He reminded me to buy milk. You've convinced the director of the program to

change her position.
Their fathers advise them to study.
I invite you to consider the evidence.
She forced the defendant to admit the truth.

In all of these examples an actor is required after the italicized main (finite) verb and before the infinitive
direct-object phrase.

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Verbs that use either pattern:

ask expect (would) like want

Examples:

I asked to see the records. Trent expected to win.

I asked him to show me the records. Brenda likes to drive fast.

Trent expected his group to win. Brenda likes her friend to drive fast.

In all of these examples the italicized main verb can take an infinitive object with or without an actor.

Punctuation: If the infinitive is used as an adverb and is the beginning phrase in a sentence, it should be
set off with a comma; otherwise, no punctuation is needed for an infinitive phrase.

· To buy a basket of flowers, John had to spend his last dollar.

· To improve your writing, you must consider your purpose and audience.

Points to remember:
1. An infinitive is a verbal consisting of the word to plus a verb; it may be used as a noun, adjective, or
adverb.

2. An infinitive phrase consists of an infinitive plus modifier(s), object(s), complement(s), and/or actor(s).

3. An infinitive phrase requires a comma only if it is used as an adverb at the beginning of a sentence.

Split infinitives:

Split infinitives occur when additional words are included between to and the verb in an infinitive. Many
readers find a single adverb splitting the infinitive to be acceptable, but this practice should be avoided
in formal writing.

Examples:

I like to on a nice day walk in the woods. * (unacceptable)

On a nice day, I like to walk in the woods. (revised)

I needed to quickly gather my personal possessions. (acceptable in informal contexts)

I needed to gather my personal possessions quickly. (revised for formal contexts)

Exercise on Infinitives:

Underline the infinitive phrase and label the way it is used in the sentence, adding any punctuation as
needed.

1. I want to go.

2. I want you to go home.

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3. We want to see the play.

4. To see a shooting star is good luck.

5. To fight against those odds would be ridiculous.

Now underline the infinitive phrase and label how it is used in the sentence.

6. To design a new building for them would be challenging.

7. I want him to be my bodyguard.

8. Jim is expected to program computers at his new job.

9. They will try to build a new stadium in ten years.

10. To distill a quart of moonshine takes two hours.

11. The president wants to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

12. She has the money to buy it.

13. We demonstrated to attract attention to our agenda.

14. I do not like to give poor grades.

15. The dogs were taught to stand, to sit, and to bark on command.

16. To be great is to be true to yourself and to the highest principles of honor.

17. To see is to believe.

Comparing Gerunds and Participles

Look at the following pair of sentences. In the first, the use of a gerund (functioning as a noun) allows
the meaning to be expressed more precisely than in the second. In the first sentence the interrupting
itself, a specific behavior, is precisely indicated as the cause of the speaker's irritation. In the second the
cause of the irritation is identified less precisely as Bill, who just happens to have been interrupting. (In
the second sentence, interrupting is actually a participle, not a gerund, since it functions as an adjective
modifying Bill.)

I was irritated by Bill's constant interrupting.

I was irritated by Bill, constantly interrupting.

The same pattern is shown in these other example pairs below: in the first of each pair, a gerund (noun-
function) is used; in the second, a participle (adjective-function). Notice the subtle change in meaning
between the two sentences in each pair.

Examples:

The guitarist's finger-picking was extraordinary. (The technique was extraordinary.)

The guitarist, finger-picking, was extraordinary. (The person was extraordinary, demonstrating
the technique.)

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 He was not impressed with their competing. (The competing did not impress him.)

He was not impressed with them competing. (They did not impress him as they competed.)

Grandpa enjoyed his grandchildren's running and laughing.

Grandpa enjoyed his grandchildren, running and laughing.* (Ambiguous: who is running and
laughing?)

Comparing Gerunds and Infinitives

The difference in the form of gerunds and infinitives is quite clear just from comparing the following
lists:

Gerunds: swimming, hoping, telling, eating, dreaming

Infinitives: to swim, to hope, to tell, to eat, to dream

Their functions, however, overlap. Gerunds always function as nouns, but infinitives often also serve as
nouns. Deciding which to use can be confusing in many situations, especially for people whose first
language is not English.

Confusion between gerunds and infinitives occurs primarily in cases in which one or the other functions
as the direct object in a sentence. In English some verbs take gerunds as verbal direct objects exclusively
while other verbs take only infinitives and still others can take either.

Many such verbs are listed below, organized according to which kind of verbal direct object they take.

Verbs that take only infinitives as verbal direct objects

Agree, decide, expect, hesitate, learn, need, promise, neglect, hope, want, plan, attempt, propose
intend, pretend

Examples:

I hope to go on a vacation soon. (not: I hope going on a vacation soon.*)

He promised to go on a diet. (not: He promised going on a diet. *)

They agreed to sign the treaty. (not: They agreed signing the treaty.*)

Because she was nervous, she hesitated to speak.(not: Because she was nervous, she hesitated
speaking.*)

They will attempt to resuscitate the victim.(not: They will attempt resuscitating the victim.*)

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Verbs that take only gerunds as verbal direct objects

Deny, risk, delay, consider, can't help, keep, give up, be fond of, finish, quit, put off, practice
postpone, tolerate, suggest, stop (quit), regret, enjoy, keep (on), dislike, admit, avoid, recall
mind, miss, detest, appreciate, recommend, get/be through, get/be tired of, get/be
accustomed, to get/be used to

Examples:

They always avoid drinking before driving. (not: They always avoid to drink before
driving.*)

I recall asking her that question. (not: I recall to ask her that question.*)

She put off buying a new jacket. (not: She put off to buy a new jacket.*)

Mr. Allen enjoys cooking. (not: Mr. Allen enjoys to cook.*)

Charles keeps calling her. (not: Charles keeps to call her.*)

Verbs that take gerunds or infinitives as verbal direct objects

Start, begin, continue, hate, prefer, like, love, try, remember

Examples:

She has continued to work at the store.

She has continued working at the store.

They like to go to the movies.

They like going to the movies.

Brent started to walk home.

Brent started walking home.

Forget and remember

These two verbs change meaning depending on whether a gerund or infinitive is used as the object.

Examples:

Jack forgets to take out the cat. (He regularly forgets.)

Jack forgets taking out the cat. (He did it, but he doesn't remember now.)

Jack forgot to take out the cat. (He never did it.)

Jack forgot taking out the cat. (He did it, but he didn't remember sometime later.)

Jack remembers to take out the cat. (He regularly remembers.)

Jack remembers taking out the cat. (He did it, and he remembers now.)

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Jack remembered to take out the cat. (He did it.)

Jack remembered taking out the cat. (He did it, and he remembered sometime later.)

In the second of each pair of example sentences above, the past progressive gerund form having taken
can be used in place of taking to avoid any possible confusion.

Sense verbs that take an object plus a gerund or a simple verb

Certain sense verbs take an object followed by either a gerund or a simple verb (infinitive form minus
the word to). With many of the verbs that follow the object, the use of the gerund indicates continuous
action while the use of the simple verb indicates a one-time action. Still, sometimes the simple verb can
indicate continuous action if one-time action wouldn't make sense in the context.

Feel, hear, notice, watch, see, smell, observe

Examples:

We watched him playing basketball. (continuous action)

We watched him play basketball. (continuous action)

I felt my heart pumping vigorously. (continuous action)

I felt my heart pump vigorously. (continuous action)

She saw them jumping on the bed. (continuous action)

She saw them jump on the bed. (one-time action)

Tom heard the victim shouting for help. (continuous action)

Tom heard the victim shout for help. (one-time action)

The detective noticed the suspect biting his nails. (continuous action)

The detective noticed the suspect bite his nails. (one-time action)

We could smell the pie baking in the kit chen. (continuous action)

We could smell the pie bake in the kitchen. (continuous action)

Sometimes the simple-verb version might seem unconventional, so it's safer in most cases to use the
gerund version.

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The infinitive
The infinitive of a verb is its basic form with or without the particle to:

Examples:

 'do' or 'to do'

 'be' or 'to be'

The infinitive without to is called bare infinitive ('do', 'be')

The infinitive with to is called full infinitive ('to do', 'to be')

The bare infinitive

1. The bare infinitive is used as the main verb after the dummy auxiliary verb do, or most modal
auxiliary verbs (such as will, can, or should..)
Examples:
I do know him
I do like you.
I can do  it  .

2. Several common verbs of perception, including see, watch, hear, feel, and sense take a direct

object and a bare infinitive.
Examples:
I saw it happen
I watched it happen

3. The bare infinitive is also used with several common verbs of permission or causation,
including make, bid, let, and have.
Example:
I made/bade/let/had him do it.
(However, make takes a to-infinitive in the passive voice.
I was made to do it.

4. The bare infinitive is also used after had better.

Example:
You had better leave now

5. The verb help  is followed by the bare infinitive.

Example:
He helped them do it. ("He helped them to do" is also possible)

6. With the word why.

Example:
Why say it?

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The full infinitive

The full infinitive is used as follows:

 The full infinitive can function as a noun phrase. In this case it is used as follows.

 as a subject.
Examples:
To err is human, to forgive is divine.

 as an object.
Examples:
I intended to marry  her.
He wanted to know the whole truth.

 It can also be used like an adjective or adverb.

Examples:
This is the game  to watch. (to watch  functions as an adjective, modifying the  noun  game)
This is the problem to think about. (to think about functions as an adjective modifying the noun
'the problem')
He went to his friend's house to study. (to study  functions as an adverb answering the question
why he went to his friend's house)
He is ready to go. (to go functions as an adverb, modifying the adjective 'ready'.)

 It is used to mean "in order to" to express purpose

Examples:
You need to exercise regularly to lose weight. (...in order to lose weight)
He works hard to earn a lot of money. (...in order to earn a lot of money)

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