More About Verbals
 

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The first verbal that we will look at is the Gerund. Gerunds are easy to recognize because they usually end in -ing form. However, do not assume that all words ending in -ing are Gerunds. Gerunds always function as a noun in a sentence. All Gerunds will act as subjects, objects of the preposition, predicate nouns, or direct objects. 

Examples
 
Chad enjoys snowboarding.
Snowboarding is the gerund and functions as the direct object of the sentence.

Snowboarding is a fun sport.
In this sentence, snowboarding is also the gerund but functions as a subject. 
Gerunds can also be expressed through phrases. 
Snowboarding down the mountain can be very dangerous for the novice snowboarder.
This gerund phrase functions as the subject of the sentence.
 

The next verbal we will look at is the participle. Many times the participle ends in either -ed, -en, or -ing. Participles always function as an adjective. Participle phrases consist of the participle, words that modify the participle, prepositional phrases, and complements of the verb.
Examples 
Chad repaired the broken snowboard. 
Broken is the participle that describes how the snowboard looks. 

Billy's amazing trick was too good to be true. 
Amazing is the participle that describes trick. Note the -ing ending for this participle because this ending could be mistaken for a gerund. This is the reason why it is important to decide what the verbal modifies in each sentence instead of just looking at the ending of the words. 

Being an expert snowboarder, Chad glided down the mountain in record time. 
This participle phrase describes Chad. Being is the linking verb, and Chad is the predicate noun. 

The final verbal that we will discuss is the infinitive. An infinitive is a verb with "To" in front of it. Infinitive phrases can be used as an adjective, noun, or an adverb. Infinitive phrases can contain a direct object, predicate noun, or predicate adjective.
Examples 
To ride a motorcycle without a helmet is very ignorant.
This infinitive phrase functions as the subject of the sentence.

Chad wants to snowboard every weekend. 
To snowboard functions as the direct object of the verb wants. 

A good story to read is "The Yellow Wallpaper." 
To read modifies story. 

This concludes the definitions and examples of the three types of verbals. Using verbals in your writing can improve your style and sentence variation. It keeps each sentence from being repetitive and boring. Try using verbals in your next writing assignment and you will be amazed at your creativity.

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