Module 9: More About Verbs

Welcome to Module 9 of our English grammar course! Having built a strong foundation in verb tenses and voice in previous modules, we will now delve deeper into the fascinating world of verbs. This module explores verb forms that go beyond the typical subject-verb-object structure and tense variations. We will focus on Verbals - forms derived from verbs that function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Mastering verbals will significantly enhance your sentence construction skills and allow for more varied and sophisticated expression.

Expanding Our Verb Knowledge - Beyond Tenses and Voice

In earlier modules, we concentrated on how verbs function as the core action words in sentences, changing form to indicate tense and voice. Now, we will discover how verbs can also take on other roles within a sentence, acting like different parts of speech. These special verb forms are called verbals. They are essential for creating more complex and nuanced sentences in English.

What are Verbals? - Verbs Acting Like Other Parts of Speech

Verbals are verb forms that are derived from verbs but do not function as verbs in the same way as main verbs in clauses. Instead, they act as:

Nouns: (Gerunds and Infinitives can function as nouns)
Adjectives: (Participles can function as adjectives)
Adverbs: (Infinitives and Participles can function as adverbs)

The three main types of verbals we will study in this module are:

Gerunds: Verb forms ending in '-ing' that function as nouns. (e.g., Swimming is good exercise.)
Infinitives: The base form of the verb, usually preceded by 'to' (to + verb). Infinitives can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. (e.g., I want to learn English. It is important to study.)
Participles: Verb forms that can be used as adjectives or to form verb tenses. There are two main types:
- Present Participles: Verb forms ending in '-ing' used as adjectives or in continuous verb tenses. (e.g., The running water. They are running a marathon.)
- Past Participles: Usually the third form of a verb (often ending in '-ed' for regular verbs, but irregular forms exist) used as adjectives or in perfect and passive verb tenses. (e.g., Broken glass. The window was broken.)

Why are Verbals Important?

Understanding verbals is crucial for mastering English grammar and achieving fluency for several reasons:

Sentence Variety and Complexity: Verbals allow you to construct more varied and complex sentences, avoiding simple subject-verb-object patterns.
Conciseness: Verbals can express ideas more concisely than using full clauses in some cases.
Flexibility and Expressiveness: They provide greater flexibility in sentence structure and allow you to express nuances of meaning more effectively.
Understanding Advanced Grammar: Verbals are essential for understanding more advanced grammatical structures and constructions in English.
Natural and Fluent English: Native English speakers use verbals extensively. Mastering them makes your English sound more natural and fluent.

What We Will Cover in Module 9:

In this module, we will systematically explore verbals, including:

Lesson 9.1: Introduction to Verbals: Gerunds, Infinitives, and Participles - Defining verbals, introducing the three main types (Gerunds, Infinitives, Participles), and outlining their basic functions.
Lesson 9.2: Gerunds - Verbs as Nouns - Focusing on gerunds, understanding how '-ing' verb forms function as nouns, exploring their various noun roles (subject, object, complement, object of preposition), and practicing their usage.
Lesson 9.3: Infinitives - 'To + Verb' Forms - Exploring infinitives ('to + verb'), understanding their functions as nouns, adjectives, and adverbs, and practicing their diverse uses in sentences.
Lesson 9.4: Participles - Present and Past Participles as Adjectives - Focusing on present and past participles used as adjectives, understanding how they modify nouns, distinguishing between their meanings, and practicing adjective uses.
Lesson 9.5: Participles - Participle Phrases and Adverbial Uses - Exploring participle phrases (phrases starting with participles) functioning as adjectives and adverbs, understanding how participles can modify verbs and entire clauses, and practicing their use in adverbial roles to express time, reason, cause, etc.
Lesson 9.6: Perfect and Passive Verbals - Understanding perfect verbals (having + past participle) and passive verbals (being + past participle/ to be + past participle), and how they express completed actions and passive voice in verbal forms.
Lesson 9.7: Choosing the Right Verbal - Gerund, Infinitive, or Participle? - Providing guidance on choosing between gerunds, infinitives, and participles based on intended meaning, grammatical context, and common verb patterns.

By the end of this module, you will have a solid understanding of verbals and how to use them effectively. You will be able to recognize and construct sentences using gerunds, infinitives, and participles in their various functions, enriching your English grammar skills and expressive capabilities. Let's begin with Lesson 9.1: Introduction to Verbals!

Please say "Next Lesson" when you are ready to start Lesson 9.2.

Module 9: More About Verbs - Lesson 9.1: Introduction to Verbals: Gerunds, Infinitives, and Participles

Lesson 9.1: Introduction to Verbals: Gerunds, Infinitives, and Participles

Welcome to Lesson 9.1! In this introductory lesson to Module 9, we will define verbals and provide an overview of the three main types: Gerunds, Infinitives, and Participles. We will introduce each type, explain their basic forms, and briefly touch upon their primary functions within sentences. This will set the stage for more detailed exploration of each verbal type in the subsequent lessons.

Verbals Defined - Verb Forms with Non-Verb Functions:

As we've introduced, verbals are words formed from verbs but used in sentences as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs, rather than as the main verb of a clause. They retain some characteristics of verbs (e.g., they can take objects or be modified by adverbs), but they function grammatically in non-verb roles.

The Three Main Types of Verbals - An Overview:

Let's take a first look at the three main types of verbals:

Gerunds - Verb + '-ing' Forms Acting as Nouns:
Form: Gerunds are formed by adding '-ing' to the base form of a verb. (e.g., swim + -ing = swimming, read + -ing = reading, dance + -ing = dancing).

Function: Gerunds function exclusively as nouns. This means they can take on all the roles that nouns typically play in sentences:
- Subject of a verb: Swimming is good exercise. (Gerund 'Swimming' is the subject of the verb 'is').
- Object of a verb: He enjoys reading novels. (Gerund 'reading' is the object of the verb 'enjoys').
- Complement of a verb: Her hobby is dancing. (Gerund 'dancing' is the complement of the verb 'is').
- Object of a preposition: She is good at painting. (Gerund 'painting' is the object of the preposition 'at').
Key Feature of Gerunds: Always function as nouns. Always end in '-ing'.

Examples of Gerunds in Sentences:
- Hiking is a popular activity in the mountains. (Subject)
- They considered moving to a new city. (Object of verb 'considered')
- One of his favorite pastimes is collecting stamps. (Complement)
- She improved her English by practicing every day. (Object of preposition 'by')
Infinitives - 'To + Verb' Forms with Multiple Functions:
Form: Infinitives consist of the word 'to' followed by the base form of the verb. (e.g., to swim, to read, to dance, to learn, to go).

Function: Infinitives are versatile and can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Their function depends on their role within the sentence.
- Noun Function: Similar to gerunds, infinitives can act as subjects, objects, or complements. To err is human. (Subject). He wants to travel. (Object). His goal is to succeed. (Complement).
- Adjective Function: Infinitives can modify nouns, acting like adjectives to describe them. I need a book to read. (Infinitive 'to read' modifies noun 'book'). This is a difficult problem to solve. (Infinitive 'to solve' modifies noun 'problem').
- Adverb Function: Infinitives can modify verbs, adjectives, or adverbs, acting like adverbs to provide more information, often expressing purpose, reason, or result. She studies hard to get good grades. (Infinitive 'to get...' modifies verb 'studies' - purpose). He was happy to help. (Infinitive 'to help' modifies adjective 'happy' - reason).
Key Features of Infinitives: 'To + base verb' form. Can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.

Examples of Infinitives in Sentences:
- To learn a new language takes time and effort. (Noun - Subject)
- They decided to postpone the meeting. (Noun - Object of verb 'decided')
- Her ambition is to become a doctor. (Noun - Complement)
- This is a good place to eat. (Adjective - modifies 'place')
- He exercised regularly to stay healthy. (Adverb - purpose, modifies 'exercised')
Participles - Verb Forms Acting as Adjectives or in Verb Tenses:
Form: Participles come in two main forms:
- Present Participles: Formed by adding '-ing' to the base form of the verb, same as gerunds in spelling (e.g., running, singing, writing).
- Past Participles: For regular verbs, usually end in '-ed' (e.g., walked, played, finished). For irregular verbs, they have various forms (often the third form in verb lists, e.g., gone, seen, written, broken).
Function: Participles primarily function as adjectives and are also essential for forming continuous and perfect verb tenses, and passive voice (which we've already studied). In this module, we'll focus on their adjectival and adverbial uses.
- Adjective Function: Participles modify nouns, describing them, similar to adjectives. Running water (Present Participle 'running' modifies noun 'water'). Broken window (Past Participle 'broken' modifies noun 'window').
- Adverbial Function (Participle Phrases): Participles can begin participle phrases that act as adverbs, modifying verbs or clauses, often indicating time, reason, manner, or circumstance. Walking down the street, I saw a friend. (Participle phrase 'Walking down the street' modifies verb 'saw' - time/circumstance). Exhausted, she fell asleep. (Participle 'Exhausted' modifies verb 'fell asleep' - reason/cause).
Key Features of Participles: Present participle ends in '-ing'. Past participle often '-ed' or irregular form. Function primarily as adjectives, but also in verb tenses and adverbially.

Examples of Participles in Sentences:
- Present Participle as Adjective: The barking dog startled me. (Adjective modifying 'dog').
- Past Participle as Adjective: They live in a renovated house. (Adjective modifying 'house').
- Present Participle in Adverbial Phrase: Smiling, she accepted the award. (Adverbial - manner, modifies 'accepted').
- Past Participle in Adverbial Phrase: Having finished her work, she went home. (Adverbial - time, modifies 'went home').

Summary Table - Verbals Overview:

Verbal Type	Form	Primary Function(s)	Key Feature	Example
Gerund	Verb + '-ing'	Noun	Always functions as a noun	*Swimming* is fun.
Infinitive	'to + Verb'	Noun, Adjective, Adverb	Versatile functions	I want *to learn. (Noun). A book to read. (Adjective). He runs to keep fit*. (Adverb).
Participle	Present: Verb + '-ing' Past: Often '-ed' or irregular	Adjective, Adverb (in phrases), Verb Tenses (not focus in this module)	Adjectival and adverbial uses	*Running* shoes. (Present Participle as Adjective). *Broken* vase. (Past Participle as Adjective). *Smiling*, she spoke. (Present Participle as Adverbial).

Key takeaway: Verbals are verb forms acting as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. The three main types are Gerunds ('-ing' as nouns), Infinitives ('to + verb' as nouns, adjectives, adverbs), and Participles (present and past as adjectives and adverbs). Understanding verbals expands sentence complexity and expressive power in English. Next, we will explore Lesson 9.2: Gerunds - Verbs as Nouns!