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Participle or Gerund?
Both present participles and gerunds end in –ing. To avoid confusing these two verb forms,
remember that a present participle functions as an adjective or as part of a verb phrase and
that a gerund functions as a noun.
EXAMPLES Brian is in his room, writing in his journal. [present participle modifying the noun
Brian.]
Brian is writing in his journal. [part of the verb phrase is writing.]
Brian enjoys writing in his journal. [gerund used as the direct object of the verb
enjoys.]

EXERCISE A In each of the following sentences, identify the underlined word as a participle or gerund. If
the underlined word is part of the verb phrase, write verb on the line provided.
participle
Example 1. The dancing duo amazed the audience with their flawless routine.

1. Planning ahead, David carried an umbrella to school.

2. The zoning committee would not allow a strip mall to be built next to the park.

3. The tireless beavers were building a dam across the stream.

4. Brian likes racing remote-controlled cars.

5. The restless boy was fidgeting throughout the entire movie.

EXERCISE B Use each of the following words as a gerund or a participle. The gerund or participle may be
a single word or part of a phrase.
Ben enjoys writing to his pen pal in Italy.
Example 1. writing (gerund)

6. jumping (participle)
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7. swimming (gerund)

8. feeling (participle)

9. seeing (participle)

10. tasting (gerund)

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The Infinitive
5i. An infinitive is a verb form that can be used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. Most
infinitives begin with to.

NOUN I have always wanted to visit the Egyptian pyramids. [direct object of the
verb have wanted]
ADJECTIVE I may soon have the opportunity to visit the Egyptian pyramids.
[modifying the noun opportunity]
ADVERB I may travel to Egypt next summer to visit the pyramids. [modifying the
verb phrase may travel]

Do not confuse an infinitive with a prepositional phrase beginning with to. A prepositional
phrase always has an object that is a noun or a pronoun. An infinitive is a verb form.
INFINITIVE to travel
PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE to Japan

EXERCISE Underline the infinitive in each of the following sentences. If the sentence does not have an
infinitive, write none after the sentence.

Example 1. To visit the pyramids in Egypt would be exciting.

1. Laurie said that the best place to go on Friday is the roller rink.

2. Elaine wants to be a writer after she graduates.

3. The idea to remember is that an infinitive is a verb form.

4. The clerk gave the sack of groceries to him.

5. The neatly chopped tomatoes were ready to go into the salad.

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6. Emile read the article to find information about Korea.

7. To learn facts, some people use mnemonics, or memory devices.

8. Eddie came to school late on Wednesday.

9. She wanted her guest to be comfortable.

10. A person needs coordination to dance well.

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The Infinitive Phrase

5j. An infinitive phrase consists of an infinitive and any modifiers or complements the infinitive has.
The entire phrase may be used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.

NOUN To climb Mount Everest is one of Ann’s goals. [subject of the verb is]
ADJECTIVE Any time is a great time to be in New Orleans. [modifying the noun time]
ADVERB We displayed posters to remind everyone of the Earth Day festivities. [modifying
the verb displayed]

EXERCISE Underline the infinitive phrase in each of the following sentences. Then, above the infinitive
phrase, write N for noun, ADJ for adjective, or ADV for adverb. If a sentence does not have a infinitive
phrase, write none after the sentence.
ADJ
Example 1. Sarah took the time to decorate her notebooks.

1. To fix a flat bicycle tire you may need a tire patch and some glue.

2. Alex was ready to begin his new class on Monday.

3. The campers went to a campsite near the mountains.

4. The ability to play a musical instrument comes from talent and practice.

5. Henry’s little brother always wants to play hide-and-seek.

6. The team went to the stadium to practice the new plays.

7. The purpose of a persuasive speech is to convince others.

8. The salesperson measured Roy’s arm to determine his sleeve size.

9. Please hand your science project to the person behind you.

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10. Yori wants to eat Italian food for lunch.

11. To study a foreign language is a worthwhile pursuit.

12. We were told to put the food away.

13. Please tell them to be quiet.

14. Saturday is a good day to mow the lawn.

15. Are you prepared to answer the question?

16. Martina sent the results to her father.

17. The president asked her advisers to propose a solution.

18. My chief goal in college is to earn my degree.

19. To remember a conversation from three years ago is quite a trick.

20. Don’t forget to return the basketball to the equipment room.

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Infinitives and Infinitive Phrases A

5i. An infinitive is a verb form that can be used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. Most
infinitives begin with to.

NOUN Would you like to dance? [direct object of the verb would like]
ADJECTIVE A relatively simple dance to perform is the waltz. [modifying the noun dance]
ADVERB Are all of the dancers ready to rehearse? [modifying the adjective ready]

5j. An infinitive phrase consists of an infinitive and any modifiers or complements the infinitive has.
The entire phrase may be used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.

NOUN To become a singer requires talent and desire. [subject of the verb requires]
ADJECTIVE Do you have the desire to become a singer? [modifying the noun desire]
ADVERB You seem eager to become a singer. [modifying the adjective eager]

EXERCISE A Underline the infinitive phrase in each of the following sentences. Then, identify the use of
the phrase by writing above it N for noun, ADJ for adjective, or ADV for adverb.
N
Example 1. Do you like to make things out of paper?

1. An easy thing to form out of paper is an envelope.

2. To make a paper airplane takes little time.

3. Some children were eager to fold paper into shapes of animal figures.

4. One child’s goal was to create a paper jacket.

5. Others were content to design paper baskets.

EXERCISE B Use each of the following infinitives in a sentence. The part of speech is indicated in

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parentheses.
Katy said she wanted to build a treehouse in the back yard.
Example 1. to build (noun)

6. to feel (noun)

7. to become (adverb)

8. to believe (adverb)

9. to fill (adjective)

10. to decide (noun)

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Infinitives and Infinitive Phrases B

5i. An infinitive is a verb form that can be used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. Most infinitives
begin with to.

NOUN At an early age the child learned to sign. [direct object of the verb learned]
ADJECTIVE Raisins and other dried fruit would be good snacks to serve. [modifying the noun
snacks]
ADVERB This jigsaw puzzle will be difficult to work. [modifying the adjective difficult]

5j. An infinitive phrase consists of an infinitive and any modifiers or complements the infinitive has.
The entire phrase may be used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.

NOUN Two of my classmates are trying to build a computer. [direct object of the verb are
trying]
ADJECTIVE Who was the first woman to command a space shuttle? [modifying the noun
woman]
ADVERB We gathered outside to observe the meteor shower. [modifying the verb gathered]

EXERCISE Underline the infinitive or infinitive phrase in each of the following sentences. Then, write
above the infinitive or infinitive phrase N for noun, ADJ for adjective, or ADV for adverb.
ADJ
Example 1. Jacob was the first student to volunteer for the cleanup crew.

1. Francis wrapped the sandwich in cellophane to keep the sandwich fresh.

2. The assignment was not difficult to complete.

3. At four o’clock, Charles began to paint the garage a dazzling shade of pink.

4. Lee and his buddies got together to design a video game.

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5. Fruits and vegetables are good, nutritious foods to eat.

6. The teacher asked the class not to talk.

7. Terry used the World Wide Web to find information about lemurs.

8. We tried to capture the runaway dog, but it was too fast and wily for us.

9. To climb that colossal rock will take skill and concentration.

10. They used nails and ropes to fasten the boards to the tree.

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Verbals and Verbal Phrases

A verbal is a word that is formed from a verb but is used as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.
There are three kinds of verbals: the participle, the gerund, and the infinitive. A verbal that
has modifiers or complements is called a verbal phrase. Below are some examples of verbal
phrases.
PARTICIPIAL PHRASE The language spoken by the greatest number of people is Mandarin. [The
past participle spoken begins a phrase that modifies the noun language.]
GERUND PHRASE For some people, learning a foreign language can be a challenge. [The
gerund learning begins a phrase used as the subject of the verb can be.]
INFINITIVE PHRASE I am learning to speak Japanese. [The infinitive to speak begins a phrase
used as the direct object of the verb am learning.]

EXERCISE A Underline the verbal or verbal phrase in each of the following sentences. Above each verbal
or verbal phrase, write gerund, gerund phrase, participle, participial phrase, infinitive, or infinitive phrase.
gerund phrase
Example 1. Kevin researched different methods of measuring time.

1. The plan accepted by the mayor involved a tax cut.

2. Paula expected the paper airplane to fly.

3. Feeling dizzy, Helena stopped and took a break.

4. The weight of the sack made it difficult to carry.

5. My uncle from Michigan enjoys canoeing.

6. The squeaking wheel alerted the mechanic to a potential problem.

7. Getting up early in the morning is sometimes a challenge.

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8. We bought a new wrench to fix the leaky faucet.

9. The forgotten treasure lay at the bottom of the sea for three hundred years.

10. Fascinated, Pepe stood and admired the mural for several hours.

EXERCISE B Decide how the underlined word groups are used in each of the following sentences.
Options for each sentence are given in parentheses. Circle the correct option.

Example 1. Coughing and sneezing, Doug stayed home from band practice. (adjective or noun)

11. The easiest part of the project is cutting out the pattern. (direct object or predicate nominative)

12. The tools used by some ancient cultures are impressive. (adverb or adjective)

13. Running five miles per week is Joanna’s goal. (subject or direct object)

14. They went to the park to have a picnic. (adverb or adjective)

15. The coach’s philosophy is to practice every day. (predicate nominative or direct object)

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