Verbals are words made from verbs and serve other functions. Verbals include participles, gerunds, infinitives, and–for the purpose of this lesson–simple forms of the verb.
Participles are verbal adjectives. In this part of the test, participles are often seen before nouns as one-word adjectives. Present participles end with -ing. When used before a noun, present participles have an active meaning. Past participles of regular verbs end in -ed; the past participles of many common verbs are irregular. Before nouns, past participles have a passive meaning.
It was an exhausting ten-kilometer race.
(present participle)
The exhausted runners were too tired to move after the race.
(past participle)
In the first sentence, the race exhausts the runners. The race “performs” the action. In the second sentence, the runners are exhausted by the race. They receive the action.
Participles are also used in phrases after nouns as reduced (shortened) relative clauses. Again, present participles imply an active idea, past participles a passive one.
The man stealing the money was arrested.
(present participle; means “who stole”)
The money stolen from the bank was recovered.
(past participle; means “which was stolen”)
Gerunds are verbal nouns. Like present participles, gerunds end in -ing. They can be the subjects of verbs, the objects of prepositions, and the objects of certain verbs. (See the chart below.)
Dancing is good exercise. (gerund as subject)
You can solve this problem by using a calculator. (gerund as object of a preposition)
He enjoys going to good restaurants. (gerund as object of a verb)
All two- and three-word verb phrases that can be followed by verbals are used with gerunds, not infinitives. This is true even when the verb phrase ends with the word to. (This can be tricky because infinitives always begin with the word to.)
I’m looking forward to going to New Orleans.
John is opposed to our participating.
Infinitives consist of the word to and the simple form of the verb. Like gerunds, infinitives can be the subjects of verbs and the objects of certain verbs (see chart). Unlike gerunds, infinitives can never be the objects of prepositions.
To help others is rewarding. (infinitive as subject)
He attempted to swim across the river. (infinitive as object of a verb)
Infinitives are used in several other ways:
It’s important to change the oil in your car frequently.
(infinitive after an adjective)
The first man to land on the moon was Neil Armstrong.
(infinitive used as an adjective after a noun)
She must take this class to graduate.
(infinitive used to show purpose)
Simple forms are the base forms of verbs; they consist of the infinitive without the word to. Simple forms are used after the causative verbs have, make, and let:
He had the carpenter repair the door.
His father makes him study hard.
She let her son go on the trip.
| Common Verbs That Take Verbal Objects | ||
| Verbs Used with Gerunds | Verbs Used with Infinitives | Verbs Used with Simple Forms |
| admit | agree | have |
| avoid | allow | let |
| deny | arrange | make |
| enjoy | attempt | |
| finish | cause | |
| justify | choose | |
| quit | decide | |
| recommend | enable | |
| suggest | hope | |
| understand | instruct | |
| know (how) | ||
| learn (how) | ||
| permit | ||
| persuade | ||
| require | ||
| seem | ||
| teach (how) | ||
| tell | ||
| use | ||
| warn | ||
Watch for the following errors involving verbals:
Any of these verbals–participle, gerund, infinitive, or simple form–may be incorrectly used when another one of them is required.
∇ Sample Item
The writer Edgar Allan Poe is usually (A) credited (B) with invent (C) the short story (D).
(A) is usually
(B) credited
(C) invent
(D) short story
The best answer is (C). After a preposition (with), a simple form cannot be used. The correct form is a gerund (inventing).
A single-lens (A) reflex camera (B) allows a photographer seeing (C) exactly what the camera will photograph (D).
(A) single-lens
(B) camera
(C) seeing
(D) will photograph
The best choice is (C). After the verb allow, a gerund (seeing) cannot be used. An infinitive (to see) is correct.
You may see past participles used incorrectly for present participles or present participles used incorrectly for past participles.
You may also see a main verb used when a participle is required.
∇ Sample Item
There are (A) probably around (B) 3,000 languages speaking (C) in the world (D).
(A) are
(B) around
(C) speaking
(D) the world
The best answer is (C). A past participle (spoken) is required because the idea is passive. The sentence means, ” . . . 3,000 languages which are spoken . . .”
For decades (A), journalist Theodore H. White wrote (B) books described (C) American presidential (D) elections.
(A) For decades
(B) wrote
(C) described
(D) presidential
The best choice is (C). The past participle described is used incorrectly because the idea is active: the books described the elections. Therefore, a present participle, describing, should be used. (The sentence could also be corrected by adding a relative pronoun: that described.)
Nutmeg, widely is used (A) as a spice (B), is actually (C) the kernel of a tropical (D) nut.
(A) is used
(B) spice
(C) is actually
(D) tropical
The best choice is (A). Rather than the main verb is used, a past participle (used) is required.
Incorrect infinitive forms such as for go or to going may be used in place of the correct form, to go.
∇ Sample Item
Viral infections are (A) generally more difficult (B) to treating (C) than bacterial infections (D).
(A) are
(B) more difficult
(C) to treating
(D) infections
The best answer is (C). The correct form of the infinitive is to treat.
Exercise 38.1
Exercise 38.2
Exercise 38.3