Verbals and Verbal Phrases Quiz, Test Your Grammar Skills and Improve Your Writing. Mastering verbals and verbal phrases enhances your writing by adding variety, clarity, and complexity to sentences. Although derived from verbs, these forms function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs rather than action words. The Verbals and Verbal Phrases Quiz challenges your understanding of these essential grammar components, helping you avoid common mistakes while strengthening your writing skills.
What Are Verbals and Verbal Phrases?
Verbals are words formed from verbs but used as other parts of speech. There are three types of verbals: gerunds, infinitives, and participles. When these verbals include modifiers or complements, they form verbal phrases.
Gerunds
A gerund is a verb ending in -ing that functions as a noun. It can act as a subject, object, or complement in a sentence:
- Running is my favorite hobby. (Subject)
- She enjoys reading novels. (Direct object)
- His passion is painting. (Subject complement)
Gerund phrases include the gerund and its modifiers:
- Writing essays quickly improves your skills. (The entire phrase acts as the subject.)
Infinitives
An infinitive is the base form of a verb preceded by to. It can function as a noun, adjective, or adverb:
- I love to read. (Noun, direct object)
- She has a book to study. (Adjective modifying “book”)
- He works hard to succeed. (Adverb modifying “works”)
Infinitive phrases expand on the infinitive with modifiers and objects:
- To write clearly requires practice. (The phrase acts as the subject.)
Participles
A participle is a verb form used as an adjective. Present participles end in -ing, while past participles typically end in -ed, -en, or -t:
- The shining sun made the day beautiful. (Present participle)
- The broken vase lay on the floor. (Past participle)
Participial phrases include the participle and its modifiers:
- Running through the park, she felt free. (Describes “she.”)
Common Challenges and Mistakes
Many learners confuse verbals with main verbs, leading to grammatical errors. Consider these examples:
- Incorrect: He is to swim every morning. (Misuse of infinitive as the main verb.)
- Correct: He likes to swim every morning. (Infinitive as a noun.)
Another common mistake involves misplaced modifiers in participial phrases:
- Incorrect: Walking through the park, the flowers looked beautiful. (Who is walking?)
- Correct: Walking through the park, she admired the beautiful flowers.
Tips for Mastering Verbals and Verbal Phrases
To confidently identify and use verbals, follow these strategies:
- Identify the function: Ask whether the word acts as a noun, adjective, or adverb.
- Look for the base verb: If it’s not functioning as an action word, it’s a verbal.
- Check for complements: Verbal phrases often include objects and modifiers.
Take the Verbals and Verbal Phrases Quiz Now!
Are you ready to test your understanding? The Verbals and Verbal Phrases Quiz offers an interactive way to reinforce your grammar skills. Identify common mistakes, strengthen sentence structure, and build confidence in your writing. Start the quiz now and master the power of verbals and their phrases!
Verbals And Verbal Phrases – FAQ
Verbals are words that derive from verbs but function as different parts of speech, such as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs, rather than as verbs. Unlike verbs, verbals do not act as the predicate of a sentence. Instead, they offer additional information or describe actions without asserting them.
The three main types of verbals are gerunds, participles, and infinitives. Gerunds function as nouns and are formed by adding -ing to a verb. Participles, which can be present or past, function as adjectives. Infinitives are the base form of a verb, often preceded by to, functioning as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.
Infinitives can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. As a noun, it might be the subject or object, such as in To read is enjoyable. As an adjective, it modifies a noun, and as an adverb, it modifies a verb, adjective, or other adverb, providing clarity and depth to your writing.