Verbals, Appositives, Prepositional Phrase
VERBAL - a word formed from a verb but functioning as a different part of speech.
Types of Verbals
Participles
A participle is a verb form used as an adjective to modify nouns and pronouns. The following sentence contains both a present and a past participle:
The children, crying and exhausted, were guided out of the collapsed mine.
Crying is a present participle, formed by adding -ing to the present form of the verb (cry). Exhausted is a past participle, formed by adding -ed to the present form of the verb (exhaust). Both participles modify the subject, children.
All present participles end in -ing. (A verb form--made by adding -ing to the base form--that functions as an adjective. Present participles are the only verb forms that are completely regular.
The present participle is used with a form of the auxiliary be to express the progressive aspect.)
The past participles of all regular verbs end in -ed. (A verb form--made by adding -ing to the base form--that functions as an adjective. Present participles are the only verb forms that are completely regular.
The present participle is used with a form of the auxiliary be to express the progressive aspect.)
However, irregular verbs have various past participle endings (for instance, thrown. ridden, built, and gone).
A participial phrase is made up of a participle and its modifiers. A participle may be followed by an object, an adverb, a prepositional phrase, an adverb clause, or any combination of these. In this sentence, for example, the participial phrase consists of a present participle (holding), an object (the torch), and an adverb (steadily):
Holding the torch steadily, Merdine approached the monster.
In the next sentence, the participial phrase consists of a present participle (making), an object (a great ring), and a prepositional phrase (of white light):
Merdine waved the torch over her head, making a great ring of white light.
Gerunds
A traditional grammatical term for a verbal that ends
Types of Verbals
Participles
A participle is a verb form used as an adjective to modify nouns and pronouns. The following sentence contains both a present and a past participle:
The children, crying and exhausted, were guided out of the collapsed mine.
Crying is a present participle, formed by adding -ing to the present form of the verb (cry). Exhausted is a past participle, formed by adding -ed to the present form of the verb (exhaust). Both participles modify the subject, children.
All present participles end in -ing. (A verb form--made by adding -ing to the base form--that functions as an adjective. Present participles are the only verb forms that are completely regular.
The present participle is used with a form of the auxiliary be to express the progressive aspect.)
The past participles of all regular verbs end in -ed. (A verb form--made by adding -ing to the base form--that functions as an adjective. Present participles are the only verb forms that are completely regular.
The present participle is used with a form of the auxiliary be to express the progressive aspect.)
However, irregular verbs have various past participle endings (for instance, thrown. ridden, built, and gone).
A participial phrase is made up of a participle and its modifiers. A participle may be followed by an object, an adverb, a prepositional phrase, an adverb clause, or any combination of these. In this sentence, for example, the participial phrase consists of a present participle (holding), an object (the torch), and an adverb (steadily):
Holding the torch steadily, Merdine approached the monster.
In the next sentence, the participial phrase consists of a present participle (making), an object (a great ring), and a prepositional phrase (of white light):
Merdine waved the torch over her head, making a great ring of white light.
Gerunds
A traditional grammatical term for a verbal that ends