Do you know what a verbal is? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on verbals, including its definition, usage, example sentences, and more!
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According to Your Dictionary, a verbal is a verb that acts as another part of speech, like an adjective, adverb or noun. Gerunds act as nouns, infinitives can act as adjectives, adverbs, or nouns, and participles act as adjectives. There are also verbal phrases, which contain verbals and modifiers. A gerund phrase is a verbal that ends in -ing and functions as a noun. Infinitives are verbals that art with the word to and end in a present-tense verb. These can function as adjectives, adverbs or nouns either as subjects, direct objects, or indirect objects in a sentence in a sentence. A participle is a verbal that functions as an adjective. Past participles that end in ed or en and present participles that end in ing come right before the noun they modify, or as predicate adjectives after a linking verb. These can also all be phrases, such as gerund phrases, an infinitive phrase, or participial phrases. The different types of verbals use different forms of verbs, such as ing forms or ed/en verb form. Depending on which kind of particles are used, this can form a different part of speech. Verbals including different kinds of participles can be used at the beginning of a sentence, middle of a sentence, or end of a sentence.
What are examples of verbals?
verbals can be used in many different contexts in the English language. Trying to use a word or literary technique in a sentence is one of the best ways to memorize what it is, but you can also try making flashcards or quizzes that test your knowledge. Try using this term of the day in a sentence today! Below are a couple of examples of verbals from Your Dictionary that can help get you started incorporating this tool into your everyday use. See if you can identify the verbals in the following sentences like the first sentence and second sentence.
Were you surprised by the ending of the episode?
We don’t believe that winning is the most important part of the game.
Smoking in public is dangerous for everyone.
The crying baby distracted her sister from exams.
Winning trophies isn’t the most important part of the game.
Cheating has become much easier with technology.
She had tired feet from the laps she ran playing basketball.
Technology has led to an increase in cheating among students.
Tyler, charming as always, complimented Wendy’s outfit.
Cooking helps me relax at the end of the day.
Dash enjoys biking to get the cookies from Susan.
I traveled to France to visit my grandmother.
Your ability to dance is incredible.
To dance on stage is to express yourself with your body.
Cooking dinner helps me relax at the end of the day.
This depressing movie makes me feel sad.
Tyler is so charming and thoughtful.
Even though you don’t like practicing, it will help you get better.
Technology has led to an increase in cheating.
That last math problem left me so confused.
Did you go to Juilliard to dance?
Even though you don’t like practicing the trumpet, it will help you get better.
To play, we all draw a card.
This movie makes me feel depressed.
My fingers, frozen from the snow, shivered as I put on gloves.
Practicing will only help you get better.
Smoking is dangerous for everyone.
These gloves warm up my freezing fingers.
Surprised by the episode’s ending, I sat on the couch in shock.
The ending to that episode was surprising!
These gloves warm up my frozen fingers.
Let’s find a game to play.
Let’s find a game to play while we wait.
I traveled to France to visit.
To be a firefighter, you must go through a lot of physical training.
Never start smoking because it’s dangerous for everyone.
Did you understand that confusing book?
France is my favorite country to visit.
I think cooking is a relaxing activity.
Depressed from the movie, I decided to watch something else.
Confused by the book, we asked the teacher for help.
Wendy was immediately charmed by Tyler’s thoughtfulness.
Winning isn’t the most important part of the game.
I’d like to watch the new action movie.
What are other grammar terms?
There are many different literary and grammatical techniques and devices that you might see when you are reading prose or poetry. It is important to recognize these terms because they are always used for some purpose. Knowing these devices can help readers understand the author’s deeper meaning and why they are using such a device. Take a look at the below list of grammatical devices from OED and see how many you know! Then try researching ones that are unfamiliar to you.
Overall, a verbal is a verb of the sentence that is used as a different part of speech for the function of verbals. The verbal types include gerunds, infinitives, and participles, which all have a different function.
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.
Kevin
December 8, 2021
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