Gerunds, Participles, and Infinitives
A verbal is a word based on a verb that acts like a different part of speech. Gerunds, Participles, and Infinitives are all verbals.
Gerunds are verbals that end with “ing” that act like nouns, some of these words include: allowing, hating, eating, cheating, seeing, laughing, smacking. One example of a Gerund being used in a sentence is:
Laughing is a hilarious affair. Cheating is a crime!
A participle is a verbal that can be used as an adjective to specify nouns. A few examples of participles are: crying, hurt, drinking, laughing. One example of a participle used in a sentence is:
The men, cavorting and drunk, ran around the room
Infinitives are verbals that are preceded by the word “to”. These words can be used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. One example of an Infinitive used in a sentence is:
To ask me to eat a burger is an invitation that I readily would accept.
