Verbals (copy)
]]Verbals: formed from verbs and are used as adjectives, nouns, or adverbs]]
<<Participles<<
a verb form that can be used as an adjective
present participle: -ing
past participle: -ed
^^Examples^^:
“The thrashing winds of the tropical storm damaged our city park.”
“Our excited meteorologists told us that the storm’s name was Clive.”
“It was the worst storm in recorded history to reach our town.”
a participle phrase consists of a participle and any modifiers or complements the participle has; the entire phrase is used as an adjective
^^Examples^^:
“This bowl, carved in the hills of Tennessee, is unique.”
“Chopping the carrots quickly, the chef finished the stew.”
“Given all of the facts, we reached our decision quickly.”
}}Gerunds}}
a verb form that ends in -ing and is always used as a noun
can be subjects, predicate nominatives, direct objects, indirect objects, or object of prepositions
%%Examples%%:
“Swimming, another aquatic sport, demands physical endurance.” (subject)
“A more leisurely form of exercise is walking.” (predicate nominative)
“Although it may seem leisurely, sailing also requires strength.” (subject)
a gerund phrase consists of a gerund and any modifiers or complements the gerund has; the entire phrase is used as a noun
%%Examples%%:
“Our reason for calling you is to invite you to our graduation.” (object of preposition)
“I don’t mind shoveling snow once in a while.” (direct object)
“Skidding on wet pavement causes many accidents.” (subject)
{{Infinitives{{
a verb form that can be used as a noun, adjective, or adverb; most infinitive begin with “to”
can be subjects, direct objects, adjectives, or adverbs
Examples:
“I like to keep my stapler and tape right at hand.” (direct object)
“The dictionary is on the next shelf, ready to answer my questions about spelling.” (adverb)
“To succeed in math is a goal of mine.” (subject)
an infinitive phrase consists of an infinitive and any modifiers or complements the infinitive has; the entire phrase can be used as a noun, adjective, or adverb
Examples:
“For some, the attempt to understand Shakespeare’s writing is a challenge.” (adjective)
“To see a play staged can be a great pleasure.” (subject)
“Shakespeare’s goal was to be both a playwright and an actor.” (predicate nominative)
[[Appositives[[
a noun or pronoun placed beside another noun or pronoun to identify or describe it
appositives that are not essential to the meaning of the sentence are offset by commas
appositives that are essential to the meaning of the sentence should not be offset by commas
==Examples==:
“The puppy, a Pomeranian, had long, wavy hair.”
“We gave the dry cleaner, Mr. Nowlin, our suits to press.”
“We especially wanted to hear the cellist, Yo-Yo Ma.”
an appositive phrase consists of an appositive and any modifiers it has
==Examples==:
“A college education, a dream of many, is a worthy pursuit.”
“Oxalis, a clover-like plant, makes a colorful garden border.”
“This book, a collection of short stories, was due yesterday.”
…and that’s @@Verbals@@!
Dangling Participial Phrases
A dangling participial phrase is a phrase where the participle does not actually modify any noun or pronoun in the sentence.
Example:
"Walking down the street, the flowers caught my eye."
(This implies that the flowers were walking down the street, which is incorrect.)Revised:
"Walking down the street, I noticed the flowers caught my eye."
Misplaced Modifiers
A misplaced modifier is a word, phrase, or clause that is improperly separated from the word it modifies or describes.
Example:
"She almost drove her kids to school every day."
(This implies she was not really driving them.)Revised:
"She drove her kids to school almost every day."
Split Infinitives
A split infinitive occurs when an adverb or other word is placed between the word "to" and the verb, which can lead to awkward phrasing.
Example:
"To boldly go where no man has gone before."Revised (more polished):
"To go boldly where no man has gone before."