Infinitives

Remember that a verbal is a form of a verb that functions as something else in a sentence.

An infinitive is a verbal that can function as noun, adjective, or adverb. It is formed by

using "to" + the verb.

Examples of Infinitives:

The infinitive can appear by itself, or it can be part of a larger infinitive phrase.

Examples of infinitives:

 To run
 To walk
 To cook
 To understand
 To make

Examples of infinitives or infinitive phrases used as nouns:

1. I like to run. (functions as a direct object)

2. I wanted to cook dinner for my parents. (functions as a direct object)
3. To fly an airplane is a dream of mine. (functions as a subject)
4. I cannot believe you knew to put out grits to attract ants! (functions as a direct
object)

Examples of infinitives or infinitive phrases used as adjectives:

1. The fair is the place to go. (tells us which place)

2. I have some jeans to wash. (tells us which jeans)
3. The singer to watch is Joyce. (tells us which singer)
4. The kind of flowers to plant are perennials. (tells us which flowers)

Examples of infinitives or infinitive phrases used as adverbs:

1. To complete the math problem, you divide by x. (tells why to divide)

2. I bought paint to finish the picture for my mom. (tells why I bought paint)
3. To make the cookies, you must add the flour first. (tells why we add flour)
Gerunds
A gerund is one of three types of verbals. A verbal is formed using a verb, but it functions
as a different part of speech in the sentence.

Gerunds function as nouns in the sentence. Typically, a gerund is used as a "thing" or an

"idea," and gerunds always end in "-ing". They can function as subjects, direct objects,
objects of the preposition, and predicate nouns.

Examples of Gerunds:

 Gerunds are not the only types of verbals that can end in "-ing," so make sure that
the word you find is functioning as a noun in the sentence.
 Gerunds can appear by themselves, or they can be part of a larger gerund phrase.

Examples of gerunds or gerund phrases used as the subject:

 Singing is one of my hobbies.

 Running is good exercise.
 Watching television does not burn many calories.

Examples of gerunds or gerund phrases used as direct objects:

 I enjoy cooking with my mom.

 Mark likes playing on the team.
 The teacher appreciated my trying the math problem.

Examples of gerunds or gerund phrases used as objects of the preposition.

 Leslie got into trouble for talking to Sarah.

 Have you ever read a book about riding a bike?
 Upon finding a piece of glass on the floor, Jan called the teacher.

Examples of gerunds or gerund phrases used as predicate nouns.

 A good career for me might be nursing.

 My favorite pastime is reading books.
 The most fun I had on the trip was swimming in the ocean.
Participles
Participles are verb forms that have several functions.

You already know that the present participle and the past participle forms of a verb are
two of the five main verb forms. These forms of the verb are used when we need to form
some of the different tenses of the verb.

Most often when people refer to participles, however, they are talking about a verbal(a
verb acting as another part of speech). Participles are verbs that act as adjectives in the
sentence. Remember that an adjective modifies a noun or pronoun.

Present participles end in "-ing". Past participles usually end in "-ed", but there are many
irregular past participles that end in "-en".

Like gerunds and infinitives, participles can appear alone or can be part of a larger phrase.

There are many words that end in "-ing" or "-ed", so be careful to analyze the sentence to
ensure that you have found a participle.

Examples of Participles:

 Examples of present participles or participle phrases in a sentence:

 Can you help me fix the leaning column of blocks?
 Arriving late, Mary sat in the back row.
 Have you ever read The Giving Tree?
 Speeding toward the finish line, Will was going to win the race.
 The girl, dreaming of being a doctor, decided to take an extra science class.

Examples of past participles or participle phrases in a sentence:

 The broken glass cut my foot.

 Ben, exhausted after a long day, took a nap on the couch.
 The red shirt worn by Kevin belongs to my brother.
 The boat, moving toward the dock, carried soldiers returning from war.
 The torn paper is my homework from yesterday.
Appositives
Appositives are nouns, noun phrases, or noun clauses that rename a noun that comes just
before them. Remember that an appositivecan be a single word or several words.

Appositives can be essential or nonessential. If the appositive is necessary for the

meaning of the sentence, then it is essential. This means that it cannot be left out. If the
appositive is not essential for the meaning of the sentence, and it could be left out, then it
is nonessential.

Nonessential appositives should be set apart from the sentence with commas. Essential
appositives are not set off with commas.

Examples of Sentences with Appositives with Explanation

 My sister Jane is 27 years old. (Jane renames sister)

 My mom, who is a nurse, drives a red car. (Who is a nurse renames mom, but it is
not essential for the meaning of the sentence.)
 The boy who painted this picture is named Kevin. (Who painted this picture renames
boy, and it is essential for the meaning of the sentence.)
 Sarah's dog Rover is a golden retriever. (Rover renames dog.)

More Examples of Sentences with Appositives

 That ladybug, an insect, just landed on the rose bush.

 Mr. Harrison, the principal at my school, wears a tie every day.
 I like spaghetti, an Italian dish with noodles and sauce.
 Marcus, my sister's hamster, likes to run in a wheel.
 The play was brilliant, and I enjoyed Mary, the best actress in our school.
 I really like my grand father's horse Chester.
Dipthongs
A dipthong is the term for a vowel sound that is created by two vowels working together.
There is only one sound, but two vowels are used to make the sound. Some describe the
sound as a "gliding" from one of the vowels to the other without separating the sound.

Examples of Dipthongs:
The "oy" sound can be made with the following vowel pairs: oy, oi.

Boy
Joy
Coin
Void
Soil

The "ow" sound can be made with the following vowel pairs: ow, ou

 Cow
 Now
 Brown
 Found
 Cloud
 Mound

The "a" sound made with ai:

 Rain
 Pain
 Raise
 Brain
 Train
 Complain