Verbals: Gerunds, Participles and Infinitives

English · Grammar & Punctuation · ages 12-14

Name ______________________ Date ____________

In 'the barking dog,' what job does barking do?
- It works as an adjective describing dog
- It works as the subject of the sentence
- It shows purpose
In 'Running keeps me fit,' what job does running do?
- It shows an action happening now
- It works as a noun, the subject
- It describes another word
An infinitive is formed with 'to' plus the base form of a verb.
Circle one: True False
Which sentence uses a gerund as its subject?
- Reading helps you learn new words.
- She is reading a book right now.
- The book, badly torn, sat on the shelf.
Which word is the infinitive in 'She trained to win,' and what does it show?
- trained - it shows past action
- to win - it shows purpose
- She - it shows the subject
Which phrase is a participle acting as an adjective?
- a broken window
- to open the window
- opening is fun
Maya trained hard to win the race. What job does 'to win' do in this sentence?
- It describes the race
- It's the subject of the sentence
- It explains the purpose of her training
Leo says: 'In "the swimming children," swimming is a gerund because it ends in -ing.' What is wrong with his reasoning?
- Nothing, he is correct
- Swimming describes children here, so it's a participle, not a gerund
- Swimming is the subject, so it's a noun

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

It works as an adjective describing dog · Barking tells you what kind of dog it is, so it's doing an adjective's job - a participle.
It works as a noun, the subject · Running names the activity and is the subject, so it's acting as a noun - that makes it a gerund.
True · Yes. 'To' plus the base verb, like 'to win' or 'to run,' is an infinitive.
Reading helps you learn new words. · Reading names the activity and is the subject of the sentence, so it's a gerund.
to win - it shows purpose · To win tells you why she trained - the infinitive is showing purpose.
a broken window · Broken describes the window, so it's a participle doing an adjective's job.
It explains the purpose of her training · To win explains why Maya trained - showing purpose is the infinitive's job here.
Swimming describes children here, so it's a participle, not a gerund · Ending in -ing doesn't decide it. Swimming describes children here, so it's working as an adjective - a participle.