Verbals

Verbals  are words formed from a verb but functioning as a different part of speech.

3 Types of  Verbals

Gerunds —are verbals that function as a noun.

It is also ends in -ing.

Like a single-word noun, a gerund may be use as:

1. Subject

Nalini Singh is my favorite author. (Noun)
Reading is my hobby.( Gerund)

2. Direct Object -answering "whom" or "what" after an action verb.  A direct object "receives" or is the "object" of the action.

Example:

I eat breakfast. (Noun)
I enjoy eating.  ( Gerund)

3. Object of Preposition answering "whom" or "what" after a preposition in a prepositional phrase.
Example:
Joe takes pleasure in basketball.( noun)
Joe takes pleasure in running.(Gerund)

4. Appositive renames another noun; An appositive is usually placed next to the noun it renames..

Example:
My favorite sport, basketball, takes a great deal of effort. (Noun)

My favorite exercise, running, takes a great deal of effort. (Gerund)

5. Retained Object answering "whom" or "what" after a passive verb.
The contractor was given a project.( Noun)
The contractor was given a building. (Gerund)

6. Subjective Complement renames or describes (equals) the subject after a verb of being or a linking verb.

My favorite food is adobo. (Noun)

My favorite exercise is jogging. (Gerund)

Participles 

—are verbals that function as an adjective.

Present participles —always ending in -ing, are created from the form of a verb used with the verb to be ( am, is, are, was, were, been)  as an auxiliary verb (progressive tense).

Removing the auxiliary verb and using the -ing form of the main verb as an adjective produces a present participle.

Example: use as an adjective

The boiling water on the stove is hot.

It was an amazing film.

Past Participle

- usually ending  in -ed  or -en, are created from the form of a verb used with the verb to be as an auxiliary verb (passive voice).

Example: use as a verb

The windows were cracked by vandals.

The windows were broken last night.

Example:  use as an adjective

The cracked windows have been fixed.

The broken windows were expensive to repair.

                    

Infinitives

—formed by placing to in front of the simple present form of a verb.

—Examples:

  to swim        to think        to read 

  to be            to cut           to turn

Infinitives may function as adjectives, adverbs, or nouns.

A. Adjectival infinitives
Just like a single-word adjective, an infinitive used as an adjective always describe a noun.
An adjectival  infinitive always follows the noun it describes.
Example:
This is the best time to start.
B.  Adverbial infinitives

Just like a single-word adverb, an infinitive used as an adverb always describes a verb.

An adverbial infinitive usually occurs at the beginning or at the end of a sentence and does not need to be near the verb it describes.

EXAMPLE:  Adverbial infinitive at sentence beginning

To win, you need the highest number of points.

EXAMPLE:  Adverbial infinitive at sentence end

You need the highest number of points to win.

HINT:  You can always identify an adverbial infinitive by inserting the test words in order in front of infinitive.  If the words in order make sense, the infinitive is adverbial.  

PUNCTUATION  NOTE:

1.  Use a comma after the adverbial infinitive when it starts a sentence.

2.  Do not separate the adverbial infinitive from the rest of the sentence if the infinitive ends the sentence.

C.  Nominal infinitives

Like a single-word noun, a nominal infinitive may function as a:

 C.1  SUBJECT

To climb Mt. Everest was my ambition.

C.2  Direct Object

At one time, I attempted to climb Mt. Everest.

C.3  Retained Object

The hiker was asked to climb Mt. Everest.

C.4  Subjective Complement

My greatest ambition is to climb Mt. Everest.

C. 5  Appositive

My greatest ambition, to climb Mt. Everest, directed my life.

Subject-Verb Agreement

SUBJECT-VERB AGREEMENT

Subjects and verbs must AGREE with one another in number (singular or plural).  Thus, if a subject is singular, its verb must also be singular; if a subject is plural, its verb must also be plural.

The pronoun it at the start of a sentence takes a singular verb.

 Ex. It is his charisma that swayed people to believe in him.

It is the suggestions that count a lot in a thesis defense.

The personal pronoun you always takes a plural verb. 

Ex. You are the answer to my problems.

     You are the apple of my eyes.

The phrase many a followed by a singular noun takes a singular verb. 

Ex. Many a newspaper today has been in circulation.

Many a youngster nowadays has already been aware of AIDS.

Subjects preceded by the number of or the percentage of are singular, while subjects preceded by a number of or a percentage of are plural.

Ex. The number of chemistry students is small.

 A number of chemistry students are in the lab.

The verb agrees with the agrees with the affirmative, not with the negative subject. 

Ex. The president , not the secretary, attends the Educators’ Congress.

The DOJ, not the NBI personnel, pursues the Vizconde massacre. 

An amount of money, time expression, or unit of measurement even in plural forms, should take singular verbs. 

Ex. Five dollars is too much to ask.
     Ten days is not nearly enough time.

Some nouns are always plural and always take a plural verb. (Trousers, pants, slacks, shorts, briefs, jeans, glasses, sunglasses, scissors, pliers, tweezers, proceeds, police etc.)

Ex. The scissors are on the table.

      The pants need ironing.

If you add “pair of” to the front of any of these, then they become singular.

Ex. The pair of scissors is on the table.

       The pair of pants needs ironing.

Mathematical expressions of subtraction and division require singular verbs, while expressions of addition or multiplication take either singular or plural verbs.

Ex. Ten divided by two is five.

      Five times seven equals (OR equal) thirty-five.

Titles of books, movies, novels, etc. are treated as singular and take a singular verb.

Ex. The Burbs is a movie starring Tom Hanks.

     Great Expectations is my favorite novel.

Adjectives used as subjects take plural verbs.

Ex. The rich are not always happy.

      The brave are to be emulated.

A collective noun, when regarded as a unit, takes a singular verb; when regarded as individuals, take plural verb.

1. SINGULAR

Collective nouns nearly always emphasize a group as a UNIT.

Ex. The jury [a collective unit, therefore singular] is returning to the courtroom.

     The class respects the teacher.

2. PLURAL

Occasionally, a collective noun is treated as plural to draw attention to the INDIVIDUAL members of the group.

Ex. The jury [refers to twelve people as individuals, therefore plural] are arguing among themselves.

      The class members are debating amongst themselves.

Some words such as none, any, all, more, most, some, majority, half may take either singular or plural verbs depending on the noun or pronoun they refer to.

Ex. Most of the news is good.  (singular)

     Most of the flowers were yellow.  (plural)

     All of the pizza was gone.  (singular)

     All of the children were late.  (plural)

Prepositional phrases beginning with the compound prepositions such as along with, together with, in addition to, and as well as should be ignored, for they do not affect subject-verb agreement.

Ex. The delinquent, as well as his mom and dad, was in the detention hall.

     A driver's license, together with two other pieces of identification, is required.

 

 

Phrasal Verbs

            Good day  everyone! So we are now in phrasal verbs. Let us have the time to read and absorb what is with the phrasal verbs. Aren't you excited? So, what are we waiting for? Let us begin.
Phrasal Verbs
It is a combination of words (a verb + a preposition or verb +adverb) that when used together, usually take on a different meaning to that of the original verb.
Example:
I ran into my teacher at the movies last night. (run + into = meet)              

*Some phrasal verbs are intransitive. An intransitive verb cannot be followed by an object.
Example: 
He suddenly showed up.(show up cannot take an object)

*Some phrasal verbs are transitive. A transitive verb can be followed by an object.
Example:
I made up the story.(story is the object of make up)
a. Some transitive phrasal verbs are separable.The object is placed between the verb and the preposition. 
Example:
I talked my mother into letting me borrow the car.                 
She looked the phone number up.
b.Some transitive phrasal verbs are inseparable.The object is placed after the preposition. 
Example:
I ran into an old friend yesterday.               
They are looking into the problem. 
c. Some transitive phrasal verbs can take an object in both places. 
Example:
I looked the number up in the phone book.              
 I looked up the number in the phone book.

REMEMBER:  Although many phrasal verbs can take an object in both places, you must put the object between the verb and the preposition if the object is a pronoun.
Example: 
I looked it up in the phone book. correct               
I looked up it in the phone book. incorrect

Voice

             Good day everyone! Sentences can be active or passive. Therefore, tenses also have active forms and passive forms. You must learn to recognize the difference to successfully speak English.

Active Form

The thing doing the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing receiving the action is the object. Most sentences are active.

[Thing doing action] + [verb] + [thing receiving action]

Examples:

The professor teaches the students.

John washes the dishes.

Passive Form

The thing receiving the action is the subject of the sentence and the thing doing the action is optionally included near the end of the sentence. You can use the passive form if you think that the thing receiving the action is more important or should be emphasized. You can also use the passive form if you do not know who is doing the action or if you do not want to mention who is doing the action.

[Thing receiving action] + [be] + [past participle of verb] + [by] + [thing doing action]

Examples:

The students are taught by the professor.

The dishes are washed by John.