ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the grammatical concept of verbals, which are formed using verbs but function as non-verb parts of speech in sentences, such as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. First, the chapter defines verbals and looks in detail at three types: gerunds, participles, and infinitives. After that, it explains why verbals are important to good writing, discussing how authors use gerunds, participles, and infinitives and providing published excerpts that illustrate how these concepts appear in practice. Next, the chapter presents a classroom snapshot section, which describes the author’s experience teaching this concept to an eighth-grade class. The chapter then provides key recommendations for teaching students about verbals. It ends with a bulleted list of final thoughts on this topic.
