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Verbal phrases

A verbal is a verb form that does not function as the verb of a clause. Verbals include

present participles (the -ing form of the verb)
past participles (the verb form usually ending in -d, -ed, -n, -en, or -t)
gerunds (present participles used as nouns)
infinitives (the word to plus the base form of the verb)

Verbals can take objects, complements, and modifiers to form verbal phrases. These phrases are classified as participial, gerund, and infinitive.

Participial phrases

Participial phrases always function as adjectives. Their verbals are either present participles, always ending in -ing, or past participles, frequently ending in -d, -ed, -n, -en, or -t (many irregular verbs have irregular past participles).

Participial phrases frequently appear immediately following the noun or pronoun they modify.

Example sentence: Congress shall make no law abridging the freedom of speech or of the press. Explanation: The participial phrase abridging the freedom of speech or of the press immediately follows the noun it modifies, law.

Example sentence: Truth kept in the dark will never save the world. Explanation: The participial phrase kept in the dark immediately follows the noun it modifies, Truth.

Unlike other adjectival word groups, however, which must always follow the noun or pronoun they modify, participial phrases are often movable. They can precede the word they modify.

Example sentence: Being a weight-bearing joint, the knee is among the most frequently injured. Explanation: The participial phrase Being a weight-bearing joint comes before the noun it modifies, knee.

They may also appear at some distance from the word they modify.

Example sentence: Last night we saw a play that affected us deeply, written with profound insight into the lives of immigrants. Explanation: The participial phrase written with profound insight into the lives of immigrants modifies the noun plays and is separated from the noun by a subordinate clause, that affected us deeply.

Gerund phrases

Gerund phrases are built around present participles (verb forms ending in -ing), and they always function as nouns: usually as subjects, subject complements, direct objects, or objects of the preposition.

Example sentence: Lizards usually enjoy sunning themselves. Explanation: The gerund phrase sunning themselves is the direct object of the verb enjoy.

Infinitive phrases

Infinitive phrases, usually constructed around to plus the base form of the verb (to call, to drink), can function as adjectives, adverbs, or nouns. When functioning as a noun, an infinitive phrase may appear in almost any spot in a sentence, usually as a subject, subject complement, or direct object.

Example sentence: The Twentieth Amendment gave women the right to vote. Explanation: The infinitive phrase to vote functions as an adjective modifying the noun right.

Example sentence: Volunteers rolled up their pants to wade through the flood waters. Explanation: The infinitive phrase to wade through the flood waters functions as an adverb modifying the verb rolled up.

Example sentence: To live without health insurance is risky. Explanation: The infinitive phrase To live without health insurance functions as a noun and is the subject of the sentence.

NOTE:In some constructions, the infinitive is unmarked; in other words, the to does not appear: No one can make you [to] feel inferior without your consent.

Exercises:

Verbal phrases 1

Verbal phrases 2