Verbal Clarity
How to use verbals correctly
What exactly are the verbals?
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Verbals include
gerunds, infinitives,
and participles:
1. A gerund is a verbal
that ends in -ing and
functions as a noun.
– Writing a good
essay takes effort.
2. An infinitive is a to +
verb verbal that
functions as a noun,
adjective, or adverb.
– To graduate from
college takes time.
3.
A participle is a
verbal used as an
adjective, and it often
ends in -ing (present)
or –ed (past).
– Shaking with anger,
Gloria turned away
from her cheating
boyfriend Carlos.
– Shaken with fear,
Ed walked away
from the wrecked
car.
What happened to supersizing?
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From Natural News:
McDonalds has dropped
its supersized menu,
amid rising awareness
that its fast food
products are blamed for
obesity. McDonalds can
see it coming: a flood of
lawsuits blaming it for
widespread obesity.
About 35% of the U.S.
population is very
overweight, especially
the ones who eat at
McDonalds and its rivals
far too often!
How then do we use gerunds?
•
1.
Can eating McDonalds
super-size anyone?
Fill in each blank with
the right word form:
a. search, b. eat,
c. do, d. make
Filmmaker Morgan
Spurlock spent a
month (1) __ what 10year-olds only dream
of. (2) __ nothing but
food from McDonald's,
there were no side
trips to Burger King
and no midnight raids
on the fridge (3) __
for salad greens.
Here is how we use gerunds:
•
1.
Can eating McDonalds
super-size anyone?
Fill in each blank with the
correct gerund:
a. searching, b. eating,
c. doing, d. making
Filmmaker Morgan
Spurlock spent a
month (1) doing what
10-year-olds only
dream of. (2) Eating
nothing but food from
McDonald's, there
were no side trips to
Burger King and no
midnight raids on the
fridge (3) searching
for salad greens.
Can you use gerunds correctly?
•
Fill in each blank with
the correct verbal:
a. put, b. look,
c. do, d. interest
(1) __ in the food’s
effects, the explaywright and exbeach volleyball
announcer spent many
thousands (2) __ down
on film what happened
to his body, which was
in quite good shape
when the project
started.
Does super-sizing work
on most people?
Can you use gerunds correctly?
•
Fill in each blank with
the correct gerund:
a. putting, b. looking,
c. doing, d. interested
(1) Interested in the
food’s effects, the explaywright and exbeach volleyball
announcer spent many
thousands (2) putting
down on film what
happened to his body,
which was in quite good
shape when the
project started.
Does super-sizing work
on most people?
What tale do the gerunds tell?
•
•
What happened to Morgan?
Fill in each blank with
the correct verbal:
a. put, b. add,
c. gain, d. refer
(1) __ 25 pounds and
(2) __ 65 points to his
cholesterol count,
Spurlocks’ head ached
continually and he was
depressed. (3) Having
__ to his liver as pâté,
doctors told him to
quit McDonalds or he
would die.
What tale do the gerunds tell?
•
•
What happened to Morgan?
Fill in each blank with
the correct gerund:
a. putting, b. adding,
c. gaining, d. referring
(1) Gaining 25 pounds
and (2) adding 65
points to his cholesterol count, Spurlock’s
head ached continually
and he was depressed.
(3) Having referred to
his liver as pâté,
doctors told him to
quit McDonalds or die.
What is super-sizing all about?
•
•
Is there a strong connection
between food and health?
Fill in each blank with
the correct gerund:
a. pass, b. blame,
c. do, d. hope
(1) __ all who sees the
film will think about
what they eat is
Spurlock’s objective.
Most people don't eat
healthily, but (2) __
everyone is not our
goal. Still, (3) __ junk
for food is killing the
health of the nation.
What is super-sizing all about?
•
•
Is there a strong connection
between food and health?
Fill in each blank with
the correct gerund:
a. passing, b. blaming,
c. doing, d. hoping
(1) Hoping all who sees
the film will think
about what they eat is
Spurlock’s objective.
Most people don't eat
healthily; (2) blaming
everyone is not the
goal. (3) Passing junk
for food is killing the
health of the nation.
What about Spurlock’s method?
•
•
Fill in each blank with
the correct verbal:
a. super-size, b. get,
c. exercise, d. approach
(1) __ diet in a very
extreme way, Spurlock
makes his point well. (2)
Having __ his meals
whenever a counter
worker made the offer,
he ordered everything
on the menu at least
once. (3) __ also was
lost in the experiment.
Would you do what
Spurlock did?
What about Spurlock’s method?
•
•
Fill in each blank with
the correct verbal:
a. supersizing, b. getting,
c. exercising, d. approaching
(1) Approaching diet in a
very extreme way,
Spurlock makes his point
well. (2) Having
supersized his meals
whenever a counter
worker made the offer,
he ordered everything on
the menu at least once.
(3) Lost too in the test
was exercising.
Would you do what
Spurlock did?
What is super-sizing all about?
•
•
Is there a strong connection
between food and health?
Fill in each blank with
the correct verbal:
a. account, b. force,
c. visit, d. decide
(1) __ his mother in West
Virginia, he heard about
obesity lawsuits. (2) __
for 43% of US fast-food
sales, McDonald's said
their food was safe to eat.
(3) Having __ to test the
food, Spurlock filmed
Supersize Me, and forced
McDonalds to drop its
super-sizes!
What is super-sizing all about?
•
•
Is there a strong connection
between food and health?
Fill in each blank with the
correct gerund:
a. accounting, b. forced,
c. visiting, d. deciding
(1) Visiting his mother in
West Virginia, he heard
about obesity lawsuits. (2)
Accounting for 43% of US
fast-food sales, McDonalds
said their food was safe to
eat. (3) Having decided to
test the food, Spurlock
filmed Supersize Me, and
forced McDonalds to drop
its super-sizes!
What are past participles?
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•
•
1.
2.
Broken, eaten, and
taken are examples of
past participles.
They function as
passive adjectives.
Which –ed form is a
past, and which is a
past participle?
“You used the car,
broke it, and then sold
it to me.”
“Now I own an old,
broken, used car.”
Is the poor man’s
car a used one?
Can you use past participles?
•
1.
2.
3.
What is the past participle
of the verb to lose?
4.
What is the correct
form of the verb?
For the fifth game in a
row, our team lost; we
are (beat) ___.
For a while we were
ahead, but now the huge
lead is (go) ___.
We desperately wanted
a win, but now we have
(chose) ___ defeat.
Therefore, some of the
players are very (shake)
___ up.
Can you use past participles?
•
1.
2.
3.
What is the past participle
of the verb to lose?
4.
What is the correct
form of the verb?
For the fifth game in a
row, our team lost; we
are beaten.
For a while we were
ahead, but now the huge
lead is gone.
We desperately wanted
a win, but now we have
chosen defeat.
Therefore, some of the
players are very shaken
up.
Do you use past participles?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Have you (see) ___ my
car keys?
No, where have you
(lay) ___ them?
I haven’t (find) ___
them yet!
Well, have you (try) __
the table?
Oh, have you (drive)
___ my car?
Sure, I have (test) ___
it out lots of times!
What change does the
horse really want?
Do you use past participles?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Have you seen my car
keys?
No, where have you laid
them?
I haven’t found them
yet!
Well, have you tried
the table?
Oh, have you driven my
car?
Sure, I have tested it
out lots of times!
What change does the
horse really want?
Then what are infinitives?
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Do hairdressers ask too much?
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Infinitives consist of
“to” plus a verb.
They look like verbs,
but aren’t.
Instead, they indicate
purpose.
What is the purpose of
Janet coloring her
hair?
She colors it to appear
younger.
She wants to feel
better about herself.
Do you use infinitives correctly?
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Use: be, finish, make,
succeed, graduate.
Do you need ___ a
college degree?
Yes, I plan ___.
But you don’t seem __
very motivated.
Yes, I am; I am trying
___ in all of my classes.
Oh, I see that you have
decided ___ something
of yourself.
Do even rabbits need
more than dumb luck?
Do you use infinitives correctly?
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Use: be, finish, make,
succeed, graduate.
Do you need to finish a
college degree?
Yes, I plan to
graduate.
You don’t seem to be
very motivated.
I am trying to succeed
in all of my classes.
I see that you have
decided to make
something of yourself.
Do even rabbits need
more than dumb luck?
Do you know how to use verbals?
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1.
2.
3.
Do most of us need
better balance?
Which verbal best fills
each blank?
The boss asked me __
the job.
a. to finish, b. finishing, c.
finished.
We rarely finish __ our
tests early.
a. to take, b. taking, c.
took.
Most people like __ ice
cream.
a. to eat, b. eating, c.
eaten.
Do you know how to use verbals?
•
1.
2.
3.
Do most of us need
better balance?
Which verbal best fills
each blank?
The boss asked me __
the job.
a. to finish, b. finishing,
c. finished.
We rarely finish __ our
tests early.
a. to take, b. taking, c.
took.
Most people like __ ice
cream.
a. to eat, b. eating, c.
eaten.
Do you know your verb forms?
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
How does the thief feel
about the burglar alarm?
Which verb form is the
right one?
They were hoping (to go,
going) out.
The hard workers kept (to
go, going) very late.
A genius seems (to know,
knowing) all the correct
answers.
The extreme thief
stopped (taking, to take)
candy from the baby.
Do you know your verb forms?
•
1.
2.
3.
4.
How does the thief feel
about the burglar alarm?
Which verb form is the
right one?
They were hoping (to go,
going) out.
The hard workers kept (to
go, going) very late.
A genius seems (to know,
knowing) all the correct
answers.
The extreme thief
stopped (taking, to take)
candy from the baby.
Can you use verbals correctly?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
How many books are
you (carry) __ to
class?
Do you have a way
of (get) to college?
Alfredo knows how
(get) __ 70% on
Compass English.
Have you (forget)
__ anything that
you need?
The students have
(take) __ the survey
already.
6.
We have (see) __ the
results; they’re good.
7. Hope has (burn) her
mother’s cake.
8. Eunice has (buy) her
essay online.
9. Kevin would have
(rise) early if he had
(hear) the alarm.
10. Clark had (fly) from
Atlanta to Chicago
when the plane (hit)
turbulence.
You can use verbals correctly:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
How many books are
you carrying to
class?
Do you have a way of
getting to college?
Ryan knows how to
get 70% on Compass
English.
Have you forgotten
anything that you
need?
Students have taken
the survey already.
6.
We have seen the
results; they’re good.
7. Hope has burnt her
mother’s cake.
8. Eunice has not bought
her essay online.
9. Kevin would have risen
early if he had heard
the alarm.
10. Clark had flown from
Atlanta to Chicago
when the plane hit
turbulence.