IDENTIFYING INFINITIVES AND PARTICIPLES AS SUBJECTS
In this module, you will learn to identify subjects and verbs when
 Phrases intervene
 Gerunds and gerund phrases form the subjects
 Infinitives and infinitive phrases form the subjects.
Introduction
So far in subject/verb identification, the verbs have always been very near the subjects. In
addition, our subjects have usually been restricted to single words or, at most, a couple of
words in a compound noun. So, in this session, we'll look at verbs that are distant from
their subjects and at subjects formed from gerunds, gerund phrases, infinitives, and
infinitive phrases.
Intervening Phrases
Let's have a look at a sentence in which a subject is some distance from its verb.
Sentence:
"The car painted a dark blue is mine."
Identify the verb.
We identify "is" as the verb.
We ask: Who or what "is"?
Answer: "car" "is."
So "car" is the simple subject of the complete verb "is."
Notice that the subject is quite a distance from its verb.
To avoid problems in locating separated subjects and verbs, do the following:
1. Locate the verb first.
2. Search for the real "doer" of the action.
3. Don't assume that the first noun or pronoun to the left of the verb is the subject.
4. Test every noun or pronoun you think may be the subject.
Obviously, then, the subject is not always located near its verb.
Gerunds
"Identifying Verbs and Adverbs" explains that an "ing" form of a verb is not a verb unless it
has helping verbs. Thus, if the "ing" form does not have at least one helping verb, it cannot
be a verb. Work through the following sentence to see how we determine whether or not
an "ing" form is a verb.
Sentence:
"The child is smiling at her mother."
We recognize the "ing" form "smiling."
We test it to see if it is a verb.
Test:
"Smiling" is a present participle.
If a present participle is a verb, the participle must be part of a verb phrase.
If "smiling" is part of a verb phrase, are "helping verbs" present?
We recognize the helping verb "is."
Therefore, "smiling" is part of a verb phrase.
Sentence:
"Smiling relaxes the face muscles."
We find that, in this sentence, "smiling" is neither a verb nor an adjective.
If the "ing" form (the present participle) is neither a verb nor an adjective, what else can the
"ing" form be? In other words, what is "smiling" doing in the sentence?
We realize that "smiling" is the name of an action. A word naming an action is called a
noun.
Therefore, "smiling" is a noun. And an "ing" form acting as a noun is called a GERUND. In
this sentence, "smiling," a gerund, is the simple subject of the verb "relaxes."
Gerund Phrases
A gerund can head its own group of words--can head its own phrase. Let's have a look.
Sentence:
"Carole loves walking in the rain."
"Walking" has no helping verbs, so "walking" is not a verb.
"Walking" does not modify a noun or a pronoun, so "walking" is not an adjective either.
So what is "walking" doing in the sentence?
"Walking" (like "smiling," previously) is the name of an action. "Walking" names something
Carole "loves." So if "walking" names something, "walking" is acting as a noun.
Thus, "walking" is a gerund.
The three words "in the rain" modify the gerund walking. And if the three words belong to
the gerund "walking," the whole group of words forms a gerund phrase.
Now let's have a look at gerund phrases when they are the subjects of verbs. Let's find out
why we cannot reduce a gerund-phrase subject to a one-word simple subject.
Sentence:
"Running the 4-minute mile was not accomplished until the 1950s."
Let's match the subject with its verb by following our previously condensed steps.
Identify the verb.
We identify the verb "was accomplished."
Question: Who or what "was (not) accomplished"?
We cannot say that "running" was not accomplished until the 1950s because, obviously,
that would not be true. We must ask ourselves what "was not accomplished until the
1950s." The answer, unerringly, is that "Running the 4-minute mile" was not accomplished
until the 1950s.
Thus, "Running the 4-minute mile" is the subject. The entire phrase is the simple subject.
If a gerund phrase is the subject, the entire gerund phrase is the simple subject.
Infinitives
For the same reasons that we couldn't reduce gerund phrases to one-word simple
subjects, we cannot reduce infinitive phrases (the infinitive plus all its modifiers) to oneword simple subjects.
As we know, an infinitive is made up of two words--"to" plus the name of an action. For
instance,
to + run makes the infinitive "to run."
to + walk makes the infinitive "to walk."
to + see makes the infinitive "to see."
Sentence:
"To travel has always been his secret goal in life."
Identify the verb.
We identify the verb "has been."
Question: Who or what "has been"?
Answer: to travel.
Thus, "to travel," an infinitive, is the simple subject of the verb "has been."
Infinitive Phrases
Like a gerund phrase, an infinitive phrase cannot be reduced to a two-word (to plus action)
subject. Let's have a look at a sentence that contains an infinitive phrase as a subject.
Sentence:
"To live beyond your means hastens your financial ruin."
In this sentence, can we really choose "To live" as the simple subject? According to this
sentence is it true that "To live" "hastens your financial ruin"?
Of course, it's not true. If we want to determine what "hastens your financial ruin," we
would have to dig out the "complete" simple subject "To live beyond your means."
When an infinitive phrase is the subject, the entire infinitive phrase is the simple subject.
Review
When a gerund phrase is a subject, the entire gerund phrase is the simple subject.
When an infinitive phrase is a subject, the entire infinitive phrase is the simple subject.
So if you were to be asked to identify the simple subjects and the complete verbs of the
following sentences, you would respond as follows:
Sentence:
"Working is the key to happiness."
Simple subject: working
Complete verb: is
Sentence:
"Working to one's full capacity has always been the key to happiness."
Response:
Simple subject: Working to one's full capacity
Complete verb: has been
Sentence:
"To dream is not as constructive as to do."
Simple subject: To dream
Complete verb: is
Sentence:
"To dream of work equity was nothing new to her."
Simple subject: To dream of work equity
Complete verb: was
Exercises
Are the following statements true or false? The answers appear after the last question.
1. In a sentence, the subject must always be located immediately before its verb.
True
False
2. In a sentence, no words are allowed between the subject and its verb.
True
False
3. When a gerund phrase is the subject, the gerund alone can be the "simple subject."
True
False
4. When an infinitive phrase is the subject, we can reduce the subject to a single-word
"simple subject."
True
False
Study the following sentences; then select the correct statement. The answers appear
after the last question.
5. To win a gold medal has always been Mohamed's main athletic goal.
A. To win is the simple subject.
B. Win is the simple subject.
C. To win a gold medal is the simple subject.
D. Has always been is the complete verb.
6. To gain practical experience is impossible without having a job.
A. To gain practical experience is the simple subject.
B. To gain experience is the simple subject.
C. To gain is the simple subject.
D. Is impossible is the complete verb.
7. To have job satisfaction is more important than to have a high salary.
A. Salary is the simple subject.
B. To have is the simple subject.
C. Satisfaction is the simple subject.
D. Is is the complete verb.
8. Relaxing has been identified as a key to reducing stress.
A. Reducing stress is the simple subject.
B. Stress is the simple subject.
C. Relaxing is the simple subject.
D. Has identified is the complete verb.
9. Learning to cope is another way to reduce stress.
A. Learning is the simple subject.
B. Learning to cope is the simple subject.
C. To reduce stress is the simple subject.
D. Reduce is the complete verb.
10. Repairing a flat tire has been one of Sally's least anticipated events.
A. Repairing is the simple subject.
B. Repairing a flat tire is the simple subject.
C. Events is the simple subject.
D. Anticipated is the complete verb.
Answers
1, F. 2, F. 3, F. 4, F. 5, C. 6, A. 7, D. 8, C. 9, B. 10, B.