On verbals

What are verbals? Verbals are hybrids that don't act as verbs in a sentence. They look and sound like verbs, but they function as adjectives, nouns and adverbs in a sentence, so don't be fooled.

Participles are part verb and part something else, and function as adjectives. There are two types of participles: present participle (verb + "ing") and past participle (verb + "ed").

Let sleeping dogs lie. (present participle)
Exhausted from my three hour train ride, I fell into bed. (past participle)

Dangling participles are participles that point awry.

Babbling incoherently, the nurse wrapped a blanket around the baby.

Gerunds (verb + "ing") act as nouns.

Running up the slope the last six months has given me calves of iron.

Remember to use a possessive pronoun before a gerund.

I was upset about our leaving so early in the morning. (use possessive pronoun)

Infinitives (to + verb) issue commands, gives instructions or make requests. They may act as a noun, an adverb, or an adjective. Somtimes they are even omitted.

I want to go home! (noun)
We come to bury Caesar. (adverb)
Harry was the first guy in our crowd to marry. (adjective)
Please help me make the bed. (omitted "to")

Verbals are deceptive things.