C h a p t e r 4 4
Phrases and Clauses
verbals and verbal PHrases
Verbals look like verbs, hence their name; but verbals function as nouns, adjectives,
or adverbs. There are three kinds of verbals: infinitives, gerunds, and participles.
INfINITIVES
An infinitive is a verb-like word that combines a verb with the word to; thus to is a
primary characteristic.
To listen to him talk is to fall asleep from boredom.
(To listen and to fall are infinitives, each formed with a verb and the word to.)Like verbs, verbals take modifiers and direct objects, and these words together make
up the infinitive phrase.
The losing political party wanted to blame the outgoing mayor for the defeat.
(Mayor is the direct object of the infinitive to blame; for the defeat is a preposi-
tional phrase modifying the infinitive.)A verbal phrase functions as a single word in its sentence; thus, in the preceding
example, the entire infinitive phrase is the direct object of the verb wanted.
Not every use of the word to marks an infinitive. To plus a verb makes an infinitive;
to plus a noun makes a prepositional phrase.
Terrance wanted to walk to the pond.
(To walk is an infinitive, to plus a verb; to the pond is a prepositional phrase, to
plus a noun.)An infinitive functions most of the ways that a noun, adjective, or adverb can
function:
subject, predicate word, appositive, direct object, noun modifier, verb modifier,
adjective modifier, and adverb modifier