VERBAL ADJECTIVES

VERBAL ADJECTIVES

Infinitives and present participles can perform the role of adjectives in addition to acting as nouns. The past participle is another verb form that can act as an adjective. For regular verbs, the past participle is the simple form of the verb plus the inflection –ed. For irregular verbs like to be, to do, to cut, and to write, the past participle forms are been, done, cut, and written.

Each of these three verb forms can have an adjectival function as long as it is modifying a noun or pronoun.

Examples:
The team to beat was from out of town. (The infinitive to beat modifies the noun team.)
My beating heart woke me up. (The present participle beating modifies the noun heart.)
The runner’s beaten spirit was gladdened by the finish line. (The past participle beaten modifies the noun spirit.)

Lesson #2 Activities
Adverbs