Exploring Verbals in English Grammar

Mr. Barfield introduces verbals, focusing on participles. He explains present and past participles, their functions as verbs or adjectives, and participial phrases. The video covers rules for using commas with participial phrases and emphasizes the importance of placing them close to the words they modify for clarity.

What are the three types of verbals discussed?

• Participles, Gerunds, Infinitives

• Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives

• Active, Passive, Imperative

• Present, Past, Future

What is the primary function of verbals?

• To introduce new topics in a sentence

• To act solely as verbs

• To replace nouns in a sentence

• To function as different parts of speech

What does a present participle end with?

• -en

• -s

• -ing

• -ed

In which sentence does 'kicked' function as an adjective?

• The kicked ball soared.

• The ball was kicked.

• Kicked, the player scored.

• The player has kicked the ball.

What makes a participle different from a regular verb?

• Its ability to modify nouns

• Its tense

• Its placement in a sentence

• Its subject

What is a participial phrase?

• A phrase that contains a subject and a verb

• A phrase that acts as a verb

• A phrase that includes a participle and modifies a noun

• A phrase that starts with a preposition

When do you use commas with participial phrases?

• When the phrase is essential to the sentence

• When the phrase is at the beginning of the sentence

• Always, regardless of its position or function

• When the phrase provides additional information

Why might a participial phrase be offset by commas?

• If it's at the start of a sentence

• If it contains a verb

• If it provides additional, non-essential information

• If it's essential to the meaning of the sentence

How should a participial phrase be positioned for clarity?

• Close to the noun it modifies

• At the beginning of the sentence

• At the end of the sentence

• Before the verb

What is the significance of placing a participial phrase close to the word it modifies?

• It is a rule of grammar without significance

• It changes the meaning of the sentence

• It clarifies which word the phrase modifies

• It makes the sentence longer