Free Printable Verbals worksheets

Start by teaching each verbal type in isolation before combining them. Introduce gerunds first since students already use them naturally in speech (e.g., 'Swimming is fun'), then move to participles as adjectives, and finally infinitives, which can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. Anchor each type with a consistent sentence-level test: gerunds and infinitives pass the noun-slot test, while participles modify nouns and can be swapped for an adjective. Using mentor sentences from literature helps students see verbals in authentic context rather than isolated drills.

The three types of verbals are gerunds, participles, and infinitives. Gerunds end in -ing and always function as nouns (e.g., 'Running is exhausting'). Participles are verb forms that act as adjectives, appearing as present participles (-ing) or past participles (-ed/-en) modifying nouns (e.g., 'the broken window'). Infinitives are the base form of a verb preceded by 'to' and can function as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs (e.g., 'To succeed takes effort'). The key distinction is grammatical function, not form alone.

The most frequent error is confusing a gerund (-ing form used as a noun) with a present participle (-ing form used as an adjective or part of a verb phrase). Students also struggle to distinguish infinitives used as verbs from those functioning as nouns or adjectives. Another common misconception is treating any word ending in -ing as a verbal rather than checking whether it forms part of a progressive verb tense. Teaching students to test grammatical function in the sentence, rather than relying on word form alone, directly addresses these errors.

Effective practice moves from identification to application. Begin with exercises where students label underlined words as gerunds, participles, or infinitives and state their function. Progress to sentence-combining tasks that require students to convert two simple sentences into one using a verbal phrase. Sentence-editing exercises, where students correct dangling or misplaced participle phrases, build both grammar and writing skills simultaneously. Practice that requires students to write original sentences using each verbal type in a specified grammatical role tends to produce the strongest retention.

Wayground's verbals worksheets are available as printable PDFs for traditional classroom use and in digital formats for technology-integrated environments, giving you flexibility for in-person, hybrid, or remote instruction. You can also host them as a quiz directly on Wayground, allowing students to complete work online with built-in answer feedback. Each worksheet includes a comprehensive answer key, which supports self-paced review, small-group correction, or whole-class discussion. The collection covers gerunds, participles, and infinitives through structured exercises that range from basic identification to sentence construction, making it straightforward to sequence practice across a unit.

For students who are still building foundational grammar knowledge, focus first on gerunds using high-frequency verbs and short sentences before introducing participial phrases or infinitive clauses. More advanced students benefit from analyzing verbals in complex literary sentences and writing tasks that require deliberate use of all three types. On Wayground, teachers can apply individual accommodations such as reduced answer choices to lower cognitive load for struggling learners, or enable Read Aloud support for students who need audio access to questions, while other students work with default settings.