Verbals - def,kinds,participles,forms,choose - Parts Of Speech-ESL/Learn English Grammar

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VERBALS


[Sidenote: _Definition._]

262. Verbals are words that express action in a general way,
without limiting the action to any time, or asserting it of any
subject.

[Sidenote: _Kinds._]

Verbals may be participles, infinitives, or gerunds.


PARTICIPLES


[Sidenote: _Definition._]

263. Participles are _adjectival_ verbals; that is, they either
belong to some substantive by expressing action in connection with it, or they express action, and directly modify a substantive, thus having a descriptive force. Notice these functions.

[Sidenote: _Pure participle in function._]

1. At length, _wearied_ by his cries and agitations, and not
_knowing_ how to put an end to them, he addressed the animal as if he had been a rational being.--DWIGHT.

Here _wearied_ and _knowing_ belong to the subject _he_, and express action in connection with it, but do not describe.

[Sidenote: _Express action and also describe._]

2. Another name glided into her petition--it was that of the
_wounded_ Christian, whom fate had placed in the hands of
bloodthirsty men, his _avowed_ enemies.--SCOTT.

Here _wounded_ and _avowed_ are participles, but are used with the same adjectival force that _bloodthirsty_ is (see Sec. 143, 4).

Participial adjectives have been discussed in Sec. 143 (4), but we
give further examples for the sake of comparison and distinction.

[Sidenote: _Fossil participles as adjectives._]

3. As _learned_ a man may live in a cottage or a college
commmon-room.--THACKERAY

4. Not merely to the soldier are these campaigns _interesting_
--BAYNE.

5. How _charming_ is divine philosophy!--MILTON.


[Sidenote: _Forms of the participle._]

264. Participles, in expressing action, may be active or
passive, incomplete (or imperfect), complete (perfect or past),
and perfect definite.

They cannot be divided into tenses (present, past, etc.), because they have no tense of their own, but derive their tense from the verb on which they depend; for example,--

1. He walked conscientiously through the services of the day,
_fulfilling_ every section the minutest, etc.--DE QUINCEY.

_Fulfilling_ has the form to denote continuance, but depends on the
verb _walked_, which is past tense.


2. Now the bright morning star, day's harbinger,
Comes _dancing_ from the East.--MILTON.

_Dancing_ here depends on a verb in the present tense.


265. PARTICIPLES OF THE VERB _CHOOSE_.

ACTIVE VOICE.

_Imperfect._ Choosing.
_Perfect._ Having chosen.
_Perfect definite._ Having been choosing.

PASSIVE VOICE.

_Imperfect._ None
_Perfect._ Chosen, being chosen, having been chosen.
_Perfect definite._ None.


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