1. Common Core Grammar Review: Verbals, Ellipses, Dashes and Commas

2. Understanding Verbals
* A verbal is a verb that is being used as another part of speech rather than a verb.
*It can be the subject of a sentence,
noun, or a modifier.

3. There are three types of Verbals
Participles
Gerunds
Infinitives
Examples
The frightened cat scratched my eye.
Running seems tiresome at first.
Sometimes I like to swing and sometimes I like to slide at the park.

4. Verbals
A verbal is a verb that is being used as another part of speech rather than a verb.
Examples
The frightened cat scratched my eye.
Running seems tiresome at first.
Sometimes I like to swing and sometimes I like to slide at the park.
Participle
Gerund
Infinitive

5. Participles A participle is a verbal that acts as an adjective.
The crying woman left the movie theater.
The frustrated child ran away from home.

6. Participles
A participle is a form of a verb that acts as an adjective.
The crying woman left the movie theater.
The frustrated child ran away from home.

7. Past or Present Participles
Participles ending in an “ing” are Present Participles
Participles ending in an “ed” are Past Participles

8. Identify the Participles in the following sentences
Sometimes my gurgling stomach keeps me from concentrating
While sleeping with the TV on, the tormented child dreamt of monsters.
Screaming adults tend to be very impatient.

9. A gerund is a verbal that acts as a noun.
Gerunds
A gerund is a verbal that acts as a noun.
-Running is great exercise
-Most people enjoy eating.

10. A gerund is a verbal that acts as a noun. (always end in “ing”)
Gerunds
A gerund is a verbal that acts as a noun. (always end in “ing”)
-Running is great exercise
-Most people enjoy eating.

11. Identify the Gerunds in the following sentences
Talking is a disruptive activity.
My son loves playing with his toy dinosaur.
The doctor gave studying all of his attention.

12. Infinitives
An infinitive is a Verbal that appears with the word “to” and acts as a noun, adjective, or adverb
2 types of infinitives
Present infinitive (only “to” + verb)
Perfect infinitive (“to have” or “to have been” + past tense version of the verb)

13. Infinitive examples Present Perfect I like to debate.
To play with matches is wrong.
Perfect
I would have liked to read the paper.
To have been mentioned would have been enough.

14. Identify the verbals in the following sentences and identify them as a participle, a gerund or an infinitive.
Meditating on positive ideas brings great physical health.
The explorer struggled to find the remote colony.
The heated pool is great for sore muscles

15. Ellipses (…) Use an ellipses to:
Indicate a pause in dialogue or a break in a story.
“I don’t know what to do…” she whined

16. Ellipses (…) Use an ellipses to: Indicate an omission in a quotation.
Patrick Henry said, “Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?...I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!”

17. Dash (-) Use a dash to indicate a break in thought.
I talked to Chris-you know how he is- and he ignored me.

18. Comma
Use a comma to:
Separate an introductory element (subordinate clause) from the rest of the sentence
When I got to school, I went to home room.

19. Comma
Use a comma to:
Separate nonessential elements from the rest of the sentence
The ring, which is solid gold, has been in the family for years.

20. Comma Use a comma to: Set off interjections, such as yes and no
Yes, I am going to the game.

21. Comma
Use a comma to:
Set off a tag question from the rest of the sentence
It was Tim, wasn’t it?
Indicate a direct address
You see, Tito, we had to go.

22. Comma
Use a comma to:
Separate independent clauses joined by a coordinating conjunction.
She went to the store, but it was closed.
Separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses written in a series
We drove up the hill, around the corner, and into the driveway.

23. Comma Use a comma to: Set off geographical names
He moved to Brooklyn, New York, after college.