Question #ff6b6
1 Answer
Dec 9, 2017
Participle
Explanation:
A verbal is a verb that functions either as an adjective, adverb, or noun in a sentence.
For example, consider the sentence "I like fishing." Even though "fishing" is usually a verb, in this context it is used as the direct object of the verb "like" and is in fact used as a noun.
There are three main types of verbals:
- Participle: when a verbal is used as an adjective by changing the verb tense. Example, "Smiling, he handed me the envelope." ("Smiling" is a participle.)
- Gerund: when a verbal is used as a noun by changing the verb tense. Example, "Solving problems is fun." ("Solving" is a gerund.)
- Infinitive: when a verbal is used either as a noun, adjective, or adverb by prepending the word "to" to the verb. Example, "I refuse to go." ("To refuse" is the infinitive.)
The word "wearing" is a verb that can be used as an adjective, and, since it cannot follow the word "to," it must be a participle.
For example, in the sentence "The woman wearing a red hat is sitting over there," the word "wearing" is a participle modifying the subject "woman."
