Studying is the subject of the sentence.Ī participle is a form of a verb that is used in a sentence to modify a noun, noun phrase, verb, or verb phrase, and then plays a role similar to an adjective or adverb. It is one of the types of nonfinite verb forms.

Studying is one of Jazz’s favorite things to do.

Gardening is the object of the prepositional phrase “bad at gardening.”.

We were delighted at Bianca being awarded the prize.

However, sometimes the “doer” must be overtly specified, typically in a position immediately before the non-finite verb:

Tomás likes eating apricots (Tomás himself eats apricots).

We enjoyed singing yesterday (we ourselves sang).

Often the “doer” of the gerund is clearly signaled:

Having read the book once before makes me more prepared.

Being loved can make someone feel safe.They can be created using active or helping verbs: Gerunds all end in -ing: skiing, reading, dancing, singing, etc. Gerunds act like nouns and can serve as subjects or objects of sentences. There are three types of non-finite verbs: gerunds, participles, and infinitives. While the sentence around them may be past, present, or future tense, the non-finite verbs themselves are neutral. In practical terms, this means that they don’t serve as the action of a sentence.

These words look similar to verbs we’ve already been talking about, but they act quite different from those other verbs.īy definition, a non-finite verb cannot serve as the main verb in an independent clause. Just when we thought we had verbs figured out, we’re brought face-to-face with a new animal: non-finite verbs.

What is a participle