103 Section 4.3 Verbs and Adverbs Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. add ing to the present tense. Examples include eating, drawing, and working. A past participle indicates that action has been completed. A past participle is the same as the past-tense form discussed earlier. Present participle Angie is painting a picture. The running water makes a soothing sound. Past participle Angie painted a picture last week. A dangling participle is a writing error in which a participle phrase modifies nothing or the wrong person or object. In the following incorrect example, the phrase implies that the birds were paddling down the stream. This is not likely the writer’s intent. Incorrect Paddling down the stream, the birds were startled. Correct As we were paddling down the stream, the birds were startled. Gerunds A gerund is a verb form used as a noun. Gerunds are formed by adding ing to the present tense of a verb. Examples of gerunds include eating, shopping, talking, playing, and counting. Gerunds can serve as the subject of a sentence, a subject complement, or the object of a verb or preposition. Shopping is my favorite hobby. I love jogging. She does not appreciate my snoring. He was arrested for speeding. Infinitives An infinitive is the word to and a verb in its simple present form. Examples include to eat, to read, to see, to touch, and to find. An infinitive or infinitive phrase can serve as a noun, adjective, or adverb. The examples that follow show infinitive phrases and their uses in the sentences. To cry over spilled milk seemed a waste of time. (noun, subject) Her dream is to win. (noun, subject complement) She intended to buy a new car. (noun, direct object) He found a way to earn more money. (adjective) He yelled to get her attention. (adverb) A split infinitive occurs when an adverb is placed between the word to and the verb. Examples of split infinitives include to barely see, to slowly read, and to quickly jump. A split infinitive can be useful for emphasizing the adverb. The phrase to boldly go may sound more forceful or dramatic than to go boldly. This is largely a matter of the writer’s opinion. In the past, some grammar rules deemed a split infinitive to be a writing error. However, this structure is now widely accepted.