Verbs worksheet for identifying verb phrases in sentences.

To solve this worksheet, we need to identify the verbal in each sentence and determine if it is a gerund (G), a participle (P), or an infinitive (I).

Here is a quick guide to help you:
* Gerund (G): A verb ending in -ing that acts like a noun. You can often replace it with "it" or "something." (Example: *Swimming* is fun. → *It* is fun.)
* Participle (P): A verb ending in -ing (present) or -ed/-en (past) that acts like an adjective to describe a noun. (Example: The *barking* dog. → Describes the dog.)
* Infinitive (I): The base form of a verb usually preceded by to. It can act as a noun, adjective, or adverb. (Example: I want *to eat*. → What do you want? To eat.)

Let's go through each sentence step-by-step:

1. "The running girl fell down."
* The word is running.
* Does it name an activity? No.
* Does it describe the girl? Yes. Which girl? The *running* one.
* Since it describes a noun, it is a participle.
* Answer: P

2. "She likes swimming to keep fit."
* The verbal here is swimming. (Note: "to keep" is also an infinitive, but usually, in these lists, we look for the main -ing form or the most prominent verbal. Let's look at the function of "swimming").
* What does she like? She likes *swimming*. Here, "swimming" is the thing she likes (the object). It acts as a noun.
* Therefore, it is a gerund.
* Answer: G

3. "The whining dog got on my nerves."
* The word is whining.
* Does it describe the dog? Yes. Which dog? The *whining* one.
* Since it describes a noun, it is a participle.
* Answer: P

4. "Talking without permission is not allowed."
* The word is Talking.
* What is not allowed? *Talking*.
* "Talking" is the subject of the sentence. It acts as a noun.
* Therefore, it is a gerund.
* Answer: G

5. "He has a new skiing helmet."
* The word is skiing.
* Does it describe the helmet? Yes. What kind of helmet? A *skiing* helmet.
* Since it describes a noun, it is a participle.
* Answer: P

6. "Eating an oil fish could kill you!"
* The word is Eating.
* What could kill you? *Eating* the fish.
* "Eating" is the subject of the sentence. It acts as a noun.
* Therefore, it is a gerund.
* Answer: G

7. "The chugging boat sat on our windowsill."
* The word is chugging.
* Does it describe the boat? Yes. Which boat? The *chugging* one.
* Since it describes a noun, it is a participle.
* Answer: P

8. "Mark wants to help everyone he meets."
* The phrase is to help.
* It starts with "to" followed by a verb. This is the classic form of an infinitive.
* Answer: I

9. "My cooking skills leave a lot to be desired."
* The word is cooking.
* Does it describe the skills? Yes. What kind of skills? *Cooking* skills.
* Since it describes a noun, it is a participle.
* Answer: P

10. "Cooking with gas is my most favorite method."
* The word is Cooking.
* What is your favorite method? *Cooking* with gas.
* "Cooking" is the subject of the sentence. It acts as a noun.
* Therefore, it is a gerund.
* Answer: G

11. "She went to get a list of friends."
* The phrase is to get.
* It starts with "to" followed by a verb. This is an infinitive showing purpose (why she went).
* Answer: I

12. "Caring for sick people is what nurses do."
* The word is Caring.
* What is what nurses do? *Caring* for sick people.
* "Caring" is the subject of the sentence. It acts as a noun.
* Therefore, it is a gerund.
* Answer: G

Final Answer:
1. P
2. G
3. P
4. G
5. P
6. G
7. P
8. I
9. P
10. G
11. I
12. G