Language Standards You Might Be Missing SERIES: Verbals

Verbals (gerunds, participles, and infinitives) are a sneaky little part of grammar that are often forgotten about or pushed to the back seat in middle school ELA. In this post, we are giving them a seat at the adult table and talking about what they are, how to teach them, and what resources you can use to make it easier to practice them in middle school ELA. 

Let’s be honest—some language standards can be easy to gloss over, especially when your plate is already full. One of those sneaky-but-important skills is verbals. 

These little grammar ninjas are a key part of the 8th-grade language standard L.1, where students need to explain the function of gerunds, participles, and infinitives in sentences.

So, what exactly are verbals, and how do we make sure our students master them? 

Let’s break it down.

Before we jump into the meat of this post, remember that we have units for all the Middle School ELA standards over on The Sparkly Notebook store! If you are in the market for some helpful resources as you consider how to instruct on these different language standards, we’re here to help. Click on the images below to learn more!

What Are Verbals?

Verbals are like verbs with a side hustle. They look like verbs but take on other roles, acting as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs instead.

Here’s a quick rundown:

• Gerunds: Verbs pretending to be nouns. (e.g., “Swimming is fun.”)
• Participles: Verbs moonlighting as adjectives. (e.g., “The broken vase was on the table.”)
• Infinitives: Verbs in their “to” form, often playing noun or modifier roles. (e.g., “To read is my favorite hobby.”)

Why Do Verbals Matter?

Teaching verbals isn’t just about grammar rules—it’s about giving students tools to write better, think critically, and ace their assessments. When kids learn about verbals, they can add depth and interest to their writing. The goal of teaching students to write is essentially about giving the the tools to say what they want to say in the most effective way possible. Teaching verbals (gerunds, participles, & infinitives) helps us do that.

Methods for Teaching Verbals

Let’s go through 3 steps you can take to work on verbals in your classroom.

#1 | Start with Examples

Make it simple—define each type and give examples your students can relate to:

• Gerunds:
  • “Reading improves your vocabulary.”
  • “Running every day builds endurance.”
  • “Her singing makes the room lively.”
• Participles:
  • “The glowing candles lit up the room.”
  • “Excited by the news, she jumped up and down.”
  • “The shattered glass was swept up quickly.”
• Infinitives:
  • “To bake a cake is my goal this weekend.”
  • “He wants to learn Spanish.”
  • “To understand grammar, you need to practice.”

Pause after each group of examples, and have students pair up and come up with their own examples. Put these all somewhere where students can see them for reference.

#2 | Play Grammar Detective

Turn sentence analysis into a fun challenge. Ask students to find and label the verbals in sentences like:

• “Walking to school, she realized she forgot her homework.” (Participle, acting as an adjective)
• “He enjoys painting landscapes in his free time.” (Gerund, acting as the object of enjoys)
• “She likes to travel during summer vacation.” (Infinitive, acting as the object of likes)

#3 | Make It Hands-On

Get students writing! 

Challenge students to include gerunds, participles, and infinitives in their own sentences or short paragraphs. Or make it a game: How many verbals can they fit into one story?

Give awards or have a leaderboard for the activity so that your classes can compete against each other.

Tools to Save You Time

Teaching verbals doesn’t have to feel like extra work. Our 8th Grade Language Standards Bundle (8L.1) includes ready-to-go lessons, practice sheets, and assessments to help your students master gerunds, participles, and infinitives without breaking a sweat.

Click HERE to grab these resources and make your planning easier.

Verbals might sound intimidating, but they’re actually pretty fun to teach (and learn!). With a little creativity, you can help your students nail this standard and boost their writing skills.

How do you approach teaching verbals? Share your tips in the comments—we’d love to hear them!