Running in the park takes my mind off work. Gerunds are the -ing forms of verbs that function as nouns: Running modifies she, and chosen modifies the winner. In the sentences above, running and chosen function as adjectives. The winner, chosen at random, collected the prize. Running into the room, she announced the news. Present and past participles (the -ing and -ed forms of verbs) can function as adjectives: In the examples above, to err functions as a noun, to wear functions as an adjective modifying nothing, and to attend functions as an adverb modifying delighted.

Specialists often call these “nominal infinitives,” “adjectival infinitives,” and “adverbial infinitives”: Verbals (infinitives, gerunds, and participles) often act like two different parts of speech.Īn infinitive (the “to” form of a verb) can function as a noun, adjective, or adverb. In the sentence above, the adjectives strong and weak function as nouns. The natural world often pits the strong against the weak. Similarly, adjectives can function as nouns: In the sentence above, apartment is a noun that functions as an adjective.

Nounsįor example, nouns can function as adjectives: Many words can function as more than one part of speech.

What part of speech is the word is