Have you ever noticed how some words can change depending on how they’re used? In English, words are flexible like that!

Take the word “running,” for example. Sometimes it’s describing an action, and other times it’s a thing all on its own. This blog is all about those -ing words that act like nouns—also known as verbal nouns or participial nouns.

Let’s dive in and see how these words work!

What Are Verbal Nouns?

Verbal nouns are special because they look like verbs but act like nouns. Confused? Don’t worry; it’s easier than it sounds!

Here’s a quick definition: A verbal noun is a word that comes from a verb but is used as a noun. These words usually end in -ing. 

♦ Example: Swimming is fun.
♦ Example: Reading helps you learn.

In both sentences, swimming and reading are things (nouns) rather than actions (verbs). Even though they come from the verbs to swim and to read, they’re being used to name activities—just like any other noun!

Want to check if a word ending in -ing is really a noun? Try replacing it with a regular noun. Here are some examples:

♦ Example: Travelling broadens the mind. → Travel broadens the mind.
♦ Example: Talking is useless. → Talk is useless.
♦ Example: He is afraid of falling. → He is afraid of a fall.

If the sentence still makes sense after replacing the -ing word with a regular noun, then you’re working with a verbal noun!

Verbal Noun vs. Present Participle: What’s the Difference?

Now, here’s where things can get a little tricky: -ing words can also act as something called a present participle. This is when they work more like verbs or adjectives rather than nouns.

Let’s look at some examples to clear this up:

♥ Verbal noun: Running is a great way to stay healthy. (Running is a thing—a noun.)
♥ Present participle: He is running fast. (Running is an action, helping the verb is.)

See the difference? In the first sentence, running is the subject of the sentence, so it’s a noun. In the second, it’s part of the verb phrase, telling us what the person is doing.

The key difference is that a verbal noun names an action, while a participle describes something happening. A word ending in -ing can’t be a participle if it’s being used as a noun.

Related Reading: Verb Tenses Demystified: A Simple Guide

How to Use Verbal Nouns in Sentences

Verbal nouns can pop up in lots of places! Here are some of the main ways they’re used:

As the Subject of a Sentence

When a verbal noun is the subject of a sentence, it’s the ‘thing’ the sentence is about.

♦ Example: Eating vegetables is important for your health.
♦ Example: Dancing makes her happy.

In these examples, eating and dancing are the subjects, or the main focus, of the sentences.

As the Object of a Sentence

A verbal noun can also be the object in a sentence, meaning it’s the thing that someone is doing or thinking about.

♦ Example: She enjoys painting.
♦ Example: They love cooking.

Here, painting and cooking are the objects of the verbs enjoys and love.

After Prepositions

Verbal nouns are often used after prepositions, which are words like at, on, and about.

♦ Example: He’s good at writing.
♦ Example: She’s interested in learning.

Here, writing and learning follow the prepositions at and in, making them objects of the preposition.

Using Verbal Nouns

Verbal nouns ending in -ing have some special features that make them different from regular nouns. They can act a bit like verbs in certain ways, even though they’re still nouns. Let’s break down how they work!

They Can Take Objects

Just like verbs, verbal nouns can take objects if the meaning makes sense. This means they can have direct objects (what the action is done to) or indirect objects (who the action is done for).

♦ Example: Digging gold seems like finding buried treasure to someone who’s never done it before. (Digging is a verbal noun, and gold is the direct object.)
♦ Example: Lending him money is pointless; it just encourages bad spending habits. (Lending takes both an indirect object, him, and a direct object, money, just like the verb lend would.)

They Can Be Modified by Adverbs

Another cool thing about verbal nouns is that they can be modified by adverbs, just like verbs.

♦ Example: Speaking extemporaneously is great practice.

In this case, speaking is the verbal noun, and extemporaneously (meaning without preparation) is an adverb that modifies it.

They Can Be Modified by Adjectives

Like regular nouns, verbal nouns can also be modified by adjectives.

♦ Example: Extemporaneous speaking is great practice.

Here, extemporaneous is an adjective describing the verbal noun speaking.

They Can Show Voice and Tense

Verbal nouns can even work with past participles to show more complex ideas, like voice (who’s doing the action) or tense (when the action happened). This happens with the words being and having.

♦ Example: After being instructed in my duties, I was told to wait for the king. (Being instructed is a verbal noun phrase showing a past event.)
♦ Example: There were doubts about his having seen the ancient creature. (Having seen shows that the action happened before.)
♦ Example: After having been treated so poorly, I didn’t want to meet again. (Having been treated is a past event, and the phrase works like a noun.)

These types of expressions are called verbal noun-phrases because they combine verbal nouns with extra information to show time or action.

Related Reading: Understanding Verb Inflection

Verbal Nouns and Infinitives

Verbal nouns that end in -ing can be a lot like infinitives when they’re used as nouns.

Infinitives are the ‘to’ form of a verb, like to swim or to run, and verbal nouns are the -ing form of the verb, like swimming or running. Even though they look different, we use them in similar ways. Check out these comparisons:

♥ Infinitive: To swim was difficult.
♥ Verbal noun: Swimming was difficult.

♥ Infinitive: My business is to make shoes.
♥ Verbal noun: My business is making shoes.

♥ Infinitive: To see is to believe.
♥ Verbal noun: Seeing is believing.

In both forms, these words act like nouns that describe actions or ideas. Sometimes, verbal nouns in -ing are also called gerunds or even infinitives, depending on how they’re used. Even though the names might change, they’re both just ways to talk about actions as things!

Verbal and Compound Nouns

An -ing noun can sometimes act like an adjective, or be part of a compound noun that describes something. 

♦ Example: The sleeping car was totally wrecked. (Sleeping car here means a car where people sleep, not a car that is sleeping!)
♦ Example: William has plenty of spending money. (Spending money refers to money that can be spent, not money that is spending itself!)

Here are some more examples where the -ing noun acts like an adjective or as part of a compound noun:

Examples:

♦ A working day
♦ An ironing board
♦ Drinking water
♦ Smelling salts
♦ Marching orders
♦ A walking tour
♦ A swimming race
♦ A vaulting pole

In these cases, it doesn’t really matter whether you think of the -ing word as an adjective or just part of a compound noun. What’s important is how they work together to describe something. For example, a sleeping dog is a dog that’s actually sleeping, but a sleeping car is a type of car used for sleeping.

Sometimes, it can go both ways. Take the phrase hoisting engine. It could mean an engine that actually does the hoisting, or it could just be an engine that’s made for hoisting. It’s usually easier to think of these as nouns in -ing instead of getting too caught up in the details!

Related Reading: Unlocking the Power of Nouns in Writing

Key Takeaways

1. Verbal Nouns Always End in -ing: Verbal nouns are always the -ing form of the verb, such as swimming, running, or reading.
2. Don’t Confuse Verbal Nouns with Present Participles: verbal nouns name actions, while present participles describe ongoing actions or modify nouns (e.g., The running water vs. Running is fun).
3. Verbal Nouns Follow Prepositions: Verbal nouns often follow prepositions.
4. Add ‘the’ Before Verbal Nouns for Emphasis: If you want to emphasize a verbal noun, you can add ‘the’ before it.
5. Verbal Nouns Can Be Used in Compound Nouns: Verbal nouns can form compound nouns, like sleeping bag or swimming pool.

6. Use Verbal Nouns to Show Habitual Actions: Verbal nouns can be useful for talking about repeated or habitual actions.
7. Verbal Nouns Show General Activities: Verbal nouns often describe general activities, like writing or swimming, without focusing on when or how they happen.
8. Verbal Nouns Can’t Take Adverbs Like Verbs Do: Unlike verbs, verbal nouns can’t be modified by adverbs. For example: Swimming fast is fun (wrong); Fast swimming is fun (correct).
9. Use Verbal Nouns for Abstract Ideas: Verbal nouns are great for talking about abstract ideas or concepts, like learning, teaching, or growing.
10. Verbal Nouns Can Be Used in Lists: You can use verbal nouns in lists along with regular nouns. For example: His hobbies include reading, painting, and hiking

Last Words on Verbal Nouns

While verbal nouns are useful, it’s important not to overuse them. Too many -ing words can make writing sound repetitive. Try to mix things up by using other types of nouns or rephrasing your sentences

Happy writing!

Linda

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