PencilGo

Grade 8 · Reading

8th grade Gerunds, participles and infinitives worksheet

6 printable versionsOn Level10 questions · answer keyFree · no account

Level: Building Confidence · On Level · Challenge Me

When it’s done, scan the sheet with your phone and PencilGo marks it and picks the next one. Create a free account

Version
Print

Gerunds, participles and infinitives

Grade 8 Reading Worksheet

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

  1. [To finish the mural] took the whole club three weekends. Kira marks the bracketed words in a sentence frame. What job do they do?

    • noun
    • main verb
    • adjective
    • adverb

  2. [Pedaling hard up the hill], the cyclists reached the top. Milo marks the bracketed words in a sentence frame. What job do they do?

    • adverb
    • adjective
    • main verb
    • noun

  3. The crowd [was waving] flags at the finish line. Noah marks the bracketed words in a sentence frame. What job do they do?

    • adjective
    • main verb
    • noun
    • adverb

  4. Four sentences from the blog use forms of the verb run. Pia searches a class blog for one kind of verbal. Which sentence uses a gerund, an -ing verb form working as a noun?

    • The coach asked the team to run extra laps.
    • The relay team is running laps in the gym.
    • Running every morning builds speed.
    • The running water filled the bucket quickly.

  5. Four sentences from the blog use forms of the verb paint. Ren searches a class blog for one kind of verbal. Which sentence uses a participle, a verb form working as a describing word?

    • The crew hopes to paint the fence this week.
    • Painting the old fence took the whole Saturday.
    • The painted fence gleamed in the sun.
    • The crew painted the old fence last week.

  6. Four sentences from the blog use forms of the verb bake. Zee searches a class blog for one kind of verbal. Which sentence uses a participle, a verb form working as a describing word?

    • The baker baked a loaf of bread.
    • The baked bread cooled on the rack.
    • Baking bread takes patience and time.
    • The baker plans to bake bread today.

  7. Read this first

    Use this

    Four sentences from the guide; each has the word to or a verb form.

  8. Ari searches a hiking guide for an infinitive (to plus a verb). Which sentence has one?

    • Reading the trail map took a minute.
    • The scouts walked to the trail map.
    • The scouts stopped to read the trail map.
    • The scouts studied the torn map closely.

  9. Bo searches a hiking guide for an infinitive (to plus a verb). Which sentence has one?

    • The guide hoped to reach the summit by noon.
    • The guide held a folded map carefully.
    • Reaching the summit took until noon.
    • The guide led the group to the summit.

  10. Esme searches a hiking guide for an infinitive (to plus a verb). Which sentence has one?

    • The campers lit the crackling fire quickly.
    • Gathering wood took the campers an hour.
    • The campers walked to the lake before dark.
    • The campers gathered wood to build a fire.

  11. Jun searches a hiking guide for an infinitive (to plus a verb). Which sentence has one?

    • The docked ferry rocked gently.
    • Docking the ferry takes real skill.
    • The ferry slowed to enter the harbor.
    • The ferry sailed to the harbor.
PencilGopencilgo.com

8th grade Gerunds, participles and infinitives worksheet – printable
Print: 123456

About this worksheet

Gerunds, participles and infinitives. Every version has 10 questions, and the answer key prints on the second page.

What your child will learn

  • I can tell a verbal (a verb form that is not the main verb) from the main verb in a sentence.
  • I can name a gerund, a participle and an infinitive, and say what job each one does: noun, adjective or adverb.
  • I can see that one word, like painting, can be a gerund in one sentence and a participle or a main verb in another.

Words to know

verbal: A verb form that does not work as the main verb; it works as a noun, an adjective or an adverb.

gerund: An -ing verb form that works as a noun, like Hiking in "Hiking is fun."

participle: An -ing or -ed verb form that works as an adjective, like frozen in "the frozen pond".

infinitive: The word to plus a verb, like to read. It can work as a noun, an adjective or an adverb.

verbal phrase: A verbal with the words that go with it, like "Painting the old fence".

main verb: The verb that tells what the subject does or is.

Common mistakes

When looking for a verbal, your child picked the main verb of the sentence. Ask whether the word shows the main action, or whether it is a verb form working as a noun or a describing word.

When looking for a verbal, your child picked a noun that ends like a verb form, such as morning or ceiling. Ask whether the word shows an action or only names a time or a thing.

When looking for a verbal, your child picked a plain describing word. Ask whether the word comes from an action, the way a verb form does.

Questions parents ask

What is the most common mistake with gerunds, participles and infinitives?

When looking for a verbal, your child picked the main verb of the sentence. Ask whether the word shows the main action, or whether it is a verb form working as a noun or a describing word.

Are these 8th grade reading worksheets free to print?

Yes. All 6 printable versions at each level are free to print, with the answer key, and no account is needed.

More grade 8 reading

See all grade 8 reading

Every sheet you scan goes into your child’s record: dated, marked and ready for the year-end portfolio. Homeschool records

Ready for easier practice?

Print a sheet, scan it when it’s done, and PencilGo picks the next one.

Create a free account