8th Grade Writing Quiz: Explain Functions Of Verbals

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Explain Functions Of Verbals, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for 8th Grade Writing.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

Question 1

1. It is a gerund phrase functioning as the direct object of "finished." (correct answer)
2. It is a participial phrase modifying "rules."
3. It is an infinitive phrase functioning as the subject complement.
4. It is a gerund phrase functioning as the subject of the sentence.

Explanation: Whenever you see an -ing phrase, ask two questions: (1) Is the -ing word acting like a noun (gerund) or like an adjective (participle)? and (2) What job is the whole phrase doing in the sentence—subject, direct object, or something else? Start with the base verb: "finished." Ask "The committee finished what?" The answer is "revising the essay contest rules." That noun-like answer is the direct object, and since it begins with the -ing word "revising" acting as a noun, it's a gerund phrase. So identifying it as a gerund phrase functioning as the direct object of "finished" is correct. The choice calling it a participial phrase modifying "rules" mixes up the roles: a participle acts as an adjective, but here "revising" isn't describing "rules"—it's the action the committee completed. The choice labeling it an infinitive phrase as a subject complement is wrong because infinitives use "to + verb" (like "to revise"), and there's no "to" here. The choice saying it's a gerund phrase functioning as the subject fails because the subject is clearly "The committee," which comes before the verb; a gerund can be a subject, but not this one. A quick trap to remember: gerunds and participles look identical (both end in -ing), so the test is always about function, not spelling. If the phrase names a thing (answering who/what), it's a gerund; if it describes a noun, it's a participle. Trace the phrase back to the verb to lock in its job.

Question 2

1. It is a participial phrase modifying "Sonia."
2. It is a gerund phrase functioning as the subject of the sentence.
3. It is an infinitive phrase functioning as an adverb of manner.
4. It is a gerund phrase functioning as the object of the preposition "By." (correct answer)

Explanation: Whenever you see a question about verbal phrases, start by identifying the form of the phrase (Is it built on an -ing word? a "to + verb"? a past participle?) and then its job in the sentence. Form and function are two separate questions, and the trap answers often mix them up. Look at "practicing." An -ing verb used as a noun is a gerund, and the whole chunk "practicing her lines every night" is a gerund phrase. Now check its job: it comes right after the preposition "By." Prepositions need objects, and here the gerund phrase is exactly what "By" is pointing to — it's the object of that preposition. That's why calling it a gerund phrase functioning as the object of the preposition "By" is correct. The choice calling it a participial phrase modifying "Sonia" confuses the two -ing roles: a participle acts like an adjective describing a noun, but here the phrase isn't describing Sonia — it's completing the preposition. The choice saying it's a gerund phrase serving as the subject is wrong because the subject of the sentence is "Sonia," not the practicing. And the choice labeling it an infinitive phrase is wrong on form — an infinitive uses "to practice," not "practicing," so it can't be infinitive at all. Remember this shortcut: an -ing phrase sitting right after a preposition is almost always a gerund acting as that preposition's object. Identify the form first, then trace what the phrase is attached to.

Question 3

1. It is a gerund phrase functioning as the subject of the sentence. (correct answer)
2. It is a participial phrase modifying "Maria."
3. It is a gerund phrase functioning as the direct object of "helps."
4. It is an infinitive phrase functioning as an adverb of purpose.

Explanation: When you see a verb form ending in -ing at the start of a sentence, ask yourself two questions: Is it acting like a noun (a gerund) or describing another noun (a participle)? And what job is it doing in the sentence—subject, object, or modifier? Here, "Running every morning" names an activity, and that activity is the thing doing the helping. If you ask "What helps Maria build endurance?" the answer is "Running every morning." Since the phrase names something and sits in the subject slot, it's a gerund phrase functioning as the subject. That's why "a gerund phrase functioning as the subject of the sentence" is correct. The choice calling it "a participial phrase modifying Maria" mixes up gerunds and participles. A participle describes a noun (like "the running athlete"), but here the phrase isn't describing Maria—it's the subject performing the action. "A gerund phrase functioning as the direct object of helps" gets the part of speech right but the job wrong. A direct object receives the action and comes after the verb; this phrase comes before "helps" and does the acting, so it can't be the object. "An infinitive phrase functioning as an adverb of purpose" is wrong because infinitives use to + verb (like "to run"). "Running" is an -ing form, not an infinitive. Tip: To test for a gerund subject, replace the phrase with "it." If "It helps Maria..." still works, the phrase is the subject and it's a gerund.

Question 4

1. It is an infinitive phrase functioning as the direct object of "has."
2. It is an infinitive phrase functioning as an adjective modifying "desire." (correct answer)
3. It is an infinitive phrase functioning as an adverb modifying "has."
4. It is a gerund phrase functioning as the object of a preposition.

Explanation: Whenever you see an infinitive phrase (a "to" + verb group like "to compete"), your job is to figure out what role it plays in the sentence. Infinitive phrases are flexible—they can act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs. The trick is to ask: Is this phrase naming something, describing a noun, or telling how/why/when about a verb? Here, "to compete in the state championship" comes right after the noun "desire" and answers the question "What kind of desire?" or "Desire to do what?" Because it describes and limits the noun "desire," it's working as an adjective. That's why the choice identifying it as an infinitive phrase functioning as an adjective modifying "desire" is correct. The option calling it the direct object of "has" is a trap: the actual direct object is "desire" (Maria has what? a desire). The phrase modifies that object rather than being it. The choice labeling it an adverb modifying "has" fails because adverbs tell how, when, where, or why an action happens—but this phrase describes a noun, not the verb "has." The choice calling it a gerund phrase is simply mislabeled: gerunds end in -ing and act as nouns (like "competing"), but "to compete" is an infinitive, not a gerund. Study tip: To test an infinitive phrase, find the word right before it. If that word is a noun and the phrase describes it, the infinitive is acting as an adjective—just like a regular describing word.

Question 5

1. It is a gerund phrase functioning as the object of the preposition "at."
2. It is a participial phrase modifying "runner." (correct answer)
3. It is an infinitive phrase modifying "collapsed."
4. It is a gerund phrase functioning as a subject complement renaming "runner."

Explanation: Whenever a question asks about the function of a phrase, start by identifying two things: what kind of word begins the phrase, and what job the phrase does in the sentence. This one hinges on recognizing a verb form called a participle. Look at "gasping." It's the -ing form of a verb, but it isn't acting as the main action of the sentence—that job belongs to "collapsed." Instead, "gasping for breath" describes the runner, telling you what the runner was doing as she collapsed. When an -ing phrase acts like an adjective to describe a noun, it's a participial phrase. Here it modifies "runner," which confirms that the phrase is a participial phrase modifying "runner." The choice calling it a gerund phrase functioning as the object of the preposition "at" misreads the sentence—the object of "at" is "line," not this phrase. A gerund is an -ing form used as a noun, but here the phrase works as an adjective, so both gerund answers fail. The other gerund option, a subject complement renaming "runner," is wrong because a subject complement follows a linking verb (like is or seems), and "collapsed" is an action verb—nothing is renaming the runner. The infinitive phrase modifying "collapsed" choice is out because infinitives use "to + verb" (like to gasp), and there's no "to" here. Study tip: Match the ending to the job—-ing + describing a noun = participle; -ing + acting as a noun = gerund; "to + verb" = infinitive.

Question 6

1. It is a gerund phrase functioning as the subject of the sentence.
2. It is an infinitive phrase functioning as an adverb modifying "became."
3. It is an infinitive phrase functioning as the subject of the sentence. (correct answer)
4. It is an infinitive phrase functioning as the direct object of "became."

Explanation: When you see a phrase built from "to" plus a verb—like "to finish"—you're looking at an infinitive, not a gerund. This distinction is the heart of this question, so start by identifying the phrase's form before figuring out its job in the sentence. The phrase "to finish the marathon" begins with "to" followed by the base verb "finish," which makes it an infinitive phrase. Now ask what role it plays. Try the subject test: who or what "became her greatest goal"? The answer is "to finish the marathon." Because the phrase names the thing the sentence is about and sits in the subject position, it functions as the subject of the sentence. That's why the choice calling it an infinitive phrase functioning as the subject is correct. The option labeling it a gerund phrase functioning as the subject gets the job right but the form wrong—a gerund would look like "Finishing the marathon," using an "-ing" verb, not "to." The choice saying it's an infinitive functioning as an adverb modifying "became" is wrong because adverbs tell how, when, or where an action happens; this phrase isn't describing how she became anything. The choice claiming it's the direct object of "became" fails because "became" is a linking verb, and linking verbs don't take direct objects—they connect the subject to a complement. Study tip: Remember "to + verb = infinitive" and "verb + -ing (as a noun) = gerund." Then test the phrase's function by asking whether it acts as a subject, object, adjective, or adverb.

Question 7

1. It is a participial phrase modifying "team."
2. It is an infinitive phrase functioning as the direct object of "praised."
3. It is a gerund phrase functioning as the object of the preposition "for." (correct answer)
4. It is a gerund phrase functioning as the direct object of "praised."

Explanation: Whenever a question asks about the function of a phrase, work through two steps: first identify what kind of phrase it is (based on its form), then determine what job it does in the sentence (subject, object, modifier, etc.). Don't stop at just one step—the answer choices are designed to trap you if you only do half the work. Start with the form. The phrase begins with "winning," an -ing verb form acting as a noun. An -ing word used as a noun is a gerund, so "winning the tournament despite the rain" is a gerund phrase. Now find its job. Look at the word right before it: the preposition "for." A noun that follows a preposition is its object. That makes this phrase the object of the preposition "for"—which is exactly the correct choice. The claim that it's a participial phrase modifying "team" is wrong because participles act as adjectives, but here "winning" names an action (the thing praised), not a description of the team. The two choices calling it a direct object of "praised" both misread the sentence structure: "praised" already has a direct object—"the team." The gerund phrase can't also be that object, and it's tied to "for," not directly to the verb. And labeling it an infinitive phrase is simply a form error—infinitives start with "to" (like "to win"), not with an -ing word. Remember: -ing nouns are gerunds, and any noun sitting after a preposition is that preposition's object. Spot the preposition first, and the function usually falls into place.

Question 8

1. It is a gerund phrase functioning as the subject of the sentence.
2. It is an infinitive phrase functioning as an adverb.
3. It is a participial phrase modifying "Jamal." (correct answer)
4. It is a gerund phrase functioning as an appositive renaming "Jamal."

Explanation: Whenever a question asks about the "function of a phrase," start by identifying two things: what kind of word the phrase is built around, and what job it does in the sentence. The two big categories here are verbals—words made from verbs that act as other parts of speech. A participle is a verb form (often ending in -ed or -ing) that works like an adjective, describing a noun. A gerund is an -ing verb that works like a noun. An infinitive is "to + verb." Look at the phrase "Excited about the upcoming science fair." The word Excited is a past participle describing a person—it tells you what Jamal is like. Since it describes the noun "Jamal," it's a participial phrase modifying "Jamal." That's the correct choice. The idea that it's a "gerund phrase functioning as the subject" fails because the phrase doesn't name a thing acting as the subject; the actual subject is Jamal. The claim that it's an "infinitive phrase functioning as an adverb" is wrong because there's no "to + verb" here at all. And "gerund phrase functioning as an appositive renaming Jamal" is a trap—an appositive would rename Jamal with another noun (like "Jamal, a science lover"), but this phrase describes him instead of renaming him. Study tip: When an -ing or -ed phrase sits at the front of a sentence, right beside a noun and set off by a comma, it's almost always a participial phrase describing that noun—so check who or what it describes first.

Question 9

1. It is an infinitive phrase functioning as the direct object receiving the action of "was."
2. It is an infinitive phrase functioning as an adjective modifying the noun "hope."
3. It is an infinitive phrase functioning as an adverb showing the purpose of an action.
4. It is an infinitive phrase functioning as a subject complement renaming the noun "hope." (correct answer)

Explanation: The linking verb "was" connects the subject "hope" to something that renames it. The phrase "to qualify for districts before the season ended" tells us exactly what that hope was, so it functions as a subject complement renaming "hope." Because it opens with "to" plus a verb, it is an infinitive phrase, which fits here perfectly. The choice calling it a direct object is wrong because linking verbs like "was" don't take direct objects; only action verbs do that. The choice calling it an adjective modifying "hope" is wrong because the phrase doesn't describe or limit "hope" the way an adjective would (like "the hope to win" placed right beside the noun in a describing role); instead it completes the meaning after the verb. The choice calling it an adverb showing purpose is tempting because infinitives often do that ("She trained to qualify"), but here nothing before it is an action verb the phrase modifies—it follows "was" and equals the subject. A phrase that follows a linking verb and renames the subject is always a subject complement.

Question 10

1. It is a gerund phrase functioning as the subject of the sentence.
2. It is a participial phrase modifying "Coach Rivera." (correct answer)
3. It is a gerund phrase functioning as the object of the preposition "by."
4. It is an infinitive phrase functioning as an adverb of purpose.

Explanation: When you see an -ing word starting a phrase, don't assume it's automatically one type of phrase—the same word can be a gerund (acting like a noun) or a participle (acting like an adjective). The trick is to ask: Is this phrase naming a thing, or is it describing someone? Here, "Swimming laps" describes what Coach Rivera was doing. It's an adjective-like phrase attached to the noun right after the comma, so it modifies "Coach Rivera." That makes it a participial phrase—an -ing phrase acting as an adjective to describe a person or thing. A quick test: the phrase answers "Who was swimming laps?" → Coach Rivera. When an introductory -ing phrase points to the subject that follows it, it's participial. The choice calling it "a gerund phrase functioning as the subject" is wrong because the actual subject is "Coach Rivera," not "Swimming laps"—the phrase describes him rather than doing the action of the main verb. The option labeling it "a gerund phrase functioning as the object of the preposition 'by'" misreads the sentence; the true object of "by" is "focusing on his breathing," located later. And "an infinitive phrase functioning as an adverb of purpose" fails on form alone—infinitives use to + verb (like "to swim"), not an -ing word. Study tip: To tell gerunds from participles, check the job the phrase does. If it works as a noun (subject, object), it's a gerund; if it describes a noun, it's a participle. Introductory -ing phrases followed by a comma are almost always participial.

Question 11

1. It is an infinitive phrase functioning as the direct object of "stayed."
2. It is a participial phrase modifying "practice."
3. It is an infinitive phrase functioning as an adverb explaining why Elena stayed. (correct answer)
4. It is a gerund phrase functioning as the object of the preposition "after."

Explanation: Whenever you see a phrase beginning with "to" plus a verb, ask yourself: is this an infinitive phrase? Here, "to review" is a verb form, not a preposition, so "to review her footwork" is an infinitive phrase. The next step is figuring out its job in the sentence—does it act as a noun, adjective, or adverb? Ask why Elena stayed. She stayed to review her footwork—that's her reason. Since the phrase explains the reason for the action of the verb "stayed," it's working as an adverb. That's why the answer describing it as "an infinitive phrase functioning as an adverb explaining why Elena stayed" is correct. The choice calling it "an infinitive phrase functioning as the direct object of 'stayed'" is wrong because "stayed" is an intransitive verb here—it can't take a direct object. Elena didn't "stay something"; she stayed for a reason. The option labeling it "a participial phrase modifying 'practice'" misidentifies the phrase. Participles end in -ing or -ed and act as adjectives; "to review" is an infinitive, not a participle. The choice saying it's "a gerund phrase functioning as the object of the preposition 'after'" confuses two things. A gerund ends in -ing and acts as a noun. The object of "after" is actually "practice," not this phrase. Tip: To test an infinitive's function, ask a question. If it answers why, when, or how, it's adverbial. If it answers what or who, it's likely a noun. Don't confuse the to in an infinitive with the preposition to.

Question 12

1. It is an infinitive phrase functioning as an adverb explaining why the scientists hoped.
2. It is a gerund phrase functioning as the direct object of "hoped."
3. It is an infinitive phrase functioning as an adjective modifying "scientists."
4. It is an infinitive phrase functioning as the direct object of "hoped." (correct answer)

Explanation: Whenever you see a phrase beginning with "to" plus a verb, check for an infinitive phrase. The trick is figuring out its job in the sentence: is it acting like a noun, adjective, or adverb? Start by identifying the phrase's structure. "To discover a new species during the expedition" begins with "to" plus the verb "discover," so it's an infinitive phrase, not a gerund (gerunds end in -ing, like "discovering"). That immediately tells you something is off with the choice calling it a "gerund phrase functioning as the direct object" — the form is wrong even though the "direct object" part is right. Next, find its function. Ask: what did the scientists hope? The answer is "to discover a new species." Because the phrase answers "what?" after the verb, it's acting as a noun and serves as the direct object of "hoped." That confirms the correct choice: an infinitive phrase functioning as the direct object. Now eliminate the other two. The choice calling it an adverb "explaining why the scientists hoped" fails because the phrase doesn't tell why — it tells what was hoped. The choice calling it an adjective "modifying scientists" is wrong because the phrase doesn't describe or limit the noun "scientists"; it names the thing being hoped for. Study tip: To test an infinitive's function, plug it into a question. If it answers "what?" after a verb, it's a noun (direct object); if it answers "why?" or "how?" it's an adverb; if it describes a noun, it's an adjective.