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Historically, grammarians have described a verbal noun or gerundial noun as a verb form that functions as a noun.^[1] An example of a verbal noun in English is 'sacking' as in the sentence "The sacking of the city was an epochal event" (wherein sacking is a gerund form of the verb sack).

A verbal noun, as a type of nonfinite verb form, is a term that some grammarians still use when referring to gerunds, gerundives, supines, and nominal forms of infinitives. In English however, verbal noun has most frequently been treated as a synonym for gerund.

Aside from English, the term verbal noun may apply to:

the citation form of verbs such as the masdar in Arabic and the verbal noun (berfenw) in Welsh^[2]
declinable verb forms in Mongolian that can serve as predicates, comparable to participles but with a larger area of syntactic use ^[3]

Types

Verbal nouns, whether derived from verbs or constituting an infinitive, behave syntactically as grammatical objects or grammatical subject. ^[4] They may also be used as count nouns and pluralized but cannot be inflected vis-a-vis a given grammatical person.

In English, gerunds used as verbal nouns comprise the suffix -ing. Examples of such uses are given below:

Killing the president was an atrocious crime.

He was chastised for not leaving a tip for the server.

Creating a backup file might be a good idea.

Thanks for giving us a heads-up.

Infinitives used as verbal nouns generally occur as prefaced by the particle to:

To be or not to be is the question.

To become a U.S. president, one must be a natural born U.S. citizen.

Try to stay calm.

Finding time to exercise requires proper planning.

Infinitives used as verbal nouns may not be prefaced by the particle to, however, when elided via ellipsis:

Having proper contacts might help you (to) get the job.

They couldn't help but (to) notice and (to) snicker at the wardrobe malfunction.

Verbs also may be nominalized through derivational processes, such as suffixes (as in discovery from the verb discover) or by simple conversion (as with the noun love from the verb love). The formation of such deverbal nouns is not generally a productive process, that is, it cannot be indiscriminately applied to form nouns from any verb (for example, there is no noun *uncovery for the verb uncover). When they exist, such deverbal nouns often tend to replace the regularly formed verbal noun (as discovery is usually used rather than discovering, although the latter is still common as a gerund), or else a differentiation in meaning becomes established.

Notes

^ Huddleston, Rodney D.; Pullum, Geoffrey K. (2002). The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 81. ISBN 0-521-43146-8.
^ Willis, Penny (1988). "Is the Welsh verbal noun a verb or a noun?". Word. 39 (3): 201–224. doi:10.1080/00437956.1988.11435790.
^ Poppe, Nikolas (2006). Grammar of Written Mongolian. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 112. ISBN 978-3-447-00684-2.
^ Hoekstra, Teun (2004). Arguments and Structure: Studies on the Architecture of the Sentence. Walter de Gruyter. p. 268. ISBN 3-11-017953-9.

[1] Huddleston, Rodney D.; Pullum, Geoffrey K. (2002). The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 81. ISBN 0-521-43146-8.

[2] Willis, Penny (1988). "Is the Welsh verbal noun a verb or a noun?". Word. 39 (3): 201–224. doi:10.1080/00437956.1988.11435790.

[3] Poppe, Nikolas (2006). Grammar of Written Mongolian. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag. p. 112. ISBN 978-3-447-00684-2.

[4] Hoekstra, Teun (2004). Arguments and Structure: Studies on the Architecture of the Sentence. Walter de Gruyter. p. 268. ISBN 3-11-017953-9.

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 }}
 {{Wiktionarypar|verbal noun}}
-A '''verbal noun''' or '''gerundial noun'''<ref>{{cite book|first1=Rodney D.|last1=Huddleston|first2=Geoffrey K. |last2=Pullum|title=The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language |location=Cambridge|publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2002 |page=81 |isbn=0-521-43146-8}}</ref> is a verb form that functions as a noun. An example of a verbal noun in [[English grammar|English]] is 'sacking' as in the sentence "The sacking of the city was an epochal event" (''sacking'' is a noun formed from the verb ''sack'').
+Historically, grammarians have described a '''verbal noun''' or '''gerundial noun''' as a verb form that functions as a noun.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Rodney D.|last1=Huddleston|first2=Geoffrey K. |last2=Pullum|title=The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language |location=Cambridge|publisher=Cambridge University Press |year=2002 |page=81 |isbn=0-521-43146-8}}</ref> An example of a verbal noun in [[English grammar|English]] is 'sacking' as in the sentence "The ''sacking'' of the city was an epochal event" (wherein ''sacking'' is a gerund form of the verb ''sack'').
+A verbal noun, as a type of [[nonfinite verb|nonfinite verb form]], is a term that some grammarians still use when referring to [[gerund]]s, [[gerundive]]s, [[supine]]s, and [[nominal (linguistics)|nominal]] forms of [[infinitive]]s. In English however, ''verbal noun'' has  most frequently been treated as a synonym for ''gerund''.
-Verbal nouns are morphologically related to non-finite verb forms, but they are not themselves non-finite verbs. Non-finite verb forms are forms such as [[gerund]]s, [[infinitive]]s and [[participle]]s in [[English grammar|English]].
+Aside from English, the term ''verbal noun'' may apply to:
-Some grammarians use the term "verbal noun" to cover verbal noun, gerund, and [[nominal (linguistics)|nominal]] infinitive. Some may use the term "gerund" to cover both verbal noun and gerund. "Verbal noun" has often been treated as a synonym for "gerund". This article includes only gerundial nouns within the scope of "verbal nouns", excluding gerunds, nominal infinitives, and nouns formed from verbs through derivational processes.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}}
+* the citation form of verbs such as the [[Arabic verbal noun|masdar]] in Arabic and the verbal noun (''berfenw'') in [[Welsh language|Welsh]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Willis |first1=Penny |date=1988 |title=Is the Welsh verbal noun a verb or a noun? |journal=Word |volume=39 |issue=3|pages=201–224| doi=10.1080/00437956.1988.11435790|doi-access= }}</ref>
-Outside of English, the term "verbal noun" may be used for 1) the citation form of verbs such as the [[Arabic verbal noun|masdar]] in Arabic and the verbal noun (''berfenw'') in [[Welsh language|Welsh]]<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Willis |first1=Penny |date=1988 |title=Is the Welsh verbal noun a verb or a noun? |journal=Word |volume=39 |issue=3|pages=201–224| doi=10.1080/00437956.1988.11435790|doi-access=free }}</ref> or 2) declinable verb forms in Mongolian that can serve as predicates, comparable to [[participle]]s but with a larger area of syntactic use <ref>{{cite book|first1=Nikolas |last1=Poppe |title=Grammar of Written Mongolian |location=Wiesbaden|publisher=Harrassowitz Verlag |year=2006 |page=83 |isbn=978-3-447-00684-2}}</ref>
+* declinable verb forms in Mongolian that can serve as predicates, comparable to [[participle]]s but with a larger area of syntactic use <ref>{{cite book|first1=Nikolas |last1=Poppe |title=Grammar of Written Mongolian |location=Wiesbaden|publisher=Harrassowitz Verlag |year=2006 |page=112 |isbn=978-3-447-00684-2}}</ref>
 ==Types==
@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 {{Original research|date=July 2020}}}}
-Verbal or gerundial nouns, while being derived from verbs, behave grammatically entirely as nouns. For example, they do not take direct objects as verbs can, they may be preceded by the definite article, and they are modified by adjectives rather than adverbs.<ref>{{cite book |first=Teun |last=Hoekstra |title=Arguments and Structure: Studies on the Architecture of the Sentence |publisher=Walter de Gruyter |year=2004 |page=268 |isbn=3-11-017953-9 }}</ref> They may also be used as [[count noun]]s and pluralized. In English, verbal nouns are formed from verbs with the suffix ''-ing'', that is, they take the same form as the gerund. Examples of such uses are given below:
+Verbal nouns, whether derived from verbs or constituting an infinitive, behave [[syntax|syntactically]] as [[object (grammar)|grammatical objects]] or [[subject (grammar)|grammatical subject]]. <ref>{{cite book |first=Teun |last=Hoekstra |title=Arguments and Structure: Studies on the Architecture of the Sentence |publisher=Walter de Gruyter |year=2004 |page=268 |isbn=3-11-017953-9 }}</ref> They may also be used as [[count noun]]s and pluralized but cannot be [[inflection|inflected]] vis-a-vis a given [[person (grammar)| grammatical person]].
-:: The '''killing''' of the president was an atrocious crime. (Verbal noun)
+In English, gerunds used as verbal nouns comprise the suffix ''-ing''. Examples of such uses are given below:
-:: '''Killing''' the president was an atrocious crime. (Gerund)
-:: The rapid '''erasing''' of the tape saved our bacon. (Verbal noun)
+:: '''Killing''' the president was an atrocious crime.
-:: Rapidly '''erasing''' the tape saved our bacon. (Gerund)
+:: He was chastised for not '''leaving''' a tip for the server.
+:: '''Creating''' a backup file might be a good idea.
+:: Thanks for '''giving''' us a heads-up.
+Infinitives used as verbal nouns generally occur as prefaced by the [[particle (grammar)|particle]] ''to'':
-Note how the undergoer of ''killing'' and ''erasing'' is specified in the form of a [[prepositional phrase]] in the case of the verbal noun: ''of the president'' and ''of the tape''. This is because ''killing'' and ''erasing'' function as nouns in this sentence and as such cannot take an object directly; instead the words ''president'' and ''tape'' (respectively) must be made object of the preposition ''of''.
+:: '''To be''' or not '''to be''' is the question.
+:: '''To become''' a U.S. president, one must be a natural born U.S. citizen.
+:: Try '''to stay''' calm.
+:: Finding time '''to exercise''' requires proper planning.
+Infinitives used as verbal nouns may not be prefaced by the particle ''to'', however, when elided via [[ellipsis (linguistics)|ellipsis]]:
-Verbs also may be [[nominalization|nominalized]] through [[Derivation (linguistics)|derivational processes]], such as adding different suffixes, as in ''discovery'' from the verb ''discover'', or by simple [[Conversion (word formation)|conversion]], as with the noun ''love'' from the verb ''love''. The formation of such [[deverbal noun]]s is not generally a [[Productivity (linguistics)|productive]] process, that is, it cannot be indiscriminately applied to form nouns from any verb (for example, there is no noun *''uncovery'' for the verb ''uncover''). When they exist, such deverbal nouns often tend to replace the regularly formed verbal noun (as ''discovery'' is usually used rather than ''discovering'', although the latter is still common as a gerund), or else a differentiation in meaning becomes established.
+:: Having proper contacts might help you (to) '''get''' the job.
+:: They couldn't help but (to) '''notice''' and (to) '''snicker''' at the wardrobe malfunction.
+Verbs also may be [[nominalization|nominalized]] through [[Derivation (linguistics)|derivational processes]], such as suffixes (as in ''discovery'' from the verb ''discover'') or by simple [[Conversion (word formation)|conversion]] (as with the noun ''love'' from the verb ''love''). The formation of such [[deverbal noun]]s is not generally a [[Productivity (linguistics)|productive]] process, that is, it cannot be indiscriminately applied to form nouns from any verb (for example, there is no noun *''uncovery'' for the verb ''uncover''). When they exist, such deverbal nouns often tend to replace the regularly formed verbal noun (as ''discovery'' is usually used rather than ''discovering'', although the latter is still common as a gerund), or else a differentiation in meaning becomes established.
-Other verb forms serving as nouns within the sentence include [[gerund]]s and [[infinitive]]s. However, these are excluded from the scope of verbal nouns at this article.
 ==Notes==