TSA CBT Practice Test

Which term best describes a verb form that can act as an adjective, noun, or part of a verb phrase?

1. Infinitive

2. Gerund

3. Participle

4. Adverb

The correct answer is: Participle

The term that best describes a verb form capable of functioning as an adjective, noun, or part of a verb phrase is participle. Participles are derived from verbs and can serve various roles in sentences. For instance, a present participle (typically ending in "-ing") can describe ongoing actions and function as an adjective, such as in the phrase "the running water." Meanwhile, the past participle (often ending in "-ed" or other variations) can also act as an adjective, as in "the broken vase." Although you mentioned that 'C' was your chosen answer, the context in which participles are used effectively demonstrates their versatility in language by modifying nouns, contributing to verb phrases, or even standing alone as nouns when modified by other sentence elements. Infinitives and gerunds, while closely related to participles, serve different roles. Infinitives typically express actions without a specific tense and are often combined with "to" (like "to run") but do not function as adjectives. Gerunds always act as nouns despite being derived from verbs (for example, in "Running is fun," 'running' serves as a noun). Adverbs, on the other hand, modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs