Find the Gerund, Participles, and infinitives. Need help with this since I keep failing them

Question

If Mel Trotter had been saved earlier in his life, would his effect have been as great? To speculate about such possibilities affords us no satisfying answers. Realizing the admonition of Scripture to remember our Creator in the days of our youth, certainly counsels us against wasting our years. To say that Mr. Trotter's ministry one more effective because had been a drunken bum is without Scriptural foundation. To imply that a life of sin prior to salvation make one's ministry more attractive to the public is also without Scriptural merit. On the other hand, living in a dreadfully, sinful condition prior to salvation certainly does not nullify God's willingness to use a person. However, a loving God can obtain so much more glory for Himself from a life given to Him in early years.

If you can answer it all it would really help me, thank you :)

Answer 1

Here are some memory devices:

1. When I think of the infinitive, I immediately think of Spanish class. Those infinitives I had to conjugate always started with "TO." For example, hablar = TO speak. My brain immediately jumps to the word "TO" when I see "infinitive." Infinitives can be used as nouns (To pass the test is all I want.), adjectives (She had a strong desire to pass.), and adverbs (To pass the test, you will need to study.).
2. For participles, I think of the "A" in the word. "A" is for adjective. Participles act like adjectives but look like verbs and end in -ed or -ing. For example, The barking dog kept me awake.
3. For gerunds, I think of the "N" in the word. "N" is for noun. Gerunds look like verbs but act like nouns. For example, The dog's barking made me crazy. Barking is the subject of the sentence, therefore, it is a noun.

Let me know if you need more help. I really like teaching grammar!

Answer 2

Gerunds realizing living

Participles loving given

Infinitives to speculate to say to imply to use