logo
logoGrammar Error
Test your EnglishLearnChallengesArticlesAbout
logoGrammar Error

Gerund vs. Participle: Understanding -ing Word Functions: correct answers

StartTo challengesDownload PDF
Jump to answers ↓

Gerund vs. Participle: Function of -ing Words

Words ending in -ing can serve very different grammatical functions in English, and distinguishing between gerunds and participles is essential for understanding sentence structure. A gerund functions as a noun and can act as a subject, object, or complement. For example, in "Swimming is great exercise," the word "swimming" is a gerund serving as the subject. In contrast, a participle functions as an adjective, modifying a noun or pronoun, as in "The swimming instructor gave us tips," where "swimming" describes the instructor.

The key to identifying whether an -ing word is a gerund or participle lies in analyzing its role within the sentence. Ask yourself: Is the -ing word naming an activity or thing (gerund), or is it describing a noun (participle)? Consider these examples: "I enjoy reading" (gerund as direct object) versus "The reading lamp needs a new bulb" (participle modifying "lamp"). Additionally, present participles can form part of continuous verb tenses, such as "She is working," where "working" combines with the auxiliary verb "is."

This 11-question challenge will test your ability to identify gerunds and participles in various sentence contexts. You'll analyze -ing words and determine whether they function as nouns, adjectives, or parts of verb phrases. Try the quiz to check your knowledge!

MediumB1 | IntermediateB1AdjectiveGerundParticipleSubjectVerbProgressive tense

Correct answers

Question 1

You're telling someone about your daily routine. Select the correct option for each blank to identify the function of the -ing words.
"I enjoy reading before bed, but right now I am studying for my exam."
In the first part, "reading" is a _________________________________________.
In the second part, "studying" is a ___________________________________________.

The correct answers are gerund (noun/object) and participle (part of verb phrase).

"Reading" is a gerund: it's the object of the verb "enjoy" (I enjoy something). "Studying" is a present participle forming the present continuous tense with "am."

Question 2

Choose the correct grammatical label to identify each -ing word's function.

You're chatting with a friend about weekend activities. Look at these sentences and label each -ing word correctly!

"Cooking is my favorite hobby." → Gerund (noun/subject)

"The boiling water splashed everywhere!" → Participle (adjective)

"I was watching a cooking show." → Participle (verb part)

Cooking → Gerund (noun/subject)

In "Cooking is my favorite hobby," you can replace "cooking" with a noun like "It", so it's a gerund functioning as the subject.

boiling → Participle (adjective)

In "The boiling water," the word "boiling" describes the noun "water", so it's a present participle functioning as an adjective.

watching → Participle (verb part)

In "I was watching," the -ing word combines with "was" to form the past continuous tense, so it's a present participle as part of the verb phrase.

Question 3

You're writing a quick movie review for your friends. Select ALL the sentences where the -ing word is a present participle (functioning as an adjective describing a noun).

The correct answers are That was the most boring film I've ever seen and The surprising ending made everyone gasp.

"Boring" is a present participle functioning as an adjective describing "film." "Surprising" is a present participle functioning as an adjective describing "ending." In the other sentences, "Watching" and "reading" are gerunds acting as nouns (subject and object, respectively).

Question 4

You're chatting with a friend about how you spend your free time. Select the correct option for each blank to identify the function of the -ing word.
"Swimming keeps me healthy."
In this sentence, "swimming" is a _________________________________________.
Quick test: Can you replace "swimming" with a noun like "exercise"? Yes! → "Exercise keeps me healthy." ✓

The correct answer is gerund (noun/subject).

"Swimming" functions as a gerund: it's the subject of the sentence, acting as a noun. You can replace it with any noun: "Exercise keeps me healthy."

Question 5

Choose the correct function category for each -ing word.

You're reviewing a movie with a friend. Sort these -ing words by how they're used!

"I enjoy watching thrillers." → Gerund

"That was an exciting plot twist!" → Participle (adjective)

"Sitting through a three-hour film is exhausting." → Gerund

"The sleeping audience missed the ending." → Participle (adjective)

watching → Gerund

In "I enjoy watching," the word "watching" is the object of the verb "enjoy." You could replace it with a noun: "I enjoy movies." That's the gerund test!

exciting → Participle (adjective)

In "an exciting plot twist," the word "exciting" describes the noun "plot twist", so it's a present participle working as an adjective.

Sitting → Gerund

In "Sitting through a three-hour film is exhausting," the gerund phrase is the subject of the sentence. Replace it with "It" and the sentence still works!

sleeping → Participle (adjective)

In "the sleeping audience," the word "sleeping" describes the noun "audience", so it's a present participle functioning as an adjective.

Question 6

Your study buddy wrote some sentences for homework. Help them out! Select ALL the sentences that contain a subject-verb agreement error with a gerund phrase.

The correct answers are Learning new languages are challenging but rewarding and Eating vegetables every day are good for your health.

A gerund phrase as subject is treated as a singular unit, so it takes a singular verb. "Learning new languages is challenging" and "Eating vegetables every day is good" are the correct forms. The verb must agree with the gerund phrase, not with the noun inside it.

Question 7

You're describing your day to a language exchange partner. Select ALL the sentences where the -ing word is a gerund (noun), NOT part of a continuous tense (verb phrase).

The correct answers are Cooking relaxes me after work and She enjoys painting on weekends.

"Cooking" in "Cooking relaxes me" is a gerund functioning as the subject (noun). "Painting" in "She enjoys painting" is a gerund functioning as the object (noun) of "enjoys." In the other sentences, "cooking," "studying" are present participles forming part of continuous verb phrases ("am cooking," "were studying").

Question 8

You're reviewing a film you watched last night. Select the correct option for each blank to identify the function of the -ing word.
"The documentary was fascinating."
In this sentence, "fascinating" is a _________________________________.
Quick test: Does "fascinating" describe a noun? Yes! → It describes "the documentary." ✓

The correct answer is participle (adjective).

"Fascinating" is a present participle functioning as an adjective: it describes the noun "documentary." It's NOT a gerund because it doesn't act as a noun itself.

Question 9

Your classmate wrote this sentence in an essay. Help them fix the grammar mistake! Select the correct option for each blank.
"Learning new languages _________________________ incredibly useful for your career."
Remember: A gerund phrase as a subject is always treated as ONE unit, so it takes a singular verb!

The correct answer is is.

"Learning new languages" is a gerund phrase acting as the subject. Even though "languages" is plural, the entire phrase counts as a single unit, so it needs the singular verb "is." ✗ "are" → ✓ "is"

Question 10

You're chatting with a friend about weekend activities. Select ALL the sentences where the -ing word is a gerund (functioning as a noun).

The correct answers are Swimming keeps me healthy and I love hiking in the mountains.

"Swimming" is a gerund acting as the subject (noun) of the sentence. "Hiking" is a gerund acting as the object (noun) of "love." In contrast, "swimming" in "swimming pool" is a participle describing the noun "pool," and "dancing" is part of the continuous verb phrase "is dancing."

Question 11

Your classmate is describing their study routine. Look at the two sentences below and identify the different functions of the -ing words.

Sentence A: "I enjoy studying in the library."
Sentence B: "I am studying in the library right now."

Which statement correctly identifies both -ing words?

The correct answer is In A, "studying" is a gerund (object); in B, "studying" is a present participle (part of a verb phrase).

In Sentence A, "studying" follows the verb "enjoy" and acts as its object (noun), so that's a gerund. In Sentence B, "am studying" forms the present continuous tense, so "studying" is a present participle.

Terms of ServicePrivacy Policy
Copyright Kind Robots Ltd.