Gerund vs. Participle: Understanding -ing Word Functions

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?

- [ ] Both are gerunds functioning as nouns.
- [ ] Both are present participles forming continuous tenses.
- [x] In A, "studying" is a gerund (object); in B, "studying" is a present participle (part of a verb phrase).
- [ ] In A, "studying" is a present participle; in B, "studying" is a gerund.

---
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) — that's a gerund. In Sentence B, "am studying" forms the present continuous tense, so "studying" is a present participle.
