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" — 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" — it's a present participle functioning as an adjective.