Present Participle Exercise (184)
Decide if the -ing word in each of the following sentences is being used as a verb, an adjective, or a gerund. For example:
The cook was whipping the cream by hand. (verb, used with "was" to form continuous past)
Blushing deeply, Charlie stuttered his request. (adjective, describing "Charlie")
As a boy, he loved collecting stamps. (gerund, object of the verb "loved)
Answers and Explanations
1. When we dropped in on Mother, she was watching The Price is Right.
Correct: verb
With the auxiliary was, watching forms the past continuous tense.
2. How do you feel about sharing an apartment?
Correct: gerund
Sharing is a gerund, functioning as the object of the preposition about. Like a verb, it has an object, "an apartment."
3. Running as fast as he could, the boy followed the departing car.
Correct: adjective
Running functions as an adjective, describing boy. Like a verb, it is modified by an adverbial element, "as fast as he could."
4. His wife hates his smoking in the house.
Correct: gerund
Smoking is a gerund functioning as the object of hates. It is modified by the adverb phrase "in the house."
5. Moving house can be as traumatic as a divorce.
Correct: gerund
Moving is a gerund functioning as the subject of the verb can be. It takes the object "house."
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