easy quiz on gerunds (Dictionary.com)

Dictionary.com quiz! As long as you know what a gerund is, you ought to get at least 7 of the following 8 questions right. Only Question 6 might throw you off. Look between the [brackets] below for answers and explanations.

Question 1 of 8
True or false: a gerund looks like a verb, but it acts like a noun.

a. True
b. False

Question 2 of 8
Which sentence uses swimming as a gerund?

a. I went swimming yesterday.
b. Swimming is my favorite sport.
c. Let’s go swimming at the beach.

Question 3 of 8
How is the gerund being used in the following sentence?

Sleeping is hard if you suffer from anxiety.

a. subject
b. subject complement
c. direct object
d. preposition

Question 4 of 8
Identify the gerund in the following sentence: 

Diana quickly grew tired of the constant complaining of the rude customers.

a. quickly
b. grew
c. complaining
d. tired

Question 5 of 8
Which sentence uses cooking as a gerund?

a. Chef Romero, cooking with gusto, prepared a 10-course meal.
b. Cooking is a useful skill to learn.
c. The chefs are cooking steaks.

Question 6 of 8
How is the gerund being used in the following sentence?

His favorite activity is reading.

a. subject
b. subject complement
c. direct object
d. preposition

Question 7 of 8
Identify the gerund in the following sentence: 

Craig enjoyed staring at the ocean on stormy days.

a. staring
b. enjoyed
c. at
d. on

Question 8 of 8
Identify the gerund in the following sentence: 

The magazine is focused on fishing and the lives of fishermen.

a. is
b. focused
c. fishing
d. lives

ANSWERS AND EXPLANATIONS (highlight to see):

[1. (a) True. A gerund is a verbal, i.e., a word derived from a verb, usually ending in -ing and acting like a noun, which means it can be a subject, object, etc.

2. (b) swimming. The subject of the sentence is Swimming. "Swimming is..." The word Swimming also ends in -ing.

3. (a) subject. If the sentence says "X is...", then X, being a noun or noun phrase, is the subject.

4. (c) complaining. Short cut: look for the word ending in -ing.

5. (b). Cooking is being used as a subject. A gerund ends in -ing and functions as a noun.

6. (b) This one might be more difficult. It's obviously not (a) because the subject is "His favorite activity," which is a noun phrase, not a gerund. It's not (c), either, because there's no transitive verb, e.g., the verb to hit in the sentence Jerry hit him. Transitive verbs take direct objects (him in this case). That leaves only (b). A subject complement is a word, usually a noun or an adjective, that's in the predicate and referring to or qualifying/modifying the subject. If it's a noun, it's also called a predicate nominative: Kevin is a teacher. If it's an adjective, it's a predicate adjective: The tree is big.]

7. (a) staring. It's the only word ending in -ing. Duh. Staring is also the object of enjoy. Enjoyed what? Enjoyed staring. Nouns can be objects. Gerunds function as nouns.

8. (c) fishing. Again, it's the only word ending in -ing.]

MY QUIZ

Think you know gerunds now? Don't confuse them with present participles (which also end in -ing). A couple examples:

• Staring at her boobs, I lost track of what she was saying. (participle)
• Staring at her boobs was a full-time activity, and it's what got me slapped across the face. (gerund: Staring... was, i.e., Staring is the subject)

So—participle or gerund?

1. I like hosting parties.
2. Robbing a bank is not my idea of fun.
3. What the hell are you doing, cowering in the corner?
4. Blinking furiously, she said, "Trusting you was a mistake!"
5. Blinking furiously, she said, "Trusting you was a mistake!"
6. We must devote our efforts to eliminating the competition.
7. "Hold still," the snake, trembling in anticipation, hissed to the mouse.
8. That fart is still rumbling through this house, even decades later.
9. We're sick of all the lying and vomiting.
10. Sharting is such sweet sorrow.

Leave your answers to my quiz in the comments.