Identify the gerund/gerund phrase and its function.

Note: If the gerund is part of a gerund phrase, include the whole phrase in your
answer.

1. Manny argued strongly against recounting the vote.

2. Most of the time, swimming at the beach is safe.
3. My job is making reservations for overnight guests at the hotel.
4. His greatest asset, typing two hundred words per minute, has earned him a
better position at the company.
5. Joe doesn't like getting up early on Saturdays.
6. After saving the dog's life, the young man was given an award.
7. Marion always enjoys smiling at the camera.
8. The science lab posts stringent rules about dissecting animals.
9. The students didn't want to bring the speaker to the meeting of the student
council.
10. The school proposed a new rule: prohibiting the use of cell phones on campus .

Distinguishing between Participles and Gerunds - Exercise 2

Directions: Each sentence contains an underlined verbal phrase. In the box below
each sentence, identify the verbal as a present participle or gerund. If the verbal
is a participle, write the noun that it is modifying. If the verbal is a gerund,
write its function (subject, direct object, appositive, object of preposition,
subjective complement).

1. The man sitting by the library door is waiting for his wife to finish her
research.
2. After reading the newspaper story, Josephine immediately called to volunteer.
3. My cooking rises to an art form.
4. Four people watched the young acrobat teetering across the tightrope.
5. A major part of the Secret Service's job is protecting the President.
6. He was bragging about winning all four races.
7. The Smiths appreciated our helping them paint the new house.
8. Listening for the familiar "clicks", Jack fanned the Geiger counter over the
field.
9. Ernie's problem, being late for just about every appointment, resulted in his
suspension at work.
10. Bill's idea of fun is watching cartoons every Saturday morning.
11. We enjoyed visiting the new museum.
12. Ms. Jones had a valid excuse for coming to the party late.
13. Alex, staring intently through the binoculars, saw two red-headed woodpeckers.
14. Lowering the interest rate can stimulate the economy.
15. The art collector gazed adoringly at his recent purchase: two drawings by
Renoir.

Point out the present participles and gerunds and verbs in the following sentences.

1. He has ruined his lungs by smoking.

2. Asking questions is easier than answering them.
3. We saw a clown standing on his head.
4. He hates spending money.
5. Waving their hands, the spectators cheered the runners.
6. We are fighting a losing battle.
7. It is freezing cold.
8. We are confident of winning the election.
9. The boy cried thinking that he would be whipped.
10. Can you teach me painting?

State whether the �ing forms given in the following sentences are participles or
gerunds. In the case of participles, name the noun or pronoun they qualify. In the
case of gerunds, state what function they serve in the sentence.

1. Hearing a loud noise, we ran to the window.

2. The motorcyclist was fatally injured in the accident and is now fighting for
his life.
3. He ruined his sight by watching TV all day.
4. We saw a clown standing on his head.
5. Asking questions is a whole lot easier than answering them.
6. Waving their hands, the audience cheered the winner.
7. Plucking flowers is forbidden.
8. Jumping over the fence, the thief escaped.
9. I was surprised at John�s being absent.
10. We spent the whole day playing cards.
11. A miser hates spending his money.
12. John was angry at Alice trying to lie to her.
13. Praising all alike is praising none.
14. Are you afraid of speaking the truth?
15. Singing to herself is her chief delight.

Exercise on Participles:
Underline the participial phrase(s) in each of the following sentences, and draw a
line to
the noun or pronoun modified.
1. Getting up at five, we got an early start.
2. Facing college standards, the students realized that they hadn't worked hard
enough
in high school.
3. Statistics reported by the National Education Association revealed that seventy
percent of American colleges offer remedial English classes emphasizing
composition.
4. The overloaded car gathered speed slowly.
5. Gathering my courage, I asked for a temporary loan.
In each of the following sentences, underline the participial phrase(s), draw a
line to the
word(s) modified, and punctuate the sentence correctly. Remember that some
sentences may not need punctuation.
6. Starting out as an army officer Karen's father was frequently transferred.
7. Mrs. Sears showing more bravery than wisdom invited thirty boys and girls to a
party.
8. The student left in charge of the class was unable to keep order.
9. Applicants must investigate various colleges learning as much as possible about
them
before applying for admission.
10. The crying boy angered by the bully began to fight.
Rewrite the following sentences (you may need to reword them slightly) with the
correct
placement and punctuation of the participial phrases.
11. Espousing a conservative point of view the proposal for more spending on
federal
social programs bothered him.
12. Absorbed in an interesting conversation my scheduled appointment time passed
unnoticed.
13. Carrying a heavy pile of books , his foot caught on a step
14. Washing and polishing the car , Frank developed sore muscles.
15. The student earning the highest grade point average will receive a special
award.
16. Sid, watching an old movie, drifted in and out of sleep.
17. The local residents often saw Ken wandering through the street s.

Exercise on Infinitives:
Underline the infinitive phrase and label the way it is used in the sentence,
adding any
punctuation as needed.
1. I want to go.
2. I want you to go home.
3. We want to see the play.
4. To see a shooting star is good luck.
5. To fight against those odds would be ridiculous.
6. To design a new building for them would be challenging.
7. I want him to be my bodyguard.
8. Jim is expected to program computers at his new job.
9. They will try to build a new stadium in ten years.
10. To distill a quart of moonshine takes two hours.
11. The president wants to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
12. She has the money to buy it.
13. We demonstrated to attract attention to our agenda.
14. I do not like to give poor grades.
15. The dogs were taught to stand, to sit, and to bark on command.
16. To be great is to be true

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1. The best plumber to call is Mr. Jones.

2. Henry brought Jeri a ring to show his love.

3. Each year Merriweather tried to find more deductions for his tax return.

4. To patch the hole in the tire, the mechanic insubjectafterserted a plug.

5. She learned to read and write English in Kenya.

6. Eric's desire to do everything perfectly will eventually frustrate him.

7. To pay that much money for a television is foolish.

8. Yesterday Smith exercised all day to lose some weight before the wedding.

9. His only ambition was to succeed at his job.

10. To attempt an explanation for this phenomenon would do little good.