Are you ready to sharpen your skills in identifying and using gerunds and participles? The Gerund and Participle Practice Quiz is designed to help you master these versatile verb forms, often the key to more dynamic and precise writing.
Whether you’re brushing up on grammar basics or challenging your linguistic prowess, this practice session will guide you in distinguishing between the noun-like gerunds and the descriptive participles. Turn learning into an engaging adventure.
Gerund and Participle Practice Quiz
Test your understanding of gerunds and participles with these 15 multiple-choice questions.
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Examples and Exercise of the Gerund and Participle Practice Quiz
Each question is followed by a detailed explanation of the correct answer.
1. What would the indirect speech be: Sinthia said, “It’s my car.”?
a) Sinthia said that it is my car.
b) Sinthia said that it was my car.
c) Sinthia said that it was her car.
Explain
In indirect speech:
- The present tense (“is”) changes to past tense (“was”) because the reporting verb “said” is in the past tense.
- “My” changes to “her” to match the subject “Sinthia” (third person).
2. What would the indirect speech be: Monica said, “I have finished my homework.”?
a) Monica said that she had finished her homework
b) Monica said that she has finished her homework
c) Monica said that she has finished my homework.”
Explain:
In indirect speech:
- The present perfect tense (“have finished”) changes to past perfect tense (“had finished”) since the reporting verb “said” is in the past.
- “I” becomes “she,” and “my” becomes “her,” reflecting the speaker Monica.
3. What would the indirect speech be: My daughter said to me, “I can sleep alone.”?
a) My daughter said to me that she would sleep alone
b) My daughter told me that she can sleep alone.
c) My daughter told me that she could sleep alone
Explanation: In indirect speech:
- “Can” changes to “could” in reported speech.
- “Said to” becomes “told” when reporting to someone directly (e.g., “me”).
- “I” becomes “she” to match the speaker, “My daughter.”
4. What would the indirect speech be: John said, “My friend may come tonight.”?
a) John said that his friend might come tonight.
b) John said that his friend might come that night.
c) John said that his friend might go that night.
Explanation: In indirect speech:
- “May” changes to “might” in reported speech.
- “Tonight” becomes “that night” because the time frame is now reported.
- “My” changes to “his” to reflect the speaker Leo
5. Identify the gerund in the sentence: “Swimming is my favorite hobby.”
a) Hobby
b) Favorite
c) Swimming
d) Is
Explanation: A gerund is a verb form ending in “-ing” that functions as a noun. In this sentence, “swimming” acts as the subject of the verb “is,” making it a gerund.
6. Choose the participle in this sentence: “The barking dog scared the children.”
a) Barking
b) Dog
c) Scared
d) The
Explanation: A participle is a verb form used as an adjective. Here, “barking” describes the dog, making it a present participle.
7. Which sentence contains a gerund?
a) She is running in the park.
b) Running is good for your health.
c) They heard the dog barking loudly.
d) He bought a barking collar.
Explanation: In this sentence, “running” functions as the subject of the sentence, making it a gerund. The other options use “running” or “barking” as participles.
8. Select the sentence with a participial phrase:
a) Climbing the mountain, they felt exhausted.
b) He enjoys climbing the mountain.
c) She loves painting landscapes.
d) Painting is her passion.
Explanation: “Climbing the mountain” is a participial phrase that modifies “they,” providing additional information about their state while acting.
9. What role does the gerund play in this sentence? “She enjoys reading books.”
a) Subject
b) Object
c) Verb
d) Adjective
Explanation: The gerund “reading” functions as the direct object of the verb “enjoys,” indicating what she enjoys.
10. Which sentence uses a participle correctly?
a) He avoids eating junk food.
b) The crying baby needed attention.
c) Running is my favorite activity.
d) Her favorite pastime is swimming.
Explanation: In this sentence, “crying” is a present participle used to describe the baby. The other options contain gerunds functioning as nouns.
11. Identify the gerund phrase in the sentence: “Writing poetry helps me relax.”
a) Writing poetry
b) Helps me relax
c) Poetry
d) Relax
Explanation: A gerund phrase includes the gerund and any modifiers or objects. Here, “writing poetry” is the subject of the sentence.
12. What is the function of the participle in this sentence? “The broken vase lay on the floor.”
a) Verb
b) Adjective
c) Noun
d) Adverb
Explanation: “Broken” is a past participle describing the noun “vase,” so it functions as an adjective.
13. Which sentence uses a gerund incorrectly?
a) He is interesting in learning French.
b) She loves baking cakes.
c) Swimming every day keeps her fit.
d) They started practicing yoga.
Explanation: The correct phrase should be “He is interested in learning French.” “Interesting” is a participle, not a gerund, and is incorrectly used here.
14. Choose the sentence with a misplaced participle:
a) Driving through the storm, we reached home safely.
b) The man riding the bike waved at us.
c) Covered in dust, the archaeologist carefully examined the artifact.
d) Running quickly, the finish line was in sight.
Explanation: The participial phrase “running quickly” incorrectly modifies “the finish line,” which cannot act as running. It should be rephrased to clarify who was running.
FAQs on Gerund and Participle Practice
What is the main difference between a gerund and a participle?
A gerund is a verb form ending in -ing that functions as a noun (e.g., “Swimming is fun”). A participle is a verb form that acts as an adjective, describing a noun or pronoun (e.g., “The barking dog woke me up”). While gerunds name activities or concepts, participles modify nouns.
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Can a word be both a gerund and a participle?
No, a word cannot function as both a gerund and a participle simultaneously. Its role depends on its function in the sentence.
For example, “Running is enjoyable” uses “running” as a gerund (subject), while “The running water is cold” uses it as a participle (modifier for “water”).
How do I identify a gerund in a sentence?
Look for a verb ending in -ing that functions as a noun. Gerunds can serve as the subject, object, or complement of a sentence.
For example, in “Reading books is relaxing,” “reading” is a gerund acting as the subject.
4. Are participial phrases and gerund phrases the same?
No, participial phrases and gerund phrases are different.
- A participial phrase contains a participle and modifies a noun (e.g., “Walking through the park, she felt calm”).
- A gerund phrase contains a gerund and functions as a noun (e.g., “Walking in the park is refreshing”).
5. What are common errors to avoid with gerunds and participles?
Some common mistakes include:
- Misplacing a participle leads to ambiguity (e.g., “Running quickly, the finish line was in sight” should clarify who is running).
- Confusing a gerund for a participle or vice versa (e.g., “I enjoy to swim” should be “I enjoy swimming” because “swimming” is a gerund).
- Forgetting subject-verb agreement when the gerund is the subject (e.g., “Swimming require effort” should be “Swimming requires effort”).