What term describes a verb ending in -ing used as a noun?

What term describes a verb ending in -ing used as a noun?

• A. Gerund
• B. Gerund Phrase
• C. Participle
• D. Infinitive

Answer: (A)

A gerund. The -ing form used as a noun is called a gerund, and it can act as the subject, the object, or a complement in a sentence. For example, in “Running helps me stay fit,” Running functions as the subject. If the -ing form includes its modifiers or objects, as in “Running through the park every morning,” that whole unit is a gerund phrase, but the term for the -ing form functioning as a noun is still gerund. A participle ends in -ing too but functions as an adjective or as part of a verb phrase, not as a noun. An infinitive uses to plus a verb, not the bare -ing form.

A gerund. The -ing form used as a noun is called a gerund, and it can act as the subject, the object, or a complement in a sentence. For example, in “Running helps me stay fit,” Running functions as the subject. If the -ing form includes its modifiers or objects, as in “Running through the park every morning,” that whole unit is a gerund phrase, but the term for the -ing form functioning as a noun is still gerund. A participle ends in -ing too but functions as an adjective or as part of a verb phrase, not as a noun. An infinitive uses to plus a verb, not the bare -ing form.