What term includes the gerund, its object, and its modifiers?

What term includes the gerund, its object, and its modifiers?

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

Answer: (B)

The idea being tested is that when a verb form ending in -ing is combined with its object and any modifiers, the whole unit functions as a noun and is called a gerund phrase. A gerund by itself is just the -ing form used as a noun, but once you add what the gerund is acting on (its object) and any describing words or phrases (modifiers), you’ve created a single noun-phrase—the gerund phrase. For example, in a sentence like Eating ice cream on hot days is popular, the part Eating ice cream on hot days acts as the subject and functions as a noun phrase. It includes the gerund Eating, its object ice cream, and the modifier on hot days. This distinguishes it from a participle phrase, which uses a participle to describe a noun, and from a clause, which contains its own subject and finite verb.

The idea being tested is that when a verb form ending in -ing is combined with its object and any modifiers, the whole unit functions as a noun and is called a gerund phrase. A gerund by itself is just the -ing form used as a noun, but once you add what the gerund is acting on (its object) and any describing words or phrases (modifiers), you’ve created a single noun-phrase—the gerund phrase. For example, in a sentence like Eating ice cream on hot days is popular, the part Eating ice cream on hot days acts as the subject and functions as a noun phrase. It includes the gerund Eating, its object ice cream, and the modifier on hot days. This distinguishes it from a participle phrase, which uses a participle to describe a noun, and from a clause, which contains its own subject and finite verb.