What do you already know about gerunds and present participles?

Answer 1

Gerunds and present participles are forms of verbals, which are words derived from verbs but used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.

A gerund is a verb form that functions as a noun and usually ends in "-ing." For example, in the sentence "Running is my favorite hobby," the word "running" is a gerund as it acts as the subject of the sentence.

A present participle is a verb form that is used as an adjective or to form progressive tenses (continuous actions) and usually ends in "-ing." For instance, in the sentence "The dancing girl captivated the audience," the word "dancing" is a present participle modifying the noun "girl."

Both gerunds and present participles look identical, but their functions in a sentence differ. Gerunds act as nouns, while present participles function as adjectives or form progressive tenses.