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Quizzes > Literature & Language > English & Grammar

Take the Phrase Types Quiz: Identify Appositive, Gerund & More!

Sharpen Your Skills with Appositive Phrase Quiz & Gerund Practice

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration for phrase types quiz with appositive gerund infinitive participial prepositional on teal background

This phrase types quiz helps you practice spotting appositive, gerund, infinitive, participial, and prepositional phrases in context. Use it to check gaps before an exam and build speed with quick, clear items. If you want a refresher first, see this guide to infinitives and gerunds , or jump to the appositive practice section .

Identify the appositive phrase in the sentence: "My brother, a skilled guitarist, performed last night."
My brother
a skilled guitarist
last night
performed last night
An appositive phrase renames or identifies a noun directly beside it. In this sentence, "a skilled guitarist" renames "my brother," adding descriptive detail. Appositives are typically set off by commas to show that they provide extra information.
Identify the gerund phrase in the sentence: "Swimming in the lake relaxes me."
relaxes me
the lake relaxes me
in the lake
Swimming in the lake
A gerund phrase begins with a gerund (a verb ending in -ing) and functions as a noun. Here, "Swimming in the lake" is the subject of the sentence and acts as a noun. The phrase includes the gerund "swimming" plus its object and modifiers.
Identify the infinitive phrase in the sentence: "He hopes to visit Japan next year."
hopes to visit
Japan next year
to visit Japan next year
visit Japan next year
An infinitive phrase starts with "to" plus the base form of a verb, and it can function as a noun, adjective, or adverb. In this sentence, "to visit Japan next year" is the direct object of "hopes." The phrase includes "to visit" and its modifiers.
Identify the participial phrase in the sentence: "Exhausted from the journey, they went straight to bed."
went straight to bed
Exhausted from the journey
from the journey
they went
A participial phrase begins with a present or past participle and functions as an adjective. Here, "Exhausted from the journey" uses the past participle "exhausted" to describe "they." It provides background information about the subject.
Identify the prepositional phrase in the sentence: "She sat beside the window."
sat beside
beside the window
the window
She sat
A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and ends with its object (a noun or pronoun). In this sentence, "beside the window" is the prepositional phrase, with "beside" as the preposition and "the window" as its object. Prepositional phrases function as adjectives or adverbs.
Which sentence contains a gerund phrase?
The artist, known for bright colors, works quickly.
They walked across the bridge.
Cooking healthy meals can be rewarding.
To finish the race, he trained daily.
Gerund phrases begin with a verb ending in -ing and act as nouns. In option A, "Cooking healthy meals" is the subject of the sentence. The other sentences feature an infinitive phrase, a participial phrase, and a prepositional phrase, respectively.
Which sentence contains an appositive phrase?
She placed the vase on the table.
The novel, a thrilling mystery, kept me reading all night.
To win the prize was her goal.
Hiking up the trail, we saw deer.
An appositive phrase renames a nearby noun and is often set off by commas. In option A, "a thrilling mystery" renames "the novel." The other sentences showcase participial, infinitive, and prepositional phrases.
Which sentence contains a prepositional phrase?
Her favorite activity is painting.
Running fast, he broke the record.
The cookies in the jar are gone.
He hopes to travel soon.
Prepositional phrases begin with a preposition and include an object. In option A, "in the jar" is a prepositional phrase modifying "cookies." Options B, C, and D contain participial, gerund, and infinitive phrases, respectively.
Identify the type of phrase "with the red hat" in the sentence: "The boy with the red hat is my cousin."
Appositive phrase
Gerund phrase
Infinitive phrase
Prepositional phrase
A prepositional phrase begins with a preposition and ends with its object. Here, "with the red hat" starts with the preposition "with" and modifies "the boy." It functions adjectivally.
Identify the gerund phrase in the sentence: "Her favorite activity is painting landscapes."
Her favorite activity
painting landscapes
is painting
landscapes
A gerund phrase starts with a verb ending in -ing and acts as a noun. "painting landscapes" is the subject complement following "is," functioning as a noun phrase.
Which sentence contains both a gerund phrase and a prepositional phrase?
The cat under the chair slept.
A talented singer, she performs nightly.
Reading books in the library helps me learn.
She wants to learn French.
In the correct sentence, "Reading books" is a gerund phrase functioning as the subject, and "in the library" is a prepositional phrase modifying "reading." The other sentences contain different phrase types. and
Identify the participial phrase in the sentence: "The students, tired from studying, took a break."
The students
took a break
tired from studying
from studying
A participial phrase uses a participle to modify a noun. "tired from studying" begins with the past participle "tired" and describes "the students." It is set off by commas.
In the sentence "Boiling water spilled on the counter.", what type of phrase is "Boiling water"?
Infinitive phrase
Participial phrase
Gerund phrase
Appositive phrase
Here, "Boiling water" uses the present participle "boiling" to describe water, functioning as an adjective. Though it looks like a gerund, it's actually a participial phrase because it modifies a noun rather than acting as a noun.
Identify the infinitive phrase in the sentence: "She was ready to begin the presentation."
She was ready
begin the presentation
to begin the presentation
was ready to begin
An infinitive phrase starts with "to" plus a verb. "to begin the presentation" functions as an adverb modifying "ready," explaining why she was ready.
Which sentence uses an infinitive phrase as an adjective?
The report, written hastily, contained errors.
Writing the report took all night.
I have a report to write by tomorrow.
To write a report, he stayed up late.
In the correct sentence, "to write by tomorrow" modifies the noun "report," so it functions as an adjective. Options B, C, and D use an infinitive as an adverb, a gerund phrase, and a participial phrase, respectively.
Which sentence contains a dangling participle?
Driving home, the rain started unexpectedly.
The man driving home stopped for gas.
Driving home, she realized it was late.
He saw the deer running through the woods.
A dangling participle occurs when the participial phrase doesn't clearly modify the noun it's intended to. In option A, "Driving home" incorrectly appears to modify "the rain," creating a logical error. The other options correctly attach their participial phrases to the proper subjects.
Identify the past participial phrase in the sentence: "Exhausted by the long journey, the travelers collapsed."
by the long journey
the travelers collapsed
the long journey
Exhausted by the long journey
A past participial phrase uses the past participle form of a verb to modify a noun. Here, "Exhausted by the long journey" begins with the past participle "exhausted" and describes "the travelers."
Which sentence contains a prepositional phrase functioning as an adjective?
Swimming in the river was fun.
She walked to the store.
To win the match was her goal.
The man in the suit signed the contract.
Prepositional phrases can act as adjectives when they modify nouns. In option A, "in the suit" describes "the man." Option B's phrase is adverbial, C is a gerund phrase, and D is an infinitive phrase.
Identify the type of phrase "Flying over the mountains" in: "Flying over the mountains is exciting."
Infinitive phrase
Gerund phrase
Participial phrase
Appositive phrase
Here, "Flying over the mountains" is the subject of the sentence and thus functions as a noun; it begins with a gerund. A participial phrase would modify a noun rather than act as one.
Identify the appositive phrase in the sentence: "The poet Emily Dickinson, known for her reclusive life, remains influential."
Emily Dickinson
The poet Emily Dickinson
for her reclusive life
known for her reclusive life
An appositive directly renames a noun. In this sentence, "Emily Dickinson" renames "the poet." The phrase "known for her reclusive life" is a participial phrase, not an appositive.
Identify the participial phrase in the sentence: "The poet Emily Dickinson, known for her reclusive life, remains influential."
known for her reclusive life
The poet Emily Dickinson
remains influential
Emily Dickinson
A participial phrase begins with a participle to modify a noun. "known for her reclusive life" starts with the past participle "known" and describes "The poet Emily Dickinson."
Identify the gerund phrase in the sentence: "After finishing his homework, John watched TV."
watched TV
After finishing
John watched TV
finishing his homework
A gerund phrase starts with a gerund and functions as a noun. Here, "finishing his homework" acts as the object of the preposition "After." The phrase includes the gerund and its object.
Identify the infinitive phrase in the sentence: "She has a lot of work to complete by Friday."
a lot of work
by Friday
to complete by Friday
She has a lot of work
Infinitive phrases start with "to" plus a verb. "to complete by Friday" modifies "work," telling us what kind of work she has. It functions adjectivally.
In the sentence "My friend, an avid traveler, enjoys exploring new cultures by visiting local museums.", which set of phrase types is present?
Appositive, gerund, prepositional
Prepositional, participial, gerund
Gerund, infinitive, participial
Participial, infinitive, appositive
"an avid traveler" is an appositive phrase renaming "my friend," "exploring new cultures" is a gerund phrase (object of enjoys), and "by visiting local museums" is a prepositional phrase modifying "exploring."
What type of phrase is "Given enough time" in the sentence: "Given enough time, you will solve the problem."
Past participial phrase
Infinitive phrase
Prepositional phrase
Gerund phrase
"Given" is a past participle of "give," and the phrase "Given enough time" functions adverbially, modifying the entire main clause. This is a reduced adverbial clause known as a past participial phrase.
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Study Outcomes

  1. Identify Phrase Types -

    Pinpoint appositive, gerund, infinitive, participial, and prepositional phrases in a variety of sentences in this phrase types quiz to bolster your grammatical recognition skills.

  2. Distinguish Appositives and Modifiers -

    Differentiate appositive phrases from other modifiers by recognizing how they rename nouns and contribute essential information.

  3. Apply Gerund and Infinitive Phrases -

    Use gerund and infinitive phrases accurately to convey actions and intentions, enhancing sentence variety and clarity.

  4. Analyze Participial Phrases -

    Examine complex sentences to classify participial phrases and understand how they function as adjectives modifying nouns.

  5. Construct Prepositional Phrases -

    Create prepositional phrases that express relationships of place, time, and manner, improving sentence precision and detail.

  6. Evaluate Phrase Usage -

    Assess sentences for correct phrase identification and usage to ensure grammatical accuracy and boost your writing confidence.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Appositive Phrases -

    Appositive phrases rename or clarify a noun - think "My sister, a talented chef, won the contest." In an appositive phrase quiz you'll spot the noun followed by another noun or noun phrase set off by commas. A handy mnemonic is "Appositive = A Positive ID," helping you remember that it always adds identifying detail.

  2. Gerund Phrases -

    Gerund phrases start with an - ing verb form that functions as a noun, like "Swimming in the ocean relaxes me." When practicing gerund phrase exercises, look for - ing words and their modifiers/objects acting as subjects, objects, or complements. A tip from Cambridge Grammar: treat the entire gerund phrase as you would any other noun when testing.

  3. Infinitive Phrases -

    Infinitive phrases begin with "to" plus the base verb, for example "to write a novel takes dedication." In infinitive phrase identification tasks, determine whether the phrase acts as a noun, adjective, or adverb. Remember the "To-Do" trick: if you can replace "to + verb" with a simple noun or purpose statement, you've got an infinitive.

  4. Participial Phrases -

    Participial phrases use present (-ing) or past (-ed, irregular) forms as adjectives, as in "The book, torn and dusty, lay forgotten." When you encounter participial phrase exercises, ensure the phrase directly modifies the intended noun to avoid dangling modifiers. According to the Oxford English Grammar, attaching the phrase close to its noun keeps your sentence clear and precise.

  5. Prepositional Phrases -

    Prepositional phrases consist of a preposition plus its object and any modifiers, such as "under the old oak tree." In a prepositional phrase test, identify how these phrases show relationships of place, time, or direction. A quick hack from Purdue OWL: prepositions answer "where," "when," or "how," so ask those questions to spot them fast.

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