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Quizzes > English & Grammar

Gerund vs Participle Quiz

Quick quiz to identify gerund and participle in real sentences. Instant results.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Speed CuberUpdated Aug 26, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art layers of open book pencil speech bubbles on coral background for participle vs gerund quiz challenge

This quiz helps you tell the difference between a gerund and a present participle in real sentences. Decide if the word acts like a noun or a verb form, get instant feedback, and learn from quick hints. For more practice, try our gerunds and participles quiz, build skills with participle practice, or review the bigger picture with a short verbals quiz.

In the sentence 'Swimming relaxes me,' what is 'Swimming'?
A finite verb in the present tense
An infinitive used as an adjective
A present participle modifying 'me'
A gerund functioning as the subject (Correct: it names the activity and acts as a noun)
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Choose the sentence where the -ing word is a participle, not a gerund.
The barking dog woke the baby (Correct: 'barking' modifies 'dog')
Barking can damage your voice
Barking is not allowed here
I enjoy barking at the moon
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Identify the role of 'running' in 'They saw a running stream.'
Finite verb in progressive aspect
Gerund used as subject complement
Present participle used as an adjective (Correct: it modifies 'stream')
Gerund used as direct object
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In 'Her singing impressed the judges,' what is 'singing'?
Gerund functioning as the subject (Correct: 'singing' names the activity)
Main verb of the sentence
Infinitive phrase
Participle modifying 'judges'
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True or False: A gerund can be the object of a preposition.
True
False
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True or False: A participle can function as a predicate adjective.
True
False
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Select the sentence where the -ing form is a gerund phrase.
Finishing the exam felt amazing (Correct: the phrase is the subject)
After finishing the exam, we left early
The exam finishing early surprised us
The finishing touches were perfect
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Which test helps distinguish a gerund from a participle?
Replace the -ing word with 'something' to see if it still makes sense as a noun (Correct)
Add 'very' before it; if it works, it is a gerund
Check if the -ing word can take an irregular past form
Move the -ing word to the end; if grammatical, it is a participle
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In 'We watched the kids playing,' what is 'playing' doing?
Present participle in a participial clause modifying 'kids' (Correct)
Gerund functioning as a direct object
Finite verb in past progressive
Gerund functioning as an appositive
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True or False: Only gerunds can take direct objects.
False
True
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Identify the gerund phrase in the sentence: 'He apologized for being late.'
for being late (Correct: 'being' is a gerund object of the preposition 'for')
apologized for
He apologized
late
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Which option shows a possessive before a gerund, a common formal style?
I was surprised at he leaving early
I was surprised at him leaving early
I was surprised at he's leaving early
I was surprised at his leaving early (Correct: possessive before gerund)
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Pick the sentence with a dangling participle error.
I like walking down this street
Walking down the street, the wind pushed the umbrella (Correct: the participle lacks a logical subject)
Walking down the street, I saw a parade
While I was walking, I called my friend
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In 'Having finished our work, we relaxed,' identify 'Having finished.'
Infinitive clause of purpose
Perfect gerund phrase functioning as subject
Finite perfect verb
Perfect participle phrase indicating prior action (Correct)
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True or False: A gerund can be modified by an adverb.
False
True
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Pick the sentence where the -ing word is part of a reduced relative clause.
I began studying late
Studying is important
He enjoys studying history
Students studying in the library should be quiet (Correct: 'studying' reduces 'who are studying')
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Select the sentence where 'being' is a gerund.
His being late caused a delay (Correct: subject of the clause)
Being chosen, the team celebrated
Being careful, she avoided mistakes
Being repaired, the car stayed in the shop
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Choose the example of a perfect gerund.
To have finished early, we left
Finished early, we left
Finishing early, we left
Having finished early is helpful (Correct: 'Having finished' functioning as a noun)
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Identify the function of 'to be' form in 'The problem being the budget, we postponed it.'
Absolute participial construction with 'being' (Correct)
Finite verb in a subordinate clause
Gerund as object of preposition
Infinitive of purpose
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Which option shows a participle used in a noun absolute construction?
The setting sun was beautiful
The sun setting, we packed up (Correct: absolute phrase)
Setting the sun was easy
We saw the sun setting
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Study Outcomes

  1. Identify Participles and Gerunds -

    Recognize participle and gerund forms in sentences to build a solid understanding of their roles in English grammar.

  2. Differentiate Between Participle and Gerund -

    Distinguish how a verb form functions as either a participle or a gerund based on its usage and meaning.

  3. Analyze Sentence Context -

    Examine sentences to determine whether the verb-derived word is acting as a modifier (participle) or a noun (gerund).

  4. Apply Grammar Rules -

    Use clear guidelines to decide if an - ing form is part of a verb phrase, an adjective, or a noun in various sentence structures.

  5. Correct Common Errors -

    Spot and fix tricky mistakes where participles and gerunds are often confused, improving your writing precision.

  6. Evaluate Your Skills -

    Take the scored quiz to measure your mastery of the difference between a participle and a gerund and identify areas for growth.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Core Definitions -

    Understanding the difference between a participle and a gerund starts with function: a gerund (verb+ing) acts like a noun ("Swimming is fun"), while a participle (also verb+ing or verb+ed) acts like an adjective ("The swimming fish"). Think "gerund = noun party," "participle = adjective detective." This clear distinction is backed by writing centers at Purdue University and Oxford.

  2. Formation Patterns -

    Both gerunds and present participles end in - ing, but participles also form past and perfect forms ("baked," "having baked"). Use the mnemonic "GERund = Grows a noun; PARticiple = Places an adjective" to remember that only participles can take irregular past forms. This rule is supported by Cambridge University Press's grammar guidelines.

  3. Sentence Roles -

    Gerunds serve as subjects, objects, or complements ("Her favorite hobby is painting"), whereas participles modify nouns or introduce clauses ("Painted signs greeted us"). To test: try replacing the - ing word with a clear noun (gerund) or see if it's describing something (participle). These roles are clarified by the University of Michigan's writing handbook.

  4. Identification Test -

    Swap the - ing phrase with a noun phrase - if it still makes sense, it's a gerund. If it describes a noun, it's a participle. For example, replacing "running daily" with "exercise" shows it's a gerund: "Exercise daily improves health." This quick check is recommended by Harvard's writing resources.

  5. Common Pitfalls -

    Watch out for dangling participles ("Walking to school, the rain poured"), which can confuse readers. Also avoid using gerunds where infinitives are preferred ("to decide" vs. "deciding"). Consulting style guides like the MLA or APA can help you sidestep these traps and write with confidence.

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