Question

Identify the form of the underlined word:
She prefers to dance rather than to exercise.
A) Gerund
B) Past participle
C) Present participle
D) Infinitive

Answer 1

Hint: A word can have various forms depending on the context in which it is used. Participles are the form of the verb which also acts as an adjective, whereas, gerunds are the form of the verb that also acts as nouns. Infinitive words are also a form of verbs but they are in the basic form.

Complete answer:
Let us analyze each option one by one.

Option A is Gerund. According to the hint, gerunds are the form of the verb that also acts as nouns. But the phrase ‘to dance’ does not act as a noun. Therefore, option A is incorrect.

Option B is the past participle. In this case, the phrase ‘to dance’ does not act as an adjective apart from being a verb. Therefore, according to the hint, the phrase is not in the past participle form. Therefore, option B is also incorrect.

Option C is a present participle. The phrase ‘to dance’ does not act as an adjective apart from being a verb. Therefore, according to the hint, the phrase is not in present participle form as well. Therefore, option C is also incorrect.

Option D is infinitive. According to the hint, an infinitive verb is in the basic form. It generally starts with ‘to’. And in this case, also, the phrase is starting with to followed by a verb. So, the correct answer is “Option D”.

Note: Verbs are of various types. Depending on their usage, a verb can be divided into a present participle, past participle, gerund, infinitive, and others. Knowledge of each one of them is important to determine the correct answer.