Question

Identify the verb and say whether it is a Gerund or a present participle:
Singing songs is a routine work for him.
A) Singing-gerund
B) Singing-present participle
C) Is-gerund
D) Is-present participle

Answer 1

Hint: Gerunds are the words that act as a noun but actually, they are one of the forms of the verb. A present participle is also a form of a verb but they represent a continuous form of the verb that ends at –ing. These need to be identified in the given sentence.

Complete answer:
Let us analyze each option one by one.
Option A is singing-gerund. The word singing is a verb. But it is not acting as a noun. Therefore, according to the hint, the verb is not a gerund. Therefore, option A is not correct.
Option B is a singing-present participle. The word singing is a verb. Also, it is a present participle because it is ending at –ing and it is describing the action to be in continuous form. So, the correct answer is “Option b”.
Option C is ‘Is-gerund’. The word ‘Is’ is a helping verb. But it is not acting as a noun. Therefore, according to the hint, the verb is not a gerund. Therefore, option C is not correct.
Option D is ‘Is-present participle’. The word ‘Is’ is a helping verb. But it is not acting as a noun. Therefore, according to the hint, the verb is not a present participle. Therefore, option D is also not correct.

Note:
The sentence needs to be keenly analyzed and the role played by each verb in the sentence should be observed. This will help in determining the form of the verb and thus the correct answer.