Question

Identify the verbs and say whether they are Gerunds or Present Participle:
We are saving some money for the excursion.
a. Saving- Present participle
b. Saving- Gerund
c. Are- Present participle
d. Are- Gerund

Answer 1

Hint: Both gerunds and participles end in ‘ing’ form of the verb, but gerunds function as a noun and participles can function either as a verb or an adjective

Complete answer: As given in the hint, Gerunds are verbs forms that function as a noun, whereas Participles are verb forms that act as an adjective or a verb to modify a noun or a pronoun.
Example- (1) Dancing is fun.
(2) The dancing statue mesmerized the people.
We can understand that ‘dancing’ functions like a noun in (1), whereas ‘dancing’ functions as an adjective in (2) that modifies the noun ‘statue’.

In the given question: ‘Saving’ is the word that is used as a verb to describe the action of preserving or conserving something. We can see that ‘saving’ ends in the ‘ing’ form while acting as a verb. Hence, we can conclude it is a present participle.

Now, let’s decipher the meaning of the given options:
> Option a- ‘Saving- Present participle’ is the correct answer, because ‘saving’ acts like a verb that is used to describe an action performed by the subject. Hence, it is the correct option.
> Option b- ‘Saving- Gerund’ is inaccurate, because ‘saving’ does not function like a noun in the above given sentence. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
> Option c- ‘Are- Present participle’ is an inappropriate option, because ‘are’ is an auxiliary verb that is used to modify the tense or the mood of the main verb. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
> Option d- ‘Are-Gerund’ is not an appropriate option, because ‘are’ is an auxiliary verb that is used to modify the tense or the mood of the main verb. Hence, it is an incorrect option.

The correct answer is Option ‘a’.

Note: Do not get confused between ‘Gerunds’ and ‘Participles’. Try to understand their functions and usage in a sentence. Thereafter, choose the correct option.