What type of verb is 'using' and why ?
a) infinitive
b) gerund
c) participle
d) linking
Answers
Answer:
Words are divided into different categories depending on their use and function. These categories are what we like to call the parts of speech. There are eight parts of speech in the English language: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections. Today, we’ll actually be talking about gerunds, participles, and infinitives. Now, you’re probably wondering how those are related to the parts of speech, right? Well, for the sake of understanding these concepts, just think of those three as various ways in which the different parts of speech can be used. In other words, the main parts of speech are your tools, and our three topics for today are the projects you need the tools for.
Gerund
A gerund is a word that is created with a verb but functions as a noun, always ending in -ing. Being used as a noun, a gerund can function as a subject, a subject complement, a direct object, an indirect object, or an object of a preposition. It’s important to note that though gerunds may look a lot like present participles, they are not the same thing. Gerunds are specifically placed in the noun position of a sentence whereas present participles are placed with the verb phrase, usually as modifiers.
Gerund Examples
Here is an example of a gerund in the subject position:
Brushing your hair prevents it from tangling.
In this sentence, the word brushing is the gerund functioning as the subject of the sentence. If a gerund were to be the complement of a subject in a sentence, it would look like this:
Her number one priority is working.
Working is functioning as a complement to the subject, priority.
Gerunds can also function as the object of a sentence. Here’s an example where the gerund is the object of a preposition:
“There is no use in standing in line for three hours,” grandma said.
In this sentence, standing follows the preposition in, making it the object of the preposition.
Participle
Very similar to gerunds are participles. Participles are words created from verbs that are then used as adjectives to modify nouns in a sentence. They can also be used as introductions to adverbial phrases. There are present and past participles. Present participles always end in -ing and correlate to events taking place in the current tense.