This is the second of four High English Grammar quizzes looking at non-finites. Non-finites are verbs that don’t depend on the person, number or the tense while finite verbs do depend on the person, number or the tense in a sentence. In this quiz we study more specifically the non-finites represented by verbs ending with 'ing' - present participles and gerunds, two important parts of English grammar.
Consider the sentence ‘A rolling stone gathers no moss.’ From the sentence we gather that a stone is described as rolling. We could describe the stone with other adjectives such as rough, smooth or round. In the sentence given in the example we understand that 'rolling' is treated as an adjective and describes the stone. 'Rolling' is formed from the verb ‘roll’ by adding ‘ing’ to its ending. Verbs such as roll + ing (rolling) are called present participles.
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Present participles function like adjectives in sentences. Usually they describe unfinished actions. Present participles can be used with all the tenses in a sentence. Remember, in one of our earlier quizzes we had talked about ‘ing’ forms of verbs used with auxiliaries such as 'am,' 'are,' 'is,' 'was,' 'were,' 'be' and 'been' in sentences, and these were also called present participles. In the sentence, ‘He is seeing his father,’ ‘seeing’ is a present participle (see + ing).
We have another form of verb ending with 'ing', which is also a non-finite known as the gerund. For instance, in the sentence ‘he is confident of passing the test’ the word ‘passing’ is known as a gerund and in this sentence it functions as a noun. Though the gerund and the present participle use the same verb with 'ing' as its ending, the main difference is that the present participle functions as an adjective and the gerund functions as a noun. Gerunds can also be used to form compound nouns such as 'drinking-water' and 'sleeping-bag'.
Knowing the differences between a gerund and present participle helps in better understanding of English grammar and hence better communication. The quiz that follows takes you through gerunds and present participles.
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1.
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"Joseph and his wife saw their friend sitting on the compound wall."
Choose the present participle and the noun it describes in the sentence from the following. |
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| [ ] |
sitting, friend |
| [ ] |
sitting, Joseph |
| [ ] |
sitting, wife |
| [ ] |
sitting, compound wall |
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2.
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"Hearing the loud admonition of the teacher, the headmaster rushed in to the classroom."
Choose the present participle and the noun it describes in the sentence from the following. |
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| [ ] |
hearing, headmaster |
| [ ] |
hearing, class room |
| [ ] |
hearing, teacher |
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All of the above are wrong |
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3.
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"The boy started to cry, fearing that he would be expelled from the school by the headmistress on the complaint of the teacher."
Choose the present participle and the noun it describes in the sentence from the following. |
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| [ ] |
fearing, headmistress |
| [ ] |
fearing, boy |
| [ ] |
fearing, teacher |
| [ ] |
fearing, school |
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4.
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"Assessing the situation very quickly in the room, the principal asked the student to follow him to his office."
Choose the present participle and the noun it describes in the sentence from the following. |
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assessing, student |
| [ ] |
assessing, room |
| [ ] |
assessing, principal |
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assessing, office |
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5.
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Choose the sentence with the correct verb + ing from the following. |
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The doctor is imploring Sagarika not to use ghee to prepare meals. |
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The doctor is telling Sagarika not to use ghee to prepare meals. |
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The doctor is advising Sagarika not to use ghee to prepare meals. |
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The doctor advised Sagarika to avoid using ghee to prepare meals. |
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6.
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Choose the sentence with the correct verb + ing from the following. |
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They went around meeting all the neighbours in their colony, to canvass for the art classes. |
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They are going around to meet all the neighbours in their colony, to canvass for the art classes. |
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They are canvassing in the colony to meet all the neighbours to join the art classes. |
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They are trying to meet all the neighbours in their colony, to canvass for the art classes. |
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7.
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"We all make mistakes. It is human."
Choose the variation of the sentences that has used the correct verb + ing form from the following. |
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Make mistaking is human. |
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It is human to make mistakes. |
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Making mistakes is human. |
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It is humanising to make mistakes. |
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8.
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"Manav tells lies. It has made him unpopular."
Choose the variation of the sentences that has used the correct verb + ing form from the following. |
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Manav is unpopular as he tell lies. |
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Telling lies has made Manav unpopular. |
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Unpopular Manav tells lies. |
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Manav is telling lies and he is unpopular. |
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9.
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"They must commend other participants' achievements. It promotes camaraderie."
Choose the variation of the sentences that has used the correct verb + ing form from the following. |
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To promote camaraderie is to commend achievement of participants. |
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To commend other participants' achievements is to promote camaraderie. |
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To commend other achieving participants is to promote camaraderie. |
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Commending other participants' achievements promotes camaraderie. |
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10.
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"Our roommates committed a lot of nuisance. They apologised."
Choose the variation of the sentences that has used the correct verb + ing form from the following. |
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Our roommates apologised for committing a lot of nuisance. |
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Our roommates apologised as they committed a lot of nuisance. |
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Since they committed a lot of nuisance our roommates apologised. |
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Our roommates committed a lot of nuisance, and they apologised. |
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1.
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"Joseph and his wife saw their friend sitting on the compound wall."
Choose the present participle and the noun it describes in the sentence from the following. |
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| [x] |
sitting, friend |
| [ ] |
sitting, Joseph |
| [ ] |
sitting, wife |
| [ ] |
sitting, compound wall |
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2.
|
"Hearing the loud admonition of the teacher, the headmaster rushed in to the classroom."
Choose the present participle and the noun it describes in the sentence from the following. |
|
| [x] |
hearing, headmaster |
| [ ] |
hearing, class room |
| [ ] |
hearing, teacher |
| [ ] |
All of the above are wrong |
|
|
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3.
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"The boy started to cry, fearing that he would be expelled from the school by the headmistress on the complaint of the teacher."
Choose the present participle and the noun it describes in the sentence from the following. |
|
| [ ] |
fearing, headmistress |
| [x] |
fearing, boy |
| [ ] |
fearing, teacher |
| [ ] |
fearing, school |
|
|
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4.
|
"Assessing the situation very quickly in the room, the principal asked the student to follow him to his office."
Choose the present participle and the noun it describes in the sentence from the following. |
|
| [ ] |
assessing, student |
| [ ] |
assessing, room |
| [x] |
assessing, principal |
| [ ] |
assessing, office |
|
|
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5.
|
Choose the sentence with the correct verb + ing from the following. |
|
| [ ] |
The doctor is imploring Sagarika not to use ghee to prepare meals. |
| [ ] |
The doctor is telling Sagarika not to use ghee to prepare meals. |
| [ ] |
The doctor is advising Sagarika not to use ghee to prepare meals. |
| [x] |
The doctor advised Sagarika to avoid using ghee to prepare meals. |
|
|
|
6.
|
Choose the sentence with the correct verb + ing from the following. |
|
| [x] |
They went around meeting all the neighbours in their colony, to canvass for the art classes. |
| [ ] |
They are going around to meet all the neighbours in their colony, to canvass for the art classes. |
| [ ] |
They are canvassing in the colony to meet all the neighbours to join the art classes. |
| [ ] |
They are trying to meet all the neighbours in their colony, to canvass for the art classes. |
|
|
|
7.
|
"We all make mistakes. It is human."
Choose the variation of the sentences that has used the correct verb + ing form from the following. |
|
| [ ] |
Make mistaking is human. |
| [ ] |
It is human to make mistakes. |
| [x] |
Making mistakes is human. |
| [ ] |
It is humanising to make mistakes. |
|
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|
8.
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"Manav tells lies. It has made him unpopular."
Choose the variation of the sentences that has used the correct verb + ing form from the following. |
|
| [ ] |
Manav is unpopular as he tell lies. |
| [x] |
Telling lies has made Manav unpopular. |
| [ ] |
Unpopular Manav tells lies. |
| [ ] |
Manav is telling lies and he is unpopular. |
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|
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9.
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"They must commend other participants' achievements. It promotes camaraderie."
Choose the variation of the sentences that has used the correct verb + ing form from the following. |
|
| [ ] |
To promote camaraderie is to commend achievement of participants. |
| [ ] |
To commend other participants' achievements is to promote camaraderie. |
| [ ] |
To commend other achieving participants is to promote camaraderie. |
| [x] |
Commending other participants' achievements promotes camaraderie. |
|
|
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10.
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"Our roommates committed a lot of nuisance. They apologised."
Choose the variation of the sentences that has used the correct verb + ing form from the following. |
|
| [x] |
Our roommates apologised for committing a lot of nuisance. |
| [ ] |
Our roommates apologised as they committed a lot of nuisance. |
| [ ] |
Since they committed a lot of nuisance our roommates apologised. |
| [ ] |
Our roommates committed a lot of nuisance, and they apologised. |
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