Distinguishing Gerunds from Participles

Directions:

Identify the underlined words in the sentences below as gerunds or participles by using the following code:

            G   gerund                         P      participle

Example:

_P_      A tilting floor might be a sign that a building has a serious structural problem.

_____ 1. Lawrence keeps his brother awake by snoring all night.

_____ 2. The sequoias of central California are the largest living things on earth.

_____ 3. A cooking fire should be made in a safe place, such as on a flat rock.

_____ 4. Diving should be forbidden in above-ground pools, which are only about four feet deep.

_____ 5. Leaving the starting line of a drag race too soon is caller red-lighting.

_____ 6. Our videotape on burglar-proofing our home was stolen, along with our video recorder and television set.

_____ 7. At the aquarium Katie likes watching the whale shark.

_____ 8. Thanks for the tips on negotiating a better salary.

_____ 9. A pontoon bridge rests on floating piers.

_____ 10. “Madam, I’m Adam” is a palindrome, a sentence reading the same forward and backward.

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