Gerunds or Participles
Asking questions is a whole lot easier than answering them.
Asking - gerund, subject of is; answering - gerund
I was surprised at John's being absent.
Being - gerund, object of the participle at
The motorcyclist was fatally injured in the accident and is now fighting for his life.
Fighting - participle, qualifying the noun motorcyclist.
Hearing a loud noise, we ran to the window.
Hearing - participle, qualifying the pronoun we
Jumping over the fence, the thief escaped.
Jumping - participle, qualifying the noun thief
We spent the whole day playing cards.
Playing - gerund, complement of the noun whole day
Plucking flowers is forbidden.
Plucking - gerund; subject of the verb is
Praising all alike is praising none.
Praising - gerund, subject of the verb is; praising - gerund, complement of the verb is
Singing to herself is her chief delight.
Singing - gerund, subject of the verb is
Are you afraid of speaking the truth?
Speaking - gerund, object of the preposition of
A miser hates spending his money.
Spending - gerund, object of the verb hates
We saw a clown standing on his head.
Standing - participle, qualifying the noun clown
John was angry at Alice trying to lie to her.
Trying - gerund, object of the preposition at
He ruined his sight by watching TV all day.
Watching - gerund, object of the preposition by
Waving their hands, the audience cheered the winner.
Waving - participle, qualifying the noun audience