Identify the choice that best describes the underlined verb.
Bowling is the top participation sport in the U.S. today, with 53 million players.
a. Gerund
b. Present participle
c. Participial phrase
d. Infinitive
The underlined verb is bowling.
Bowling is a gerund, used as the subject of the sentence.
Thank you Ms. Sue :)
You're very welcome.
To identify the choice that best describes the underlined verb, we need to understand the different types of verbs and their forms.
a. Gerund: A gerund is a verb form ending in -ing that functions as a noun. In this case, "bowling" is not functioning as a noun but as the main verb of the sentence. So, it is not a gerund.
b. Present participle: A present participle is a verb form ending in -ing that functions as an adjective or part of a verb tense. In this sentence, "bowling" is the main verb and is not acting as an adjective or part of a verb tense. So, it is not a present participle.
c. Participial phrase: A participial phrase consists of a present or past participle and any modifiers or complements. In this sentence, "bowling" is not part of a phrase; it is the main verb. So, it is not a participial phrase.
d. Infinitive: An infinitive is the base form of a verb, usually preceded by "to." In this sentence, "bowling" does not include the word "to" before it, so it is not an infinitive.
Therefore, the correct answer is none of the above. The underlined verb "bowling" is simply a present participle that functions as the main verb of the sentence.