Select the gerund phrase in the sentence below. Then, determine the noun function of the gerund.
Brett earns his income by repairing cars.
I'll be glad to check your answer.
repairing cars
direct object
Repairing cars is the gerund phrase.
However, it's not the direct object. It's the object of the preposition, "by."
Direct objects answer the question WHAT or WHOM after the verb.
In this sentence, "income" is the direct object of the verb, "earns."
ok thank you . i have difficulty with being able to tell the difference between the noun functions.
You're welcome.
To find the gerund phrase in the sentence "Brett earns his income by repairing cars" and determine its noun function, follow these steps:
1. Identify the gerund: A gerund is a verb form that ends in "-ing" and functions as a noun. In this sentence, the gerund is "repairing."
2. Identify the gerund phrase: A gerund phrase consists of the gerund and any associated modifiers or objects. In this sentence, the gerund phrase is "by repairing cars."
3. Determine the noun function of the gerund phrase: In this case, the gerund phrase functions as a prepositional phrase, and the noun function is the object of the preposition. The noun function of "by repairing cars" is "cars," which is the object of the preposition "by."