Baking is a major project for the holidays.

Is the verbal baking?
Is this a gerund or a participle and why?

Baking in the oven, the bread smelled delicious.

Is the verbal baking in the oven?
Is this a gerund or a participle and why?

They are verbals. In the second sentence, "baking in the oven" is a phrase. The verbal is "baking."

Gerunds act as nouns. Participles act as adjectives. Which kind of verbal is "baking?"

In the first sentence I think it is a noun but in the second sentence I think it is an adjective? Is that correct?

Right.

:-)

What about this one.

Seeing the old slides remind reminded me of the good times we had.

The verbal is seeing and it is a gerund?

helppppp

To determine whether "baking" in these sentences is a gerund or a participle, let's first understand their definitions:

1. Gerund: a verb form that ends in -ing and functions as a noun.
2. Participle: a verb form that ends in -ing or -ed and functions as an adjective or part of a verb phrase.

Now let's analyze the sentences:

1. "Baking is a major project for the holidays."

In this sentence, "baking" is the subject of the sentence and acts as a noun, indicating a general activity. Therefore, "baking" is a gerund.

2. "Baking in the oven, the bread smelled delicious."

In this sentence, "baking in the oven" is a clause that modifies the subject "bread." Here, "baking" is not acting as a noun but rather as a descriptive action related to the bread. Since it is functioning as an adjective, "baking" in this sentence is a participial phrase.

In summary:
- "Baking" in the first sentence is a gerund because it functions as a noun.
- "Baking" in the second sentence is a participle because it functions as an adjective modifying the subject.