Is the verbal Skydiving an infinitive, participle, or gerund?
Skydiving can be very exhilarating!
participle
gerund
infinitive
not a verbal
Would this be a participle? Because it ends in ing
Not a participle. In this sentence, skydiving is a noun.
gerund?
Yes, it's a gerund.
To determine whether "skydiving" is an infinitive, participle, or gerund, we need to understand the function it serves in the sentence.
A participle is a verb form that is used as an adjective and typically ends in -ing (present participle) or -ed (past participle). It describes a noun or pronoun.
A gerund is a verb form that functions as a noun and ends in -ing. It can be the subject or object of a sentence, and it can also be used after prepositions.
An infinitive is the base form of a verb preceded by the word "to." It can serve as a noun, adjective, or adverb.
In the sentence "Skydiving can be very exhilarating!" the word "skydiving" functions as a noun, serving as the subject of the sentence. Therefore, it is a gerund.
So, the correct answer is gerund.