Which sentence contains a gerund?
A: Playing baseball with his friends, Noah decided he needed a new bat and glove.
B: Some baseball teams are successful because they acquire players reaching for their highest potential.
C: A pastime of people who appreciate summer is watching little league baseball games in their hometown parks.
D: The number one leader in runs scored for his team is batting first in today’s game
Why is the correct answer C? Why is the correct answer not A? I am confused. Thank you.
The correct answer is C: "A pastime of people who appreciate summer is watching little league baseball games in their hometown parks."
A gerund is a verb form that functions as a noun and ends in -ing. In this sentence, "watching" is a gerund because it functions as the subject of the sentence. It is a noun form of the verb "watch."
The sentence A: "Playing baseball with his friends, Noah decided he needed a new bat and glove" does not contain a gerund. "Playing" in this sentence is a present participle that is part of a participial phrase modifying Noah. It is not functioning as a noun.
In summary, sentence C contains a gerund because "watching" is a noun form of the verb, while sentence A does not contain a gerund.