In what way do gerunds differ from present participles?
Answer:
A gerund is a form of a verb used as a noun. A participle is a form of verb used as an adjective or as a verb in conjunction with an auxiliary verb.
Step-by-step explanation:
"Crying won't help you." Crying is a gerund because it is used as a noun. (the subject)
"I'll do my crying in the rain." Crying is a gerund because it is used as a noun. (the direct object)
"I saw a crying child." Crying is a present participle because it is used as an adjective.
"The old man was crying like a child." Crying is a present participle because it is used as a verb in conjunction with an auxiliary verb (was).