Question

Alaskan brown bears are known to be fierce and protective parents. Encountering a bear and its cub could be dangerous, and hikers should be particularly cautious.

Which phrase is a gerund phrase?

Alaskan brown bears
and protective parents
encountering a bear
particularly cautious

Answer 1

C. encountering a bear

Answer 2

The answer is: encountering a bear

A gerund is a noun made out of a verb and the suffix -ing. It can act as a noun, so it usually functions as a subject, predicate nominative or direct object.

In the example sentence, the phrase "encountering a bear" plus "and its cub" behave as the subject of the sentence.