Question

PLEASE HELP.........

How is the -ing form used in the following sentence?

To get in shape for that marathon, Shelby started running around the block a few times each morning.

participial phrase as an adjective
participial phrase as a noun
participle as an adjective
participle as a noun
gerund phrase as a subject
gerund phrase as a predicate noun
gerund phrase as direct object
none of these​

Answer 1

gerund phrase as a subject

Step-by-step explanation:

A gerund phrase is a phrase consisting of a gerund and any modifiers or objects associated with it. A gerund is a noun made from a verb root plus ing (a present participle). A whole gerund phrase functions in a sentence just like a noun, and can act as a subject, an object, or a predicate nominative.