Question

Identify the gerund phrase and its noun use. The little boy left home without telling his mother. Gerund phrase: Noun use:

Answer 1

A gerund phrase is a group of words that uses verbs and modifiers, but functions as a noun or the direct object in the sentence. In the sentence, The little boy left home without telling his mother, the gerund phrase is "without telling his mother" and its noun use is the direct object of the verb left.

Answer 2

Answer: Gerund phrase: telling his mother. Noun use: object of the preposition.

Explanation: a gerund is a verb form which functions as a noun (as a subject, direct object, indirect object, object of a preposition, etc), in English they end in "-ing." In the given sentence we can see an example of a gerund phrase in the words "telling his mother" ("telling" is the gerund and "his mother" is a complement), this gerund phrase is acting as the object of the preposition "without" which is place just before it.