Created by Megan Gilbert
20 questions
6th Grade
Math
Updated Oct 2026
Gerund or Verb is a Grade 6 English grammar worksheet that helps students distinguish gerunds from verbs in context. Across 20 multiple-choice questions, students identify that gerunds end in -ing but function as nouns, decide whether an underlined -ing word is a gerund, and locate gerunds in sentences such as “Climbing is not as easy as it looks” and “Jessica really enjoys bothering the neighbors.” The worksheet gives students repeated practice separating gerunds from -ing verbs used in progressive verb phrases, including examples such as “were swimming” and “was sleeping.” It is useful for grammar instruction, guided practice, independent review, or a quick assessment of students’ ability to recognize the grammatical role of an -ing word. This free printable worksheet includes a complete answer key for efficient checking and feedback.
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WorksheetsAnswer Keynouns
-ing
yes
no
no
yes
yes
Acts as a noun
Climbing
Studying
eating
piling
driving
blowing
bothering
eating
changing
verb
yes
no
This Grade 6 English worksheet uses 20 multiple-choice questions to teach students that gerunds end in -ing but act as nouns. Students classify underlined -ing words, find gerunds within sentences, and distinguish noun-function gerunds such as “Swimming” in “Swimming is my favorite sport” from progressive verbs such as “were swimming.”
Introduce the worksheet by modeling the difference between an -ing word functioning as a noun and one completing a verb phrase, using examples such as “Walking is good exercise” and “The boy was sleeping.” Then have students explain what role each selected word plays before completing the multiple-choice items independently, and use the answer key to discuss why the surrounding sentence—not the -ing ending alone—determines whether the word is a gerund.
Students may choose every word ending in -ing as a gerund, overlooking that “were swimming” and “was sleeping” use -ing verbs in progressive verb phrases. They may also identify nearby words instead of the gerund in sentence-level items, so ask them to check whether the -ing word is functioning as a noun, as in “Piling too much laundry” or “Blowing bubbles.”
The worksheet is available as a printable PDF and as a digital quiz on Wayground, so you can assign the 20 multiple-choice questions in the format that fits your lesson. It includes a complete answer key, and printable submissions can be graded by scanning student work with the Wayground for Teachers app. The printable option can also support schools that are reducing screen time.
Use the worksheet’s Advanced Settings to adjust font spacing or choose a larger font size so the sentence-based multiple-choice items are easier to read. You can also apply a dyslexia-friendly font or translate the worksheet into another language when those file-level changes support access to the gerund-versus-verb practice.
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