Gerunds
I'm taking a short break.
not a gerund
His armor clanking, Don Quixote rode off into the sunset.
absolute phrase:His armor clanking
Smoking is bad for you.
not appositive
My fishing buddy is sick this week.
participle
its
possessive of it
I like to fish on weekends.
not a gerund
After typing up my report, I went home.
not absolute
Don Quixote, the hero of our story, truly believes he is a knight.
appositive
So, I'm not going fishing this week.
not a participle
it's
= it is
I have never been good at cooking.
a gerund
Yesterday, I shot an elephant in my pajamas.
absolute
As she was cradling her baby, the mother ran to the head of the line.
not appositive
I was hungry and burnt toast was all there was to eat.
burnt is a participle
fanboys
for, and, nor, but, or, so, yet
Bicycling is the healthiest way to get to work.
a gerund
Looking for an absolute phrase, the teacher finally came up with one.
absolute
My sister who lives in NY is retired.
not appositive (can't be taken out, not extra info)
My bet laid, I played my hand.
laid is the participle
lay/laid/laid
get, got, gotten
the three forms of the verb 'get'
She was saying smoking wasn't allowed in the dining hall.
smoking is the gerund
A lot of coffee is being grown in Brazil.
not absolute
No fishing allowed, here.
not an appositive
The clogged drain made a flood in the bathroom.
participle
I don't got any money. (Good English or not?)
bad English