Answer:
preparing dinner
object of a preposition
Explanation:
In <em>very simple words</em>, gerunds are nouns (that end in -ing). As nouns, they can function as subjects and objects depending on their position in the sentence.
Accident
Africa
brilliant
children
collect
connect
dented
hundred
instruct
liquid
luckily
massive
nodded
object
oddly
shiver
signal
specific
subject
subtract
1. went 2. drove 3. arrived, was 4. asked, had 5. said 6. told 7. walked 8. saw 9. stopped, bought 10. is 11. did not go 12. got 13. did, did 14. loved 15. got, had 16. stayed 17. went 18. had 19. was 20. visited 21. were 22. bought 23. saw 24. ate 25. talked 26. returned 27. thought