Answer:
A gerund that comes after an action verb is being used as A. direct object.
Explanation:
Let's use examples to better visualize the difference:
<u>1. She enjoys dancing.</u>
2. Her favorite thing is dancing.
<u>In sentence 1, the gerund "dancing" follows the action verb "enjoys". Here, what we have is a direct object. The gerund completes the action described by the verb, answering the question "what". What does she enjoy? Dancing. Thus, "dancing" receives the action of being enjoyed.</u>
In sentence 2, on the other hand, the gerund "dancing" follows a linking verb, "is". Linking verbs do not express an action. Their purpose is to connect the subject to its predicate. In this case, the gerund is not a direct object. It is a predicate nominative, and it modifies the subject.
