Question

Jose wanted to let his dog out for a walk. Opening the gate, Jose let his dog into the yard. After a long afternoon of play and fun, he took him back inside for food.
Looking at the underlined portion below, identify this portion of the sentence:
(Opening the gate), Jose let his dog into the yard.
Question 1 options:

Phrase


Clause


Gerund


Sentence

Answer 1

If "Opening the gate" is underlined, it is a phrase. "Opening" is just a present participle that describes an action happening at the same time with another action (opening happens at the same time as letting the dog). It doesn't function as a noun, so it is not a gerund. It doesn't form a predicate, so it can't be a clause or a sentence either.