Which phrase begins with a gerund and acts as a noun?

• A. Gerund phrase
• B. Infinitive phrase
• C. Participial phrase
• D. Absolute phrase

Answer: (A)

A gerund phrase begins with a gerund (a verb form ending in -ing that functions as a noun) and includes any complements or modifiers. Because it starts with a gerund, it acts like a noun within the sentence—as a subject, an object, or a complement. For example, in a sentence like "Running every day improves health," the whole phrase "Running every day" is the subject and acts as a noun.

Infinitive phrases start with to plus a verb (to swim, to run) and can also act as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs, but they don’t begin with a gerund. Participial phrases begin with a participle (often ending in -ing or -ed) and function as adjectives describing a noun, not as nouns themselves. Absolute phrases feature a noun plus a participle (and other modifiers) and work to provide context for the whole sentence, not to function as a standalone noun.

So the phrase that begins with a gerund and acts as a noun is the gerund phrase.