The underlined word in the sentence is a:
Noticing smoke from the neighbour’s kitchen window, Rahul called the fire brigade at once.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Present participle
“Noticing smoke from the neighbour’s kitchen window” tells us about Rahul. Rahul noticed the smoke, and then he called.
| Option | Form and use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| (1) Gerund | an -ing word used as a noun, as the subject or object of a verb. “Noticing” is not the subject or object of “called” | Knitting keeps my aunt busy in winter. |
| (2) Present participle (answer) | the -ing form of a verb; a phrase that begins with it can open a sentence and tell us about the subject that comes next | Hearing the bell, the children ran to their classes. |
| (3) Finite verb | has a subject and shows the tense. The finite verb here is “called”. “Noticing” shows no tense by itself | Rahul noticed the smoke. |
| (4) Infinitive | “to” + the base form of a verb (to notice, to call). “Noticing” is an -ing form, with no “to” | Rahul wanted to call the fire brigade. |