Question

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word.

Ernest Hemingway was fond of ____ books.

• A. read
• B. to read
• C. reading
• D. be read
• E. to be read

Answer 1

Answer: (C)

reading

Gerunds are words that are formed with verbs but act as nouns. Gerunds also at times are seen to end in 'ing'. In this particular sentence, the word in the blank acts a noun thus becoming the subject of the sentence and also like a verb by taking up the object. This means that in the blank, we would need a gerund.

Option A and B: Read is in the present tense. Both of them don't behave as a noun.

Option C: Reading is a gerund as it behaves as a noun in the sentence

Option D and E: Are in the past tense and it does not act as a noun.

Option C is correct