Question

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word.

I couldn't help _____ when you fell down.

• A. laughed
• B. to laugh
• C. at laughing
• D. laughing

Answer 1

The correct option is D laughing

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: Laughed is the past tense again. It is the wrong option

Option B: Laugh is in the present tense. It is the wrong option

Option C: Usage of preposition makes this wrong or rather makes it a verb in continuous tense.

Option D: Laughing is a gerund as it behaves as a noun in the sentence

Option D is correct