Question

Fill in the blank with the most appropriate word.

_____ ill, my father could not attend his old friends funeral.

• A. To be
• B. Being
• C. For being
• D. To have been

Answer 1

The correct option is B Being

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: Be is in the present tense. It is the wrong option

Option B: Being is a gerund as it plays a dual role

Option C: It becomes the present participle of be

Option D: Been is the past participle of be. It is the wrong option

Option B is correct