Question

Complete the sentences with gerund1. (learn) a foreign language opens everybody up to (learn) about another culture2. you won'tfeel comfortable in a foreign country without (speak) a foreign language

Answer 1

1. Learning a foreign language opens everybody up to learn about another culture.
2. You won't feel comfortable in a foreign country without speaking a foreign language. 

Answer 2

Gerunds in Sentences

Gerunds are verb forms that act as nouns, ending in "-ing". They are used to talk about actions or activities and can be the subject or object of a sentence. Let's complete the sentences you provided with gerunds:

1. (Learning) a foreign language opens everybody up to (learning) about another culture. 2. (Speaking) a foreign language is essential if you want to feel comfortable in a foreign country.

Let's break down each sentence and explain the role of the gerund:

1. (Learning) a foreign language opens everybody up to (learning) about another culture. - In this sentence, the first gerund "learning" acts as the subject of the verb "opens." It represents the action of acquiring knowledge or skills in a foreign language. This gerund emphasizes the process of gaining knowledge. - The second gerund "learning" acts as the object of the preposition "to." It represents the action of gaining knowledge or understanding about another culture. This gerund emphasizes the result or outcome of gaining knowledge.

2. (Speaking) a foreign language is essential if you want to feel comfortable in a foreign country. - The gerund "speaking" acts as the object of the preposition "without." It represents the action of using a foreign language to communicate. This gerund emphasizes the necessity or requirement of speaking a foreign language in order to feel comfortable in a foreign country.

Using gerunds in these sentences helps convey the idea of ongoing actions or activities related to learning and speaking a foreign language. Gerunds allow us to treat the actions as nouns, making them the subject or object of the sentence.

Note: It's important to remember that gerunds are verb forms acting as nouns, while present participles are verb forms acting as adjectives or parts of progressive verb tenses.