Why we use the gerund and not the noun?

English as a Second Language English Teacher Explanations (ESL Tests)
1

Test No. [color=blue]incompl/elem-27 “Sailing”, question 7

But not in …, eh?

(a) practices
(b) practice
(c) practical
(d) practicing

Test No. [color=blue]incompl/elem-27 “Sailing”, answer 7

But not in practicing, eh?

Correct answer: (d) practicing

Your answer was: [color=red]incorrect
But not in practice, eh?
[size=200]_________________________[/size]

Why we use the gerund and not the noun???

Thanks

2

Yes, you’re quite right. It should be in practice. Thank you for pointing this out -we’ll get it corrected.

3

Dear Alan, you forgot to change practicing to practice in the correct sentence.

4

Hi Ella,

Many thanks for reminding us - it’ll be amended with the next update.
Regards
Torsten[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEIC listening, photographs: A submarine[YSaerTTEW443543]

5

i got it wrong with the answer “practice”???

6

Hello Kathryn,

“Practice” is correct; perhaps the test has not yet been amended.

Also, a comma is missing after “me”, in the first question:

“… me what did you do at the weekend?”

Best wishes,

MrP

7

Dear Sir,
It’s hard for me to accept the practice instead of practical.I still don’t understand,I’d like more explanation, thank you.
Best regards
Omario.

8

me too wanna know why it is not practical?
always after the “in” , the noun comes?practical is adverb
practical experience and the like right?
in practice is the correct…
but teachers , please make it more clear for me

9

dear teachers,
you forgot to change “practicing” to " practice" in the audio answer.

10

Dear Torsten,
I can not understand why can not we use ‘practicing’ instead of ‘practice’ ? Would you please to explain it for me?
In advance thanks a lot.
Mitra

11

HI dear Torsten,
I can’t understand why we use ‘practice’ instead of ‘practicing’ ? Would you please explaining it for me?
Thanks.
Narges.

12

Here, it is because of the preceding ‘in’ which joins with practice to form a phrase with a specific meaning:

‘In practice’ means ‘in fact’ or ‘in reality’ or ‘in actuality’.

13

Hi N.jafari,

‘In practice’ is a set expression and is the opposite in meaning to another set phrase ‘in theory’.

If you wanted to use the verb ‘practise’ after ‘in’ and make it into a gerund, you could say: In practising what she told us to do, we all became better students.

Alan

14

why not the answer is “practical” ?

15

Hi Manjubala,

Welcome to the forums.

Please read Alan’s answer in post #13. The set expression is ‘in practice’, which means ‘in reality’.

‘Practical’ is an adjective so would not work in this sentence.
(‘Practical’ as a noun is only used in informal English to describe a lesson or an exam in which students have to do or make things.

16

after ‘in’ have to add ‘-ing’. so, practicing is right I think.