what is the diff between gerund and participle.
identify given below is gerund or participle.
hearing a loud noise, they ran to the window.
the stuntmaninjured in the accident is now fighting for his life.

A gerund functions as a noun. It is a noun made from a verb by adding '-ing'.
But, present participles also end in '-ing'.
we must look at the usage to know if it is a gerund or a participle.
A gerund is a verbal noun, a participle is a verbal adjective.

Hearing a loud noise, they ran to the window.-participle
The stunt man injured in the accident is now fighting for his life.-participle