ABC...

[Shann]

Some examples aren't gerunds. Remember a gerund always has an ING ending, but isn't used as a verb, but instead should be a noun. If you need to double check, try switching it with a known noun. For example: Ann's golfing is improving could be switched to Ann's game is improving. If you do get it wrong and use it as a verb, it's no biggie. I just thought this would be a fun way to highlight a part of speech. By adding an example, it helps others see oh that is a noun! Again, the only thing that really matters is that you have fun both posting and reading other posts. Don't worry if you get it wrong, just dive right in (but don't dive deep in shallow waters! Teehee!), but mainly it's just meant as a way to guide one another, have fun, interact, and if you're learning something about your writing, it's a huge bonus!
Just to show how those words could be gerunds, a quick tweak fixes them all:

The eating consisted of Mexican dishes. (Replacement noun could be dinner.)
The farting gagged the audience. (Replacement noun for farting could be fumes.) (Since farting didn't have a sentence, there was no way to tell, but I just wanted to clarify in hopes of keeping the fun going.)
My inspecting showed I had nail fungus. (Replacement noun for inspecting could be scrutiny.)

It's a challenging challenge so don't feel bad or give up if you don't nail it. Just have fun. I also showed another noun so you can see how to test it, and please keep posting. It's a great tool and a nice way to connect with one another!

And J is jailing: (Ben's jailing made Sarah cry.) <sub jailing with imprisonment>

[deejay]

Kissing frogs is disgusting.

[itsjoanne]

Layering (Layering bricks is a lot of work)

[deejay]

Mowing the lawn takes time.

[itsjoanne]

Noticing (Noticing the color of her eyes, I was certain she was wearing colored contacts)

[deejay]

Opening a bottle or jar is hard for someone my age.

[Shann]

Quickening
The quickening of her heartbeat eurprised her. (Change to speed)

[itsjoanne]

Looks like someone skipped P

Panhandling (Panhandling is illegal in some places)

[deejay]

Wasn't me this time
Querying makes sense when marketing your writing.

[itsjoanne]

Roasting (Roasting turkey makes the house smell good)

[Shann]

I was so caught up in coming up with a Q!

Shifting. The shifting of the earth caused a sinkhole.

[deejay]

Talking to your loved ones on the phone is the next best thing to being there.

[itsjoanne]

Understanding (Understanding the lesson makes it easier to do well on the test)

[deejay]

Vacating the premises in the event of a gas leak is always a good idea.

[itsjoanne]

Winning (Winning is my favorite part of playing games )