Which verbal is a verb form ending in -ing that functions as a noun?
a. infinitive
b. past participle
c. present participle
d. gerund

Stick with your gut felling . But According to my knowledge I would say that the answer would be ( D the gerund ) I hoped that this helped. Enjoy :) 

Refute it, showing why it is mistaken—an apparent but not real problem; acknowledge its validity or plausibility, but suggest why on balance it's relatively less important or less likely than what you propose, and thus doesn't overturn it; concede its force and complicate your idea accordingly—restate your thesis in a more exact, qualified, or nuanced way that takes account of the objection, or start a new section in which you consider your topic in light of it. this will work if the counterargument concerns only an aspect of your argument; if it undermines your whole case, you need a new thesis.

The answer might be a hope