Which phrase includes the participle, its modifier, and its objects? Example: The child, FLASHING A MISCHIEVOUS SMILE, turned and walked away.

Which phrase includes the participle, its modifier, and its objects? Example: The child, FLASHING A MISCHIEVOUS SMILE, turned and walked away.

• A. Participle Phrase
• B. Appositive
• C. Gerund Phrase
• D. Independent Clause

Answer: (A)

A participle phrase uses a participle as an adjective along with any modifiers and objects it takes. In the example, the group FLASHING A MISCHIEVOUS SMILE includes the participle flashing, the modifier a mischievous, and the object smile. This whole unit describes the child and adds extra information to the sentence, and it’s set off by commas as a nonessential descriptor. That’s why this is the correct choice: it shows the participle, its modifier, and its objects all together as a single phrase that functions to describe the noun. The other options don’t fit because an appositive would rename the noun (not a participle phrase), a gerund phrase would act as a noun, and an independent clause would be able to stand alone with its own subject and verb.

A participle phrase uses a participle as an adjective along with any modifiers and objects it takes. In the example, the group FLASHING A MISCHIEVOUS SMILE includes the participle flashing, the modifier a mischievous, and the object smile. This whole unit describes the child and adds extra information to the sentence, and it’s set off by commas as a nonessential descriptor. That’s why this is the correct choice: it shows the participle, its modifier, and its objects all together as a single phrase that functions to describe the noun. The other options don’t fit because an appositive would rename the noun (not a participle phrase), a gerund phrase would act as a noun, and an independent clause would be able to stand alone with its own subject and verb.