Question

Which sentence uses a participial phrase as an adjective?.
A. Working hard is the key for being successful in life..
B. The book, torn and ripped nearly to shreds, was now worthless..
C. My friend, who participated in the Olympics, is a talented runner.
D. Lily jumped over the small stream and gracefully landed on the other side

Answer 1

The correct answer should be B. The book, torn and ripped nearly to shreds, was now worthless.

The participial phrase is "torn and ripped nearly to shreds". Although something similar occurs in C, C is actually a clause because it has a verb, unlike B where the verbs are actually adjectives.

Answer 2

The correct answer is B. The book, torn and ripped nearly to shreds, was now worthless.

The phrase torn and ripped nearly to shreds is a participial phrase, and it is functioning as an adjective, describing the noun the book. Participles can be used as either adverbs (when they are describing verbs), or adjectives (when they are describing nouns, which is the case here).

A is incorrect because working hard is a gerund, not participle. C is incorrect because who participated in the Olympics is a clause, not participle. D is incorrect because there isn't even a participle there.