Question

read the sentence.
after the thunderstorm, the sky was bright, and the open barrels were brimming with rainwater.
what type of phrase is the underlined phrase?
○ a gerund phrase
○ an infinitive phrase
○ a participial phrase
○ a prepositional phrase

Explanation:

1. Analyze each option:

• A gerund phrase starts with a gerund (verb + -ing as a noun), but "brimming with rainwater" is not acting as a noun.
• An infinitive phrase starts with "to + verb", which is not the case here.
• A participial phrase has a participle (verb -ing or -ed form) acting as an adjective, but "brimming with rainwater" is part of the verb phrase "were brimming", so it's not a participial phrase.
• A prepositional phrase starts with a preposition. Wait, no, the underlined phrase is "brimming with rainwater"? Wait, no, maybe I misread. Wait, the underlined phrase is "brimming with rainwater"? No, wait, the sentence is "the open barrels were brimming with rainwater". Wait, maybe the underlined phrase is "with rainwater"? Wait, the original question: the underlined phrase is "brimming with rainwater"? No, let's re - examine. Wait, the options: prepositional phrase starts with a preposition (like "with", "in", "on" etc.). Wait, "with rainwater" is a prepositional phrase? Wait, no, the underlined phrase is "brimming with rainwater"? Wait, no, maybe the underlined part is "with rainwater". Wait, let's re - analyze the options. Wait, "brimming" is a present participle, but "brimming with rainwater" is part of the verb phrase (past continuous: were + brimming). Wait, no, maybe the underlined phrase is "with rainwater", which is a prepositional phrase (preposition "with" + object "rainwater"). But wait, the options include "a prepositional phrase". Wait, maybe I made a mistake earlier. Let's go through each option again:

• Gerund phrase: A gerund is a verb - ing form used as a noun. "Brimming" here is not a noun, so not a gerund phrase.
• Infinitive phrase: Starts with "to + verb", not present here.
• Participial phrase: A participle (verb - ing or - ed) used as an adjective. "Brimming with rainwater" is part of the verb phrase (were brimming), so it's not acting as an adjective, so not a participial phrase.
• Prepositional phrase: A prepositional phrase consists of a preposition and its object. "With" is a preposition, and "rainwater" is its object. So "with rainwater" (if that's the underlined part) or if the underlined part is "brimming with rainwater", but no, "brimming" is a verb - ing form in the verb phrase. Wait, maybe the underlined phrase is "with rainwater", which is a prepositional phrase. So the correct answer is "a prepositional phrase".

Answer:

D. a prepositional phrase (assuming the options are labeled A - D as: A. a gerund phrase, B. an infinitive phrase, C. a participial phrase, D. a prepositional phrase)