Question

which sentence contains a verbal phrase acting as a modifier?
passing my driving test on the first attempt would be the highlight of my day.
giving a presentation in front of my class, i suddenly developed severe stage fright.
the water saturated the ground, which made it impossible to plant the garden.
dante tolerated his brothers annoying habits during homework time but later studied alone in his room.

Explanation:

To determine which sentence has a verbal phrase as a modifier, we analyze each option:

• First option: "Passing my driving test..." is a gerund phrase acting as the subject, not a modifier.
• Second option: "Giving a presentation in front of my class" is a participial phrase (verbal phrase) that modifies the subject "I" by providing context about when the stage fright occurred.
• Third option: "to plant the garden" is an infinitive phrase acting as a complement, not a modifier.
• Fourth option: No verbal phrase acting as a modifier; it has a participial adjective "annoying" but not a verbal phrase as a modifier.

Answer:

B. Giving a presentation in front of my class, I suddenly developed severe stage fright.