Question

Identify the participle phrase in the following sentence:
The water drained slowly in the pipe clogged with dog hair.
A. Drained slowly
B. Clogged with dog hair
C. In the pipe
D. In the pipe clogged

Answer 1

Hint: A participle is a verb that can also be used as an adjective. A participle phrase is a phrase, part of the sentence that has a participle in it.

Complete step by step answer:
Option A – This option means that the water drained slowly. The verb here is ‘drained’ and it is not acting as an adjective; hence this is not the right option.
Option B – This option talks about the pipe that is clogged because of dog hair. The verb ‘clogged’ here is used to describe how the drain is slowing the water from draining; hence this is the right option.
Option C – This option just talks about what is in the pipe, there is no participle in this phrase; hence this is not the right option.
Option D – This option does not hold a meaning in itself, it is just a combination of a few words. There is also no adjective or a participle in this option; hence this is not the right option.

Thus, the correct option is (B)

Note:
To identify a participle phrase, it is helpful to check for verbs that also work as adjectives in the given context to arrive at an answer. The verbs may be confusing as sometimes they act as nouns, which are also known as gerunds.