1.
Waving his arms wildly, Austin flagged down the safari’s Jeep.
Correct Answer
A. Participle
Explanation
The given correct answer is "participle". In this sentence, "waving his arms wildly" is a participle phrase that modifies the subject "Austin". It describes the action he is performing while flagging down the safari's Jeep. The participle phrase adds more detail and provides additional information about Austin's actions, making it the appropriate answer choice.
2.
Tossing his camera onto the seat, Brian climbed in the Jeep with the rest of the class.
Correct Answer
A. Participle
Explanation
The given sentence "Tossing his camera onto the seat, Brian climbed in the Jeep with the rest of the class" contains a participle phrase "Tossing his camera onto the seat" which modifies the subject "Brian". A participle is a verb form that functions as an adjective and describes or gives more information about a noun or pronoun. In this case, the participle "Tossing" describes the action of Brian and provides additional detail about how he climbed into the Jeep.
3.
Casey saw running lions, wallowing hippos, and trumpeting elephants on the safari.
Correct Answer
C. Not a brush stroke
Explanation
The phrase "not a brush stroke" is the correct answer because it is the only option that makes sense in the given sentence. The sentence is describing what Casey saw on the safari, and the other options (participle and absolute) do not fit in the context of the sentence. "Not a brush stroke" implies that the things Casey saw were real and not just a painting or artistic representation.
4.
Tail twitching, the young rhino eyed Cody with distrust.
Correct Answer
B. Absolute
Explanation
The phrase "not a brush stroke" does not make sense in the given context and does not fit grammatically. However, the other two options, "participle" and "absolute," can both be used to modify a noun. In this case, "tail twitching" is describing the young rhino, so it is functioning as an absolute phrase.
5.
Cole asked if we were going to see Mount Kilimanjaro in Amboseli, Kenya.
Correct Answer
C. Not a brush stroke
Explanation
The given correct answer "not a brush stroke" does not seem to be related to the question about seeing Mount Kilimanjaro in Amboseli, Kenya. It appears to be unrelated or out of context. Therefore, an explanation for this answer is not available.
6.
Heart beating wildly, Courtnee reached out to pet the young giraffe.
Correct Answer
B. Absolute
Explanation
The phrase "Heart beating wildly" is an absolute construction because it is a participial phrase that does not modify a specific noun in the sentence. It stands alone and provides additional information about the subject "Courtnee" and her state of mind.
7.
Danielle, singing softly, calmed the nearby lions.
Correct Answer
A. Participle
Explanation
The correct answer is "participle" because "singing softly" is a present participle phrase that describes Danielle's action while calming the nearby lions. A participle is a verb form that can function as an adjective, and in this case, "singing" describes how Danielle is calming the lions.
8.
Darrin, eyes widening, pointed at the largest group of zebras we had ever seen.
Correct Answer
B. Absolute
Explanation
The correct answer is "absolute" because it describes the state or condition of the group of zebras being the largest that the speaker and Darrin had ever seen. It is used to provide emphasis and highlight the significance of the size of the group.
9.
Hayden, hand reaching for his video camera, positioned himself for a better picture of the cheetahs.
Correct Answer
B. Absolute
Explanation
The given sentence contains a participial phrase "positioned himself for a better picture of the cheetahs" which modifies the subject "Hayden." This phrase does not have a subject and verb of its own, making it a participle phrase rather than an absolute phrase. Therefore, the correct answer is "absolute."
10.
Eyes opening lazily, the resting gazelle made sure Jordan had not come too close.
Correct Answer
B. Absolute
Explanation
The phrase "Eyes opening lazily, the resting gazelle" is an example of an absolute construction. An absolute construction consists of a noun or pronoun followed by a participle and any associated modifiers. In this case, "Eyes opening lazily" is the absolute construction, with "eyes" as the noun and "opening lazily" as the participle. It provides additional information about the resting gazelle and is not directly connected to the main clause of the sentence.
11.
Sprinting toward the zebras with astonishing speed, the lions outside Sam’s window began to attack their supper.
Correct Answer
A. Participle
Explanation
The correct answer is "participle" because the phrase "Sprinting toward the zebras with astonishing speed" is functioning as an adjective to describe the lions. It is modifying the noun "lions" and providing additional information about their actions.
12.
Smiling, Tiffani wrote down all of the amazing things everyone had seen on the safari.
Correct Answer
A. Participle
Explanation
The correct answer is "participle" because the phrase "Smiling, Tiffani" is a present participle phrase that describes Tiffani's action while she was writing down the amazing things seen on the safari. The present participle "smiling" functions as an adjective modifying Tiffani.