Question

What type of phrase is underlined in the following sentence?

With its limbs swaying in the fall breeze, the tree dropped the last of its leaves.

Question 3 options:

participial phrase


gerund phrase


infinitive phrase


prepositional phrase

Answer 1

underlined: swaying in the fall breeze

Answer 2

@wwhitlock

Answer 3

@zepdrix

Answer 4

@nincompoop

Answer 5

@Compassionate

Answer 6

@welshfella

Answer 7

Sway is a verb. Swaying is a form of the verb.
Swaying is not being used as a verb in this sentence.
The -ing form of a verb used as a noun is a gerund.
The -ing form of a verb used as an adjective is a participle.
In the breeze is a prepositional phrase serving to complete the phrase started with "swaying"

Swaying is not an infinitive or preposition so it's one of the first two choices.
Consider the words before "Swaying" in the sentence.
With is a preposition. the other words complete the prepositional phrase.
The object of a PP is often a noun.
We'll find the object. If it is a noun and "Swaying" is modifying that noun. then we know "Swaying" is a preposition.

The object of the preposition "With" is "limbs". That's a noun.
In the sentence, what is swaying?
The limbs are swaying.
"Swaying" is modifying "limbs"
"Swaying" is a participle because it meets the definition of participle listed above.
A participle introduces the phrase "swaying in the breeze"
So we have a participle phrase.