Creating fear in us, the tour guide turned out the lights in the passage.
identify the type of verbal phrase that has been underlined.
a. gerund
b. participial
c. infinitive
d. prepositional
the underlined part is creating fear in us

The answer is not gerund, but letter B) Participial.

Explanation:

A gerund is a noun created by adding -ing to a verb root. In other words, it is a present participle used as a noun. A gerund phrase, thus, has a gerund and any modifiers or objects related to it. A gerund phrase also functions as a noun, which means it can be the subject, the object, or the predicate nominative.

The problem is, participial phrases are gerund phrases look very much alike precisely because they use the present participle. What will differentiate them is how they function in the sentence. If we analyze the underlined phrase in the sentence, "creating fear in us", we'll see it is not acting as a noun, meaning it does not function as a subject, object, or predicate nominative:

- subject: the tour guide

- verb: turned out

- object: the lights

- adverb phrase of place: in the passage

"Creating fear in us", being a participial phrase, modifies the action expressed by the verb "turned out", giving us further information about it.

she could put on music that makes her sleep

each year on this day, i make it a point to listen to dr. martin luther king jr.’s great “i have a dream” speech. it’s electrifying every single time.

the content of dr. king’s speech, his inspiring presence, and the moment in history all came together to make the iconic “i have a dream” speech the defining moment of the american civil rights movement. but there are several other reasons why this speech, delivered over 50 years ago, remains an example of one of the best speeches in american history.

since part of my job is to people become better presenters, i’ve noticed several techniques that we can all learn from and be inspired by in this magnificent speech.

it’s anchored in a powerful related location

in most cases, you can’t handpick the spot to give a presentation, as mlk did for supreme symbolic effect when he stood on the steps of the lincoln memorial and echoed the opening words of the gettysburg address (“five score years ago . . ). but you absolutely can amplify your message by adapting it to your setting and location.