Which sentence contains an adverbial phrase?

• the hopeful actors agreed to meet in the dressing room before the audition.

• the persistent rain has left large, Rippling puddles and Soggy front lawns.

• the ongoing delay really infuriated the cranky, grumbling audience.

• the oblivious pedestrian encountered loud car horns blaring at him.

The hopeful actors agreed to meet in the dressing room before the audition.

Explanation:

An adverbial phrase is a kind of prepositional phrase that functions as an adverb. Therefore, it answers the questions Where? When? How? To what extent? or Why? and can modify a verb.

In this sentence, we have two adverbial phrases.

1. in the dressing room

2. before the audition

They both modify the verb 'to meet'. The first one is answering the question "Where?" The second one is answering the question "When?"

the first one

Explanation:

The other sentences contain only noun phrases:

the persistent rain; large, rippling puddles; soggy front lawns (second sentence);

the ongoing delay; the cranky, grumbling audience (third sentence);

the oblivious pedestrian; loud car horns (fourth sentence).

The last sentence also contains a participial phrase, "blaring at him", used as an adjective.