Which answer choice best explains how the underlined participial phrase is used in this
sentence?
thinking it was after eight o'clock, sam hurried home.

it is used as a verb to name the main action of the sentence
it is used as an adverb to describe the verb hurried,

it is used as a noun and acts as the subject of the sentence

it is used as an adjective to describe the noun sam

The choice that best explains how the underline participial phrase is used is

letter D) It is used as an adjective to describe the noun Sam.

Explanation:

In "Thinking it was after eight o'clock, Sam hurried home," the phrase "thinking it was after eight o'clock" is what we call a participial phrase.

That type of phrase is constituted of a participle and its complements or modifiers. It always functions as an adjective, modifying a noun in the main clause. In this case, it is modifying the proper noun "Sam", which is the subject of the main clause. The participial phrase is giving us further information about Sam just like an adjective would do. For example, if someone said "intelligent Sam", Sam would no longer be just Sam. He would have a defining characteristic associated to him. The same happens in the sentence. Sam is no longer just Sam, since now we imagine him thinking it was after eight o'clock. That is his characteristic in the situation described.