Final answer:
The verbs in the sentence are identified by the actions conveyed; in 'The bundle held the bitterness and hardships of the years,' the verb is 'held'. 'Bundle' is the subject performing the action, and the other nouns are objects receiving the action.
Step-by-step explanation:
The verbs in the phrase 'The bundle held the bitterness and hardships of the years' are identified in the sentence itself. The correct option that presents the verbs or verb phrases is a. Bundle, held, where 'held' is the verb that describes the action performed by the subject, 'bundle'. It's important to note that 'bundle' is actually the subject of the sentence, performing the action, while 'bitterness' and 'hardships' serve as objects receiving the action of the verb.
The years mentioned in the sentence are part of the prepositional phrase and not verbs. In sentences like these, the verb or verb phrase is a crucial part in understanding the action or state of being presented. Examples of such sentences include, 'The notes were sour because the seams split,' and 'The voyage wasn't delayed because the bottle shattered.' In these examples, 'were' and 'split,' 'wasn't' and 'delayed' are verb phrases showing action or state.