Final answer:
The phrase "to arrive" is an infinitive phrase and should be identified as choice (e) infinitive phrase.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phrase "to arrive" in the sentence "The seventeenth-century Pilgrims were the first Europeans "to arrive" on Cape Cod" is an example of an infinitive phrase. Infinitive phrases can function in various ways within a sentence, such as acting as subjects, direct objects, or – as in this case – as adverbs. When they function as adverbs, they modify verbs to provide more information about time, reason, purpose, or manner. Upon review of the options, the best choice for identifying the phrase "to arrive" is (e) infinitive phrase. Infinitive phrases typically begin with "to" followed by a verb and can sometimes include modifiers or a direct object. Unlike prepositional or participial phrases, infinitive phrases do not start with a preposition or include a verb form used as an adjective, respectively. Similarly, they are not set off by commas when they immediately follow the verb they modify, unlike absolute phrases.