Final answer:
The phrase "for performing the song 'Imagine'" acts as an adverbial phrase in the sentence, providing the reason for the band's victory by modifying the verb "won." Examples of infinitives and participles in sentences illustrate their grammatical roles, enhancing comprehension and clarity in English grammar.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question regarding the phrase "for performing the song 'Imagine'" in the sentence "My brother's band won first place in the talent show for performing the song 'Imagine.'" is asking about its grammatical function. In this instance, the underlined phrase functions as an adverbial phrase. This adverbial phrase provides the reason for the band's victory in the talent show, specifying what the band performed to achieve first place. It modifies the main verb "won" by explaining the why or the purpose of the action. This explanation helps in understanding the importance of adverbial phrases in offering additional context within a sentence.
Examining other parts of the given examples, we find different elements that contribute to sentence structure. Phrases like gerunds, infinitives, participles, and prepositions provide added meaning and clarity to the main idea. For instance, the infinitive phrase "to move a couch for a friend" in the example "On Thursday I drove up north to move a couch for a friend." gives the reason for driving up north, which is a characteristic of an infinitive phrase used as an adverb. Meanwhile, participial phrases, such as "Hoping against all hope that the balding tires would hold," offer descriptive details and set the scene for the action that follows.
Understanding how different phrases function within a sentence is crucial for grasping the nuances of English grammar and writing clear, effective sentences. It's also helpful for identifying the subject of a clause, as seen in the provided example "She is the person who is best qualified for the job.", where "who is best qualified for the job" is identifying "the person".