Which of these sentences contains a present participle verbal functioning as an adjective?

To leave now would be inconvenient.

However, we do have a long way to go.

Leaving now would get us there early.

Nodding, Mom said she would rather be early than late.

The correct answer is - Nodding, Mom said she would rather be early than late.

Explanation:

Present participle verbal looks like a regular verb + - ing (singing, dancing, sleeping, etc) and has the function of either adjectives or adverbs within a sentence.

If you're unsure about the correct answer, let's use the system of elimination:

A is incorrect because there is no participle here at all. There is a verbal to leave, but it is an infinitive, not a participle.

B is incorrect because, again, there is no participle here, only infinitive to go.

C is also incorrect because, even though there is a verb + - ing form in the sentence (the word leaving), it is not a participle, but rather a gerund (gerunds are used as nouns).

Therefore, the only correct option would be sentence D, where the present participle nodding is used as an adjective to describe Mom.