Which of the following is an adjective phrase?

• A. Nearly perfect
• B. Very nearly
• C. Not at all
• D. Completely finished

Answer: (A)

An adjective phrase is a small group of words that acts like an adjective, describing a noun. In the phrase nearly perfect, the base word perfect is an adjective, and nearly is an adverb that modifies that adjective. Together, they form a unit that describes something, for example, a nearly perfect score or a nearly perfect plan. That whole unit functions as an adjective phrase because its job is to describe a noun.

The other options don’t form adjective phrases in the same way. Very nearly consists only of adverbs and doesn’t contain an adjective to modify a noun. Not at all is a negation phrase built from adverbs, again not an adjective phrase. Completely finished looks like a description, but here the focus is on the state of completion, typically used in predicative or participial sense rather than forming the straightforward adjective phrase that directly modifies a noun in the same way as nearly perfect.