English Language

Parts of Speech

1,977 Questions

The parts of speech form the foundation of English grammar, categorizing words into nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and other functional classes. Identifying the correct part of speech is crucial for sentence construction and comprehension. This topic is a staple in the English language sections of SSC, Banking, and various other competitive exams.

Nouns and verbsAdjectives identificationAdverbs and modifiersWord categorization

Parts of Speech Questions

Multiple choice position of adverbs adverb english

If both auxiliary verb and main verb come in a sentence, where is the adverb of frequency/degree put?

  1. Between auxiliary verb and main verb

  2. Before auxiliary verb and main verb

  3. After auxiliary verb and main verb

  4. In the place of auxiliary verb
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

When a sentence contains more than one verb i.e. one main verb and another is an auxiliary verb, place the adverb of frequency/degree between the verbs. E.g. They have often visited Europe. Here, 'Have' is an auxiliary verb and 'visited' is the main verb so, 'often' is placed between the two. Thus, option A is the correct answer. 

Multiple choice position of adverbs adverb english

Identify the word that the adverb modifies:

I got here early enough.

  1. got

  2. here

  3. early

  4. enough
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and sometimes other adverbs in a sentence.
In this sentence, the adverb 'early' is getting modified by the adverb 'enough'. 'Enough' states the extent to which the person gets early to a place. Hence, Option C is correct.
Option A is incorrect as the verb 'got' is not being modified by the adverb in this sentence.
Option B is incorrect as the adverb 'here' is not being modified in this sentence.
Option D is incorrect as 'enough' is the modifying adverb in this sentence.

Multiple choice position of adverbs adverb english

identify the word which the adverb modifies:

You are jumping high enough.

  1. are jumping

  2. enough

  3. you

  4. high
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and sometimes other adverbs in a sentence.
In this sentence, the adverb 'high' is being modified by the adverb 'enough'. It states the extent to which the person is jumping high. So, option D is correct.
Option A is incorrect as the verb 'are jumping' is not being modified by the adverb.
Option B is incorrect as 'enough' is the modifying adverb in this sentence.
Option C is incorrect as adverbs don't modify pronouns.

Multiple choice position of adverbs adverb english

Identify the word which the adverb modifies:

You are walking too slowly.

  1. slowly

  2. you

  3. too

  4. NO word
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and sometimes other adverbs in a sentence.
In this sentence, the adverb 'too' modifies the adverb 'slowly'. It states the extent to which the person is walking slow. Hence, option A is correct.
Option B is incorrect as adverbs don't modify pronouns.
Option C is incorrect as 'too' is the modifying adverb in this sentence.
Option D is obviously incorrect.

Multiple choice position of adverbs adverb english

Identify the word which the adverb modifies:

He was just leaving.

  1. He

  2. leaving

  3. just

  4. NO word
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and sometimes other adverbs in a sentence.
In this sentence, the adverb 'just' is modifying the verb 'leaving'. The adverb suggests the time of his leaving. Hence, Option B is correct.
Option A is incorrect because 'he' is a pronoun. Adverbs don't modify pronouns.
Option C is incorrect as 'just' is itself the adverb.
Option D is obviously incorrect.

Multiple choice position of adverbs adverb english

Identify the word which the adverb modifies:

He often makes mistakes.

  1. often

  2. makes

  3. mistakes

  4. NO word
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and sometimes other adverbs in a sentence.
In this sentence, the verb 'makes' is getting modified by the adverb 'often'. It shows the frequency at which the person is making mistakes. Hence, Option B is correct.
Option A is incorrect as 'often' is the modifying adverb in this sentence.
Option C is incorrect as adverbs don't modify nouns.
Option D is obviously incorrect.

Multiple choice metaphor vocabulary english

Identify the figure of speech in the following sentence:

My life is a very happy dream.

  1. Metaphor

  2. Simile

  3. Personification

  4. Apostrophe
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

'Metaphor' is a literary device / figure of speech in which a word or a phrase is given / applied to an action, object or event where it is not literally applicable. In simpler terms, a metaphor is a comparison that is drawn between two completely unrelated things. In this case, the life of the speaker is compared to that of a happy dream, which cannot be literally true. Thus, the correct answer is Option A) - Metaphor. All the remaining options are also literary devices, but they have not been used in the given sentence.

Multiple choice metaphor vocabulary english

Identify the figure of speech in the following sentence:

The crab was a pair of scissors passing through the sand.

  1. Personification

  2. Simile

  3. Metaphor

  4. Apostrophe
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

'Metaphor' is a literary device / figure of speech in which a word or a phrase is given / applied to an action, object or event where it is not literally applicable. In simpler terms, a metaphor is a comparison that is drawn between two completely unrelated things. In this case, the crab is compared to a pair of scissors due to its motion through the sand, which cannot be literally true. Thus, the correct answer is Option C) - Metaphor. All the remaining options are also literary devices, but they have not been used in the given sentence.

Multiple choice metaphor vocabulary english

Identify the figure of speech in the following sentence:

This exam is an obstacle course.

  1. Metaphor

  2. Simile

  3. Apostrophe

  4. Synecdoche
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

'Metaphor' is a literary device / figure of speech in which a word or a phrase is given / applied to an action, object or event where it is not literally applicable. In simpler terms, a metaphor is a comparison that is drawn between two completely unrelated things. In this case, the exam has been compared to an obstacle course because of how tricky and hard it is, which cannot be literally true. Thus, the correct answer is Option A) - Metaphor. All the remaining options are also literary devices, but they have not been used in the given sentence.

Multiple choice metaphor vocabulary english

Identify the figure of speech in the following sentence:

My grandmother's soup is the best medicine for a bad mood.

  1. Apostrophe

  2. Irony

  3. Simile

  4. Metaphor
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

'Metaphor' is a literary device / figure of speech in which a word or a phrase is given / applied to an action, object or event where it is not literally applicable. In simpler terms, a metaphor is a comparison that is drawn between two completely unrelated things. In this case, the soup is compared to medicine due to how it 'cures' one's bad mood as if it were a disease, which cannot be literally true. Thus, the correct answer is Option D) - Metaphor. All the remaining options are also literary devices, but they have not been used in the given sentence.

Multiple choice forms of adverb adverb english

Identify whether the underlined word is an adverb or adjective:

Darren is a very fast runner.

  1. Adverb

  2. Adjective

  3. Adjective and adverb

  4. None of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

While "fast" can be either an adjective or adverb in a given sentence, it cannot be both at the same time. Hence, option C is incorrect. Moreover, "fast" is always either an adjective or an adverb and nothing else. Therefore, option D is incorrect as well. 


Now, we know that "fast" can be acting either as an adverb or an adjective. An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb. An adjective modifies a noun. In the given sentence, "fast runner" is an adjective that describes the subject (Darren who is the runner). Therefore, option B is correct while option A in wrong. The adverb in the sentence is "very".

Multiple choice forms of adverb adverb english

What is "straight" in the following sentence?

From here, it was a straight road.

  1. Adverb

  2. Adjective

  3. Noun

  4. Both A and B
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

While straight can be used as an adjective, an adverb and even a noun, it can only be one of the three in a sentence. Therefore, option D is incorrect. The noun in the given sentence is "road", making option C incorrect as well.


In the given sentence "straight" modifies the noun "road". It describes the road. It does not describe an action, but a noun. It is therefore, an adjective, making option B the right answer.