Kaplan Nursing Entrance Practice Exam

Which part of speech often answers the questions "how," "when," and "where"?

1. Noun

2. Adjective

3. Adverb

4. Verb

The correct answer is: Adverb

The correct response is indeed adverb. Adverbs play a significant role in modifying verbs, adjectives, and even other adverbs, providing additional context about the action or description. They commonly answer questions related to the manner (how), time (when), and place (where) of an action. For instance, if you consider a sentence like "She runs quickly," the adverb "quickly" answers the question "how does she run?" Similarly, in the sentence "He will arrive tomorrow," the adverb "tomorrow" answers "when" he will arrive. In "They looked around," the adverb "around" answers "where." This function of adverbs makes them essential in providing clarity and detail in communication, which is why they are characterized by their ability to answer those specific questions. The other parts of speech, such as nouns, adjectives, and verbs, serve different functions and do not typically provide answers to all three of those questions in the same way as adverbs do.