New Hampshire Foundations of Reading Practice Test

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What function do adverbs serve in a sentence?

Describe nouns or pronouns
Show emotion in sentences
Describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs
Join words, phrases, or clauses

The correct answer is: Describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs

Adverbs play a vital role in sentences by modifying verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, which helps to provide more detail about the action or description being conveyed. For instance, in the sentence "She ran quickly," the adverb "quickly" modifies the verb "ran," thus describing how the action is being performed. This allows the reader to form a clearer understanding of the manner in which the action is taking place. By modifying adjectives as well, adverbs can enhance descriptive language, such as in "The very tall building," where "very" intensifies the adjective "tall." Additionally, they can provide additional context when modifying other adverbs, as in "He ran quite quickly," where "quite" modifies the adverb "quickly" to further specify the speed of the running. This flexibility makes adverbs essential in enriching the meaning of a sentence.