Kaplan Nursing Entrance Practice Exam

Which word serves as the adverb in the sentence, "The plants were drying out"?

1. Dried

2. Out

3. Were

4. Plants

The correct answer is: Were

In the sentence "The plants were drying out," the correct identification of the adverb hinges on understanding the function of each word. An adverb typically modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, providing additional context such as manner, place, time, or degree. In this case, the word "out" serves as the adverb. It modifies the verb "drying," indicating the direction or extent of the action (how the plants are drying). The phrase "drying out" signifies that the plants are losing moisture completely or significantly, rather than merely drying. The other words in the sentence fulfill different grammatical roles: "were" is a verb serving as a helping verb for the main verb "drying," "plants" is a noun that is the subject of the sentence, and "dried" is not present in this context as it doesn't relate directly to the action described. Thus, the highlight of the adverb role truly belongs to "out."