Choose the correct option for the underlined word: She is likely to come today.

Question

Accepted Answer

The underlined word "likely" in the sentence "She is likely to come today" is correctly identified as an adverb, which is Option 1. Here is a detailed explanation supporting this choice:

1. **Explanation for Option 1 (Adverb):**
   - An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, often indicating manner, degree, frequency, or likelihood. In this sentence, "likely" modifies the verb phrase "is to come" by indicating the probability or likelihood of the action occurring. It describes how probable it is that "she" will come today, thus functioning as an adverb.

2. **Explanation for why other options are incorrect:**

- **Option 2 (Adjective):**
     - An adjective is a word that modifies a noun or pronoun, providing more information about it. In this sentence, "likely" does not modify a noun or pronoun directly. Instead, it modifies the verb phrase, indicating the probability of the action, which is a characteristic of an adverb, not an adjective.

- **Option 3 (Pronoun):**
     - A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. Examples include "he," "she," "it," "they," etc. "Likely" does not function as a pronoun in this sentence. It does not replace a noun or refer to a noun, so it cannot be classified as a pronoun.

- **Option 4 (Conjunction):**
     - A conjunction is a word used to connect clauses or sentences or to coordinate words in the same clause, such as "and," "but," "or," etc. "Likely" does not serve the purpose of connecting clauses or coordinating words in this sentence. Therefore, it cannot be considered a conjunction.

In conclusion, the word "likely" in the sentence functions as an adverb because it modifies the verb phrase by indicating the likelihood of the action, which aligns with the characteristics of an adverb. This supports Option 1 as the correct answer.