Foundation
English
Adjective
Verb
Tenses
Question
Identify the adverb and/or adjective in the following sentence:
I. It is likely that the suspect made his escape with the unwitting aid of the patrol officers.
II. Do remind me because I'm likely to forget.
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Solution
Some words act as both an adverb and adjective, depending on the context of the sentence.
Option A is correct. When "likely" is used as an adverb, it is used with the meaning of "probably". In sentence I, the word "likely" acts as an adverb that indicates the probability of the actions, that is, the probability of "escape".
In sentence II, "likely" is used as an adjective in the sense that "something is likely or expected to happen". In sentence II, the infinitive phrase "to forget" acts as a noun and is modified by the word "likely". Thus, it acts as an adjective.
Option B is incorrect since it has already been proved that "likely" in sentence one is an adverb (and not an adjective) while in sentence II, it is an adjective (and not an adverb).
Option C is incorrect as "likely" in sentence I is an adverb and not an adjective.
Option D is incorrect as "likely" in sentence II is an adjective and not an adverb.