Question 29

The word fast is used as an adverb in the sentence: "The cars on the overpass moved fast."

In this sentence, "fast" modifies the verb "moved," indicating the manner in which the cars moved, which is characteristic of an adverbial usage.

A) The fast car drove over the bridge.

In this sentence, "fast" functions as an adjective, describing the noun "car." It tells us what kind of car is being referred to rather than how the car drives, thus not qualifying as an adverb.

B) The batter could not hit the fast pitch.

Here, "fast" is again used as an adjective, describing the noun "pitch." It specifies the type of pitch, indicating its speed, rather than modifying a verb, making it incorrect for the adverb usage.

C) The clock on the wall is 10 minutes fast.

In this example, "fast" describes the state of the clock and is used as an adjective. It indicates that the clock shows a time ahead of the actual time, which does not involve modifying any verbs.

D) The cars on the overpass moved fast.

In this sentence, "fast" clearly acts as an adverb because it modifies the verb "moved," describing how the cars moved. This distinction confirms that this sentence correctly utilizes "fast" as an adverb.

Conclusion

The correct answer is D because it illustrates the adverbial use of "fast" by modifying the verb "moved." The other options fail to meet this criterion as they use "fast" as an adjective, demonstrating a clear distinction between the roles of words in a sentence. This understanding of parts of speech is essential for accurately identifying adverbial phrases.