1.
What part of speech is "pontiff", meaning "the pope"?
Correct Answer
D. Noun
Explanation
"Pontiff" is a noun that refers to the pope. It is used to identify the highest-ranking bishop in the Catholic Church. As a noun, it functions as a subject, object, or complement in a sentence. In this case, "pontiff" is the correct answer because it is a noun that represents a specific person or title.
2.
What part of speech is "populace", meaning "the common people"?
Correct Answer
B. Noun
Explanation
"Populace" is a noun because it refers to a group of people, specifically the common people. It is used to describe a collective body of individuals in a society. As a noun, it can be used in sentences like "The populace gathered in the town square to protest" or "The government's policies were not well-received by the populace."
3.
What part of speech is "portend", meaning "to indicate as being about to happen, especially by previous signs"?
Correct Answer
D. Verb
Explanation
"Portend" is a verb because it is an action word that describes the act of indicating or predicting something that is about to happen, especially based on previous signs or indications. It is not an adjective, noun, or adverb, as it does not describe a person, place, thing, or quality, nor does it modify a verb, adjective, or another adverb.
4.
What part of speech is "portfolio", meaning "a portable case for holding writing-materials, drawings, etc"?
Correct Answer
D. Noun
Explanation
"Portfolio" in this context refers to a portable case for holding writing-materials, drawings, etc. It is a common noun that represents a physical object or item. Therefore, the correct answer is "Noun."
5.
What part of speech is "posit", meaning "to present in an orderly manner"?
Correct Answer
B. Verb
Explanation
"Posit" is a verb because it refers to an action of presenting something in an orderly manner. It is not an adverb, adjective, or noun as it does not describe or name anything, but rather indicates an action.
6.
What part of speech is "positive", meaning "free from doubt or hesitation"?
Correct Answer
A. Adjective
Explanation
"Positive" in this context is describing a quality or characteristic of something, specifically being "free from doubt or hesitation." This aligns with the definition of an adjective, which is a word that modifies or describes a noun or pronoun. Therefore, "adjective" is the correct answer.
7.
What part of speech is "posse", meaning "a force of men"?
Correct Answer
C. Noun
Explanation
"Posse" is a noun because it refers to a group or force of men. It is used to describe a gathering of individuals who have come together for a specific purpose, often to assist law enforcement or carry out a particular task. As a noun, "posse" functions as a subject, object, or complement in a sentence, and it can be modified by adjectives or determiners.
8.
What part of speech is "possess", meaning "to own"?
Correct Answer
D. Verb
Explanation
"Possess" is a verb that means "to own." It is an action word that describes the act of owning something. As a verb, "possess" can be conjugated into different tenses and forms to indicate different subjects and time frames. Therefore, the correct answer is verb.
9.
What part of speech is "possessor", meaning "one who owns, enjoys, or controls anything, as property"?
Correct Answer
C. Noun
Explanation
"Possessor" is a noun because it refers to a person or thing that possesses or owns something. It represents the subject or object in a sentence and can be modified by adjectives or determiners. In this case, "possessor" is specifically defined as "one who owns, enjoys, or controls anything, as property," further solidifying its classification as a noun.
10.
What part of speech is "possible", meaning "being not beyond the reach of power natural, moral, or supernatural"?
Correct Answer
D. Adjective
Explanation
"Possible" is an adjective in this context because it describes a quality or characteristic of something. In this case, it describes something that is within the realm of achievable or attainable, not beyond the reach of natural, moral, or supernatural power.
11.
What part of speech is "postdate", meaning "to make the date of any writing later than the real date"?
Correct Answer
C. Verb
Explanation
"Postdate" is a verb because it refers to the action of making the date of any writing later than the real date. As a verb, it describes an action or occurrence. In this case, it specifically describes the act of dating a document with a date that is later than the actual date.
12.
What part of speech is "posterior", meaning "the hinder part"?
Correct Answer
A. Noun
Explanation
"Posterior" is a noun in this context because it refers to a specific part of the body, namely "the hinder part." As a noun, "posterior" functions as a subject or object in a sentence, or as the head of a noun phrase. It is used to identify and describe a particular anatomical region, indicating the back or rear portion of something.
13.
What part of speech is "postgraduate", meaning "pertaining to studies that are pursued after receiving a degree"?
Correct Answer
C. Adjective
Explanation
"Postgraduate" is an adjective because it describes the type of studies that are pursued after receiving a degree. It modifies the noun "studies" and indicates that they are specifically related to advanced education beyond an initial degree.
14.
What part of speech is "postscript", meaning "something added to a letter after the writer's signature"?
Correct Answer
C. Noun
Explanation
"Postscript" is a noun because it refers to something added to a letter after the writer's signature. It is a separate entity from the verb, adverb, and adjective categories, which do not accurately describe the meaning of "postscript" in this context.
15.
What part of speech is "potent", meaning "physically powerful"?
Correct Answer
C. Adjective
Explanation
"Potent" is an adjective that means "physically powerful". Adjectives describe or modify nouns, and in this case, "potent" describes the noun it is referring to, indicating that it is physically powerful. Therefore, the correct answer is "Adjective".