The ship is going slowly. Here 'slowly' is ____?

1. Adverb
2. Adjective
3. Verb
4. None of these

The correct answer is “adverb.” The word “slowly” describes the manner in which the action of going is performed. It modifies the verb phrase “is going” by answering the question “How is the ship going?” – slowly. This is the fundamental role of an adverb. It is not an adjective, as adjectives modify nouns (e.g., a slow ship), and it is certainly not a verb. The “-ly” ending is a strong indicator of its adverbial function derived from the adjective “slow.”