Nokea
The hike became increasingly difficult as we got closer to the top of the mountain. Which of the following parts of speech is 'increasingly' as used in the sentence above?
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: In this sentence, 'increasingly' is functioning as an adverb. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs to describe the manner, degree, or frequency of an action. In this case, 'increasingly' describes how the difficulty of the hike was growing as we approached the mountain top. Choice A, 'Adjective,' is incorrect as adjectives modify nouns or pronouns, not verbs. Choice B, 'Interjection,' is also incorrect because interjections are words used to express strong emotions or sentiments, not to describe actions or qualities. Choice C, 'Verb,' is incorrect as 'increasingly' is not a verb; it does not express an action or state of being.