"The children played outside despite the cold." What part of speech is 'despite'?
Difficulty: Hard
About this MCQ
This Hard Parts of Speech MCQ checks one syllabus fact.
The question is: “"The children played outside despite the cold." What part of speech is 'despite'?”
The accepted answer is C. Preposition. “"The children played outside despite the cold." What part of speech is 'despite'” is answered by Preposition (option C). Option A (“Conjunction”) does not match the stem; it is a near-miss used to catch incomplete recall of Preposition. Option B (“Noun”) does not match the stem; it is a near-miss used to catch incomplete recall of Preposition. Remaining alternatives (Adverb) fall outside the same rule and should be eliminated once Preposition is identified. Parts of Speech questions of this type reward precise definitions rather than approximate associations. Parts of Speech recall of this distinction is a regular item in FPSC, PPSC, NTS, and CSS papers.
- A. Conjunction
Why not A: “Conjunction” is not correct. The accepted answer is C. Preposition. “"The children played outside despite the cold." What part of speech is 'despite'” is answered by Preposition (option C). Option A (“Conjunction”) does not match the stem; it is a
- B. Noun
Why not B: “Noun” is not correct. The accepted answer is C. Preposition. “"The children played outside despite the cold." What part of speech is 'despite'” is answered by Preposition (option C). Option A (“Conjunction”) does not match the stem; it is a
- C. Preposition ✓
- D. Adverb
Why not D: “Adverb” is not correct. The accepted answer is C. Preposition. “"The children played outside despite the cold." What part of speech is 'despite'” is answered by Preposition (option C). Option A (“Conjunction”) does not match the stem; it is a
Correct answer
C. Preposition
Explanation
“"The children played outside despite the cold." What part of speech is 'despite'” is answered by Preposition (option C). Option A (“Conjunction”) does not match the stem; it is a near-miss used to catch incomplete recall of Preposition. Option B (“Noun”) does not match the stem; it is a near-miss used to catch incomplete recall of Preposition. Remaining alternatives (Adverb) fall outside the same rule and should be eliminated once Preposition is identified. Parts of Speech questions of this type reward precise definitions rather than approximate associations. Parts of Speech recall of this distinction is a regular item in FPSC, PPSC, NTS, and CSS papers.
Source: Parts of Speech Official FPSC/NTS/PPSC-Style Reference Guide
Tags: English, FPSC, PPSC, grammar, parts of speech, NTS
Submitted by: MCQsHub Editorial
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