Find the odd word (part of speech and semantic category): Identify the item that is not an adjective describing appearance/quality.

Difficulty: Easy

Correct Answer: Sweetness

Explanation:


Introduction / Context:
Verbal classification often relies on part of speech and typical semantic role. Three choices here are adjectives that directly modify nouns (e.g., “an elegant dress”), while one is a noun (a quality/abstract concept) and not used attributively in the same way.



Given Data / Assumptions:

  • Elegant: adjective of appearance/quality.
  • Bright: adjective of visual intensity or intelligence.
  • Beautiful: adjective of aesthetic quality.
  • Sweetness: abstract noun naming the quality “sweet.”


Concept / Approach:
Test each word as an attributive modifier: “elegant dress,” “bright light,” “beautiful view” work smoothly as adjectives. “Sweetness dress” does not; instead “sweet dress” would be grammatical. Hence “sweetness” functions as a noun (the state or quality), not an adjective.



Step-by-Step Solution:

1) Identify part of speech: Elegant/ Bright/ Beautiful → adjectives; Sweetness → noun.2) Check natural usage in a sentence modifying a noun.3) The only noun in the set is “Sweetness.”


Verification / Alternative check:
Transformations: the adjective “sweet” becomes the noun “sweetness” by adding the suffix “-ness,” confirming the part-of-speech change.



Why Other Options Are Wrong:
They are adjectives directly used to qualify nouns in standard English and share the same grammatical behavior.



Common Pitfalls:
Do not conflate meaning similarity (all are quality-related) with grammatical function. The question targets part of speech.



Final Answer:
Sweetness

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