What role do adverbs play in a sentence?

Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, primarily to provide context about how, when, where, why, or to what extent an action is performed. In the case of the chosen answer, adverbs specifically describe verbs by providing additional information about the manner in which the action is taking place. For instance, in the sentence "She runs quickly," the adverb "quickly" modifies the verb "runs," indicating how she runs.

While the other options relate to parts of speech, they do not accurately describe the function of adverbs. Nouns are modified by adjectives, not adverbs, making the first choice incorrect. The third choice suggests that adverbs replace nouns, which is not their function in a sentence; this role is typically filled by pronouns. The final option implies that adverbs indicate a specific action, but rather, they clarify aspects of the action rather than indicating the action itself. Thus, the primary role of adverbs as modifiers of verbs is accurately captured in the correct choice.