NDA (II) 2024 General Ability Test · Question 38 of 141

Correct — B, Adverb. Set off by a comma and adding a further point to the previous sentence, 'Besides' works as a conjunctive (linking) adverb meaning 'in addition / moreover'. It is not a preposition here because it has no noun object — contrast 'Besides football, he plays cricket', where 'besides' governs the noun 'football' and is a preposition.

• (a)Adjective — 'Besides' does not qualify a noun, so it cannot be an adjective.
• (c)Preposition — A preposition needs a noun/pronoun object ('besides the sofa'); here 'Besides' stands alone before a full clause, so it is functioning as an adverb.
• (d)Conjunction — A true conjunction joins words or clauses inside one sentence; 'Besides' here is a sentence connector set off by a comma — a conjunctive adverb, which is classed as an adverb.

As a linking / conjunctive adverb ('besides', 'however', 'therefore', 'moreover') a word connects the sense of two sentences and is set off by a comma; as a preposition, 'besides' takes a noun object ('besides English').

No directly related past PYQ was found.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  What part of speech is 'however' in 'It was raining. However, we went out.'?

  • (a)Conjunction
  • (b)Adverb
  • (c)Preposition
  • (d)Adjective

  Answer(b) Adverb — 'however' is a conjunctive adverb linking the two sentences.

• practice — not a real PYQ

  What part of speech is 'besides' in 'Besides English, she speaks French'?

  • (a)Adverb
  • (b)Adjective
  • (c)Preposition
  • (d)Conjunction

  Answer(c) Preposition — here 'besides' governs the noun 'English'.