‘We reached safe and sound’. Which part of speech is ‘sound’?

General English ·Previously asked in HP Patwari 2019

View the full solved paper: HP Patwari 2019

Question

‘We reached safe and sound’. Which part of speech is ‘sound’?

  1. A. Noun
  2. B. Adverb
  3. C. Adjective (Correct answer)
  4. D. None of these

Correct Answer

Option C — Adjective

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Adjective.

Key Points

  • In "We reached safe and sound", both words describe the subject "we", not the manner of reaching — so they are adjectives functioning as a subject complement, not adverbs.
  • The idiom safe and sound means unharmed.

Exam Tip

  • Test by substitution: if the word describes *who/what*, it is an adjective; if it describes *how*, it is an adverb. "We reached safely" would be the adverbial form.