Which part of speech typically describes a quality or characteristic?

The correct answer is C, as adjectives are a part of speech specifically designed to describe qualities or characteristics of nouns. They provide additional information about a noun, helping to specify what kind of person, place, thing, or idea is being referred to. For example, in the phrase "the tall building," "tall" is the adjective that describes the quality of the building.

Verbs, on the other hand, function primarily to express actions, states, or occurrences, but do not themselves describe qualities. Nouns represent entities—people, places, things, or concepts—but do not convey descriptive characteristics. Adverbs typically modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, often related to how, when, where, or to what degree an action is performed, rather than providing a quality of a noun itself. This distinction is important in understanding how each part of speech functions within a sentence.