The woman's arm ached badly after playing tennis for 3 hours. The word badly serves as which of the following types of speech in the sentence above?

In the sentence provided, the word "badly" modifies the verb "ached," describing the manner or intensity of the ache that the woman's arm experienced after playing tennis. This function of modifying a verb indicates that "badly" is functioning as an adverb. Adverbs often answer questions such as how, when, where, and to what extent something happens. In this case, "badly" answers the question of how much the woman's arm ached, making it clear that the degree of pain was significant. Understanding the role of adverbs in a sentence is crucial for grasping the overall meaning and the nuances of expression.