What part of speech is "careful" in the sentence "The skier was careful near the trees"?

In the sentence "The skier was careful near the trees," the word "careful" functions as an adjective. Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns, providing more detail about them. In this case, "careful" describes the noun "skier," indicating the skier's state or characteristic while near the trees.

This usage fits the definition of an adjective perfectly, as it conveys the quality of being cautious or attentive, which is essential for skiing in potentially dangerous areas like those near trees. The other parts of speech, such as verbs, nouns, and adverbs, do not fulfill this descriptive role regarding the skier in this context. Thus, "careful" is accurately identified as an adjective.