TheParts The Partsof ofSpeech Speech A review for ESOL students Ther Th ere e are are ni nine ne pa parts rts of sp spee eech ch.. Th They ey ar are e articles articles,, nouns nouns,, pronouns pronouns,, adjectives,, verbs adjectives verbs,, adverbs adverbs,, conjunctions conjunctions,, prepositions prepositions,, and interjections.. A word of caution interjections caution,, however, a word can be more than one part of speech. You can nd out more information on the parts of speech speech by checking checking the sources sources listed listed at the bottom of this review.
N
ouns
A noun is a word used to name something: a person/animal, a place, a thing, or an idea. For example, all of the following are nouns. o o o o
Leah, Ignacio, Lan, Marek Japan, Venezuela, Venezuela, Atlanta, Atlanta, Kroger, Kroger, the Gap pencil, store, music, air biology, theory of Relatiity, !ythagorean !ythagorean theory
int! "hey are sometimes prece#e# prece#e# by noun markers$ %oun markers markers are also calle# #etermine #eterminers rs an# &uanti'er &uanti'ers$ s$ "hey are are (or#s (or#s like a, an, the, this, that, these, those, each, some, any, every, no, numbers (1,2,3,etc.), several, many, a lot, lot, few few, poss posses essi sive ve pron pronou ouns ns (his (his,, her her, etc) etc).. )ee )ee #ete #eterrmine miners rs for for mor more information$ Nouns
are classified in several ways…
". Noun Nouns s can can be sing singular ular or plural plural..
Singular nouns name only one person, place, thing or idea.
One apple, a pencil, the book
Plural nouns name two or more persons, places, things or ideas. Most singular nouns (Not ALL ALL are made plural !y adding "s. For example, ( pencil ( pencil is is a singular noun. #he word pencils word pencils is is a plural noun.
#$ception %": $f a noun ends with the "s, sh, ch, or x li%e the words, kiss, church, ash or box, box , then they are made plural !y adding "es ( kisses, churches, ashes, and boxes).
#$ception %&:#here are also irregular nouns that do not follow any rules. For example, the plural form of the word child is is children.
o
•
Nouns can be 'roper Nouns or (ommon Nouns
A. 'roper nouns refer to speci'c people, places, things an# i#eas$ A person*s name +Leah Graham is a proper noun, for e-ample$ .ther e-amples are are names of places +Atlanta, Georgia an# names of things +the %ay$ They are always capitali)ed* o o
o
o
o
o o o
o
!eople/s !eople/s names an# titles0 King 1enry, Mrs$ )mith %ames for #eity, religions, religious follo(ers, an# sacre# books0 Go#, Allah, 2u##ha, Islam, 3atholicism, 3hristians Races, nationalities, tribes, an# languages0 African American, Polish-American, Blac, !hinese, "ussian "ussian )peci'c !laces like countries, cities, bo#ies of (ater, streets, streets, buil#ings, an# parks )peci'c organizations0 3entral Intelligence Agency +3IA, 4$ 5ays of the (eek, months, an# holi#ays, 2ran# names of pro#ucts 1istorical perio#s, (ell0kno(n eents, an# #ocuments0 #i$$le a%es, Boston &ea Party, #a%na !arta "itles of publications an# (ritten (ritten #ocuments
b. (ommon nouns are all other nouns$ nouns$ 6or e-ample e-ample77 cat, pencil, paper, etc. "hey are not capitalize# unless they are the 'rst (or# (or# in the sentence$ sentence$ Nouns can also be collective. •
3ollectie nouns are nouns that are grammatically consi#ere# singular, but inclu#e more than one person, place, thing, or i#ea in its meaning$ 8or#s or#s like team, %roup, 'ury, committee, au$ience, crow$, class, troop, family, family, team, couple, ban$, her$, uartet, an$ society. &enerally, collecti'e nouns are treated as singular !ecause they emphasie the group as one unit.
Plural nouns name two or more persons, places, things or ideas. Most singular nouns (Not ALL ALL are made plural !y adding "s. For example, ( pencil ( pencil is is a singular noun. #he word pencils word pencils is is a plural noun.
#$ception %": $f a noun ends with the "s, sh, ch, or x li%e the words, kiss, church, ash or box, box , then they are made plural !y adding "es ( kisses, churches, ashes, and boxes).
#$ception %&:#here are also irregular nouns that do not follow any rules. For example, the plural form of the word child is is children.
o
•
Nouns can be 'roper Nouns or (ommon Nouns
A. 'roper nouns refer to speci'c people, places, things an# i#eas$ A person*s name +Leah Graham is a proper noun, for e-ample$ .ther e-amples are are names of places +Atlanta, Georgia an# names of things +the %ay$ They are always capitali)ed* o o
o
o
o
o o o
o
!eople/s !eople/s names an# titles0 King 1enry, Mrs$ )mith %ames for #eity, religions, religious follo(ers, an# sacre# books0 Go#, Allah, 2u##ha, Islam, 3atholicism, 3hristians Races, nationalities, tribes, an# languages0 African American, Polish-American, Blac, !hinese, "ussian "ussian )peci'c !laces like countries, cities, bo#ies of (ater, streets, streets, buil#ings, an# parks )peci'c organizations0 3entral Intelligence Agency +3IA, 4$ 5ays of the (eek, months, an# holi#ays, 2ran# names of pro#ucts 1istorical perio#s, (ell0kno(n eents, an# #ocuments0 #i$$le a%es, Boston &ea Party, #a%na !arta "itles of publications an# (ritten (ritten #ocuments
b. (ommon nouns are all other nouns$ nouns$ 6or e-ample e-ample77 cat, pencil, paper, etc. "hey are not capitalize# unless they are the 'rst (or# (or# in the sentence$ sentence$ Nouns can also be collective. •
3ollectie nouns are nouns that are grammatically consi#ere# singular, but inclu#e more than one person, place, thing, or i#ea in its meaning$ 8or#s or#s like team, %roup, 'ury, committee, au$ience, crow$, class, troop, family, family, team, couple, ban$, her$, uartet, an$ society. &enerally, collecti'e nouns are treated as singular !ecause they emphasie the group as one unit.
The committee is going to make a decision.
•
Nouns can also be either count or non+count.
%ouns that are non0count cannot be counte#$ or e$ample, one cannot go outside to ha'e two fresh airs. )ne goes outside for fresh air . 5. Nouns can be Abstract or concrete •
•
3oncrete 3oncrete nouns are nouns that you can touch$ "hey are people, places, paper, an# some things$ 8or#s like person, court, eor%ia, pencil, han$, paper, car, an$ $oor are are all e-amples of concrete nouns$ Abstract nouns are nouns that cannot be physically hel#$ 6or e-ample, things like air, 'ustice, safety, *emocracy, faith, reli%ion , etc$
-. Nouns can be erunds
A gerund is the "ing form of the 'er! and is used as a noun. For example, is good for you. Running is Running is the noun/gerund and is is the 'er!. My crying upset him. Crying is Crying is the su!*ect and upset is is the 'er!
Note: A noun can fit into more than one of these categories. For example, the noun Angela is Angela is a singular, concrete, count, proper noun.
P
ronouns
A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun. #hey eliminate the need for repetition. or !"am#le: $nstead of Emma Emma talked talked to Emma's to Emma's child child , you might say Emma Emma talked talked to her child. child. $er is the pronoun. $t renames the antecedent, Emma antecedent, Emma..
%here are several ty#es of #ronouns. Personal Pronouns refer Pronouns refer to s#ecific #ersons or things. +ersonal pronouns can act as su!*ects, o!*ects, or possessi'es. Singular: $, me, you, she, s he, her, he, him, it Plural: we, us, you, they, them
I, you, she, he, it, we, we, and they are they are used as su!*ects of sentences. or e"am#le, he he knew knew the grammar rules !ery well.
#he personal pronouns that can !e used as ob&ects are: Me' you' him' her' it' them or !"am#le: • • •
The teacher gave all of them good them good grades. Tommy gave his poetry book to her . Then, A)ra gave it to me. me.
&hem, her an# an# me are personal pronouns use# as ob9ects$ "hey are N#/#0 the sub9ects of the sentences$ 'ossessive 'ronouns in#icate o(nership or possession$ •
1ingular! my, mine, your, yours, hers, his, its Plural: yours' ours' theirs'
For xample: xample : She returned my #encil to me because it was mine.
(. Refle"ive Pronouns name a recei'er of an action who is identical to the doer of the action.
-ingular: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself +lural: oursel'es, yoursel'es, themsel'es Manue nuela la congratulated hers hersel elff on her good grades. For example: Ma
ere, "anuela ere, "anuela is !oth the doer and the recei'er of the action. ): So' who did Manuela congratulate* A: $erself.
+. ,ntensive Pronouns emphasie a noun or another pronoun.
)ingular7 myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself !lural7 ourseles, yourseles, themseles or #$ample! 2 saw 3rad 'itt himself at the mall. 1ere, himself emphasizes the antece#ent, 2ra## !itt$ 5. Reci#rocal Pronouns express shared actions or feelings. #hey are: #ach other 4ne another or #$ample! -an o and %ai hel# each other with with their homewor/.
0eon and his girlfriend dance with one another when they go clubbing. 1. ,ndefinite Pronouns refer to nonspecific persons and things.
All, another, any, anybo#y, anyone, anything, both, each, either, eerybo#y, eeryone, eerything, fe(, many, neither, nobo#y, none, no one, nothing, one, seeral, some, somebo#y, someone, something or #$ample! "any believe that UFO’s exist, but nobody can pro!e it. #o one can be sure if aliens really exist, but only $ew wonder i$ El!is is still ali!e. #he underlined indefinite pronouns do not refer to any one person. #hey are referring to people in general. 2. 3emonstrative Pronouns are also considered noun mar%ers. #hey 0point0 towards nouns. this, that, these those or !"am#le: That oman attends !ainesville "ollege. That points out which woman. %he woman attends 4ainesville ollege. ): 6hich woman* A: #hat woman. 5. 2nterrogative 'ronouns intro#uce &uestions$ 8ho, 8hom, 8hose, 8hich, 8hat or !"am#le:
%ho is going on vacation$ #o whom ill the teacher give an %&%$ %hat are you doing& 6. 0elative 'ronouns intro#uce #epen#ent clauses an# refers to a person or thing alrea#y mentione# in the sentence +i$e$ the antece#ent$ 8ho, (hoeer, (hom, (homeer, (hose, (hich, that or !"am#le: %he !nglish that e learn in class will hel# us #ass !nglish 7787. that we learn in class is the ad*ecti'e clause that descri!es English. And, that is the relati'e pronoun. ): 1hich nglish2 A: #he nglish that we learn in class3as opposed to the nglish we learn around our friends.
Note: Ad*ecti'es clauses modify nouns or pronouns, and usually answer one of the following 4uestions: %hich one& %hat kind o$& #hey !egin with a relati'e pronoun or a relati'e ad'er! (when or where.
A
d&ectives
An ad*ecti'e modifies (descri!es a noun or pronoun. Normally in nglish, the ad*ecti'e comes !efore the noun. or e"am#le: %he smart student earned an 9A9.
#hey also come after lin%ing 'er!s. or e"am#le: , feel ha y. Ad&ectives can be used to ma/e com#arisons. •
•
6or most a#9ecties of one or t(o syllables, you can a## :er$ 6or e-ample, greater, faster, stronger$ 6or a#9ecties longer than t(o syllables, you shoul# use the (or# more$ 6or
e-ample,
+e
was
more
intelligent than
his
sister
was.
Ad&ectives can also be used as su#erlatives. •
•
"his is usually #one by a##ing est to the en# of an a#9ectie that is one or t(o syllables$ 6or e-ample, the lou$est, the coolest, the smartest . If an a#9ectie is three syllables or longer, you must use the (or#s the most. 6or e-ample7 atsu is the most intelligent person in the worl$
7A0N2N+ Never use both an –er ending and the word more or an (est ending and the word most .
For example' I am the most haiest when my students learn. $nstead, it should !e: I am the haiest when my students learn. #here are some irregular ad*ecti'e and ad'er! forms. For example: Adje ctive
Ad verb
2a#
(omparing two
(omparing three or more
ba
8orse
(orst
8e
2etter
2est
Less
Least
More
Most
#ly Goo #
ll Little Muc
h
Ma ny
Punctuation Note: Ad*ecti'es are not usually capitalied unless they are the first word in a sentence. ;%' nationalities are also ad*ecti'es and should !e capitalied. For example:
'icky "artin is )uerto Rican and "ichelle (eoh is "hinese. #hese are called proper ad*ecti'es. And, li%e proper nouns, #ro#er ad&ectives are always capitalied in nglish. #hey are deri'ed from proper nouns and are words li%e: A$rican American, *ietnamese, +atino, Italian, apanese, -orean, etc. #hey can also include ad*ecti'es li%e Catholic, ewish, 'epublican, emocrat, etc. 1hen they are used together, they are arranged in a certain order.
8et erminer9
4 pinion
&he , &his
Pr etty
ome
Tall
#y
pensive
1 i)e
A ge
B
( olor
/
rigin B
i%
ew
lue
Thin
Old
/urple
mall
A ncient
B lac
4 P uerto "ican
: aterial 0 eather
N oun ofa
%ood ! hinese
or !"am#le: , saw that tall, thin, old, blue, silk scarf at the store and , bought it.
il
carf
0eon drives an exensive old *talian car.
-ou wouldn
=Note: 5eterminers include articles, demonstrati'e pronouns, indefinite pronouns and possessi'e pronouns.
A
dverbs
•
An a#erb is a (or# that mo#i'es an action erb, an a#9ectie or another a#erb$ "he teacher carefully gra#e# the home(ork$
•
!arefully is an a#erb that mo#i'es the action erb to %ra$e$ "ommy (as e$tremely enthusiastic about #oing his home(ork$
•
tremely is an a#erb that mo#i'es the a#9ectie enthusiastic$ ;an Ko ran out of the classroom very &uickly$ 4ery is an a#erb that mo#i'es the a#erb uicly $
7arning! ;ou nee# an a#9ectie after linking erbs4N#/#0 an
a#erb< For example, Tai $eels bad +guilty when he has to lea!e class. ere, bad is an ad*ecti'e that modifies the proper noun Tai. $t is an ad*ecti'e !ecause it follows the lin%ing 'er! to $eel .
$>6!?!R ' 'er!s li%e look, sound, smell, $eel, and taste can function as either an action 'er! or a lin%ing 'er!.
Tai $eels badly +to the touch ) a$ter swimming in a chlorinated pool. 0is skin is really dry. ere, bad is used in its ad'er!ial form since it follows an action 'er!, to $eel . %y#es of Adverbs: •
0elative Adverbs intro#uce &uestions an# #epen#ent a#erbial clauses$ "hey ans(er the &uestions 5hen6 an# 5here6 "hey are7
8hen 8here
or !"am#le: %hen * as young, * liked to lay outside. ): 1hen did $ li%e to play outside2 A: 1hen $ was young.
•
Adverbs of re;uency in#icate ans(er the &uestion how often= "hey are7
Al(ays, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, neer %he students in !S>0 @ alays study very hard. %hey rarely forget to do their homewor/.
N>%!: 4enerally' these adverbs come before the verbB however there is an e"ce#tion. ,n the case of the verb to be' the adverb of freCuency comes after the verb. or e"am#le:ADra is alays on time for class.
on&unctions are the scotch tape of the grammatical world. #hey *oin together
words and phrases. #here are three %inds of con*unctions: coordinating con*unctions, correlati'e con*unctions, and su!ordinating con*unctions.
7. oordinating on&unctions
#here are se'en coordinating con*unctions in nglish. 6ou can use the mnemonic de'ice $anboys to remem!er them. or And Nor ut >r
-et So
#hey can !e used with commas to create compound sentences. or e"am#le: ,gnacio loves to dance' but RocEo has no rhythm. yong Mee wor/s hard' yet she still earns low grades.
Note: A compound sentence is a sentence made up of two independent clauses. #hat is, a compound sentence is simply two complete sentences *oined !y a comma and a coordinating con*unction (i.e. a fan!oys.
>$ (orrelative (onjunctions also 9oin i#eas, but they (ork in pairs$ "hey are7 2oth4an# neither7nor whether7or either7or not only7!ut also or !"am#le:
#ot only am * hay about the grades, but * am also excited that you are learning1. ubordinating Con2unctions *oin an independent clause to a su!ordinate clause. #hat is, they *oin a clause that can stand alone with a clause that cannot stand alone. -ome fre4uently used su!ordinating con*unctions are: after, although, as, as if, !ecause, !efore, e'en if, e'en though, if, since, so that, though, unless, until, when, whene'er, where, where'er, whether, while.
or !"am#le:
Although the students ere tired, they still came to class.
,
nter&ections
$nter*ections are words used to express emotional states. #hey can usually !e found in narrati'e writing, inter'iews, and in spo%en nglish. #hey can stand alone. For example: Oh3, wow3, Ouch3 Oops3 0ey3
Punctuation Note: #hey are punctuated with either commas or exclamation mar%s. Mild inter*ections are followed !y a comma, !ut stronger inter*ections are punctuated with an exclamation mar% (8 .
Oh, e’re late for the movie. &enerally, the mo'ies is not an important destination. #herefore, the person ma%ing this statement will sound less urgent than the next example. Oh3 *’m late for ork. 1or%, unli%e the mo'ies, is generally considered a 'ery important destination. $f one doesn9t arri'e on time, there is the possi!ility of !eing fired or of losing face. ere, the spea%er will ha'e a greater sense of urgency.
4enerally
P
' you do not find inter&ections in academic writing.
re#ositions
+repositions are words that, li%e con*unctions, connect a noun or pronoun to another word in a sentence. -ome common prepositions:
About
2efore
5o(n
Into
"hroug h
Aboe
2ehin#
5uring
Like
"o
Across
2elo(
?-cept
.f
"o(ar#
After
2eneat
6or
.@
n#er
Among
2esi#e
6rom
.n
p
Aroun#
2et(ee
.er
8ith
h
n
In
At
2y
Instea#
)ince
of
8ithou t
A prepositional phrase is a group of words that !egins with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun. #hey can act as ad*ecti'es or as ad'er!s. Manuela, the student from 4ermany, wrote an excellent paper on the com#uter.
?
erbs
er!s generally express action or a state of !eing. #here are se'eral classifications for 'er!s action 'er!s,/lin%ing 'er!s, main 'er!s/auxiliary 'er!s, transiti'e/intransiti'e and phrasal 'er!s. 7. Action verbs show action.
e runs. e lays. #hey study. F. 0in/ing ?erbs lin% the su!*ect to an ad*ecti'e.
;ic%y Martin is !eautiful. #he lin%ing 'er! is lin%s the ad*ecti'e beauti$ul with the su!*ect 'icky "artin. 7. Main verbs can stand alone. F. Au"iliary verbs, also called helping 'er!s, ser'e as support to the main 'er!.
#he most common auxiliary 'er!s are: a'e, has, had 5o, does, did
or e"am#le: %ai has runeveryday.
'un is an action 'er!. #he su!*ect can actually 0do0 it. 0as is the helping 'er!. $t helps the main 'er! run to !e present perfect tense.
?erbs can be transitive or intransitive. •
Transitive /erbs re&uire a #irect ob9ect in or#er to make sense$
or #$ample! -olanda ta/es as#irin for her headaches. ere, take s is a transiti'e 'er! since the sentence (olanda takes has no meaning without its direct o!*ect aspirin.
•
2ntransitive /erbs do not need direct objects to make them meaningful. or #$ample!
(aution: A 'er! can !e either transiti'e or intransiti'e depending on its context. or !"am#le: %he cars race. " ere, raceis intransiti'e. $t does not need an o!*ect. My father races horses. " ere, races is transiti'e. $t re4uires the o!*ect horses in order to ma%e sense. ?erbs can be #hrasal.
B$ !hrasal erbs are ma#e up of a erb an# a preposition$ "he preposition gies the erb a #i@erent meaning than it (oul# hae by itself$ 6or e-ample, the erb look has a #i@erent meaning from the phrasal erb look up +in the #ictionary$ 1ome more e$amples!
call up, find out, hand in, ma%e up, put off, turn on, write up
6ARN,N4: #he !ase form of a 'er! is called the infiniti'e. $t is to = 'er!. For example, to do, to win, to study, etc. >nder no circumstance can a 'er! preceded !y to !e considered a 'er!. ,nfinitives are not verbs.
A
rticles are the, a, and an.
Q: What do articles do in a sentence? A: Articles signal that a noun is going to follow. Ea!ple: •
7ho invented the telephone? The wheel?
The refrigerator? The airplane? A cat was chasing a mouse in my back yard. •
"odifiers #ad$ectives % adver&s' can appear &etween an article and a noun. Ea!ples: • • •
A sunset. A spectacular sunset. An exceptionally spectacular sunset.
The indefinite article (a) can onl* appear &efore nouns that &egin with a consonant sound : a hand, a book, a world, a computer… The indefinite article (an) can onl* appear &efore nouns that &egin with a vowel sound: an apartment, an hour, an article…
+eneral ,ules for the -se of Articles: . -se a/an with singular count nouns whose specific identit* is not 0nown to the reader either &ecause it is &eing !entioned for the first ti!e1 or &ecause its specific identit* is un0nown even to the writer.
xamples: • •
Julia arrived in a limousine. (a one among many. !ot a specific one." #e$re looking for an apartment. (an any one."
. 2o not use a%an with non&count nouns. 'nly use a%an with non&count nouns if you add a count noun in front of the non&count noun. xample) • •
Anh asked her mother for an advice. Anh asked her mother for a piece of
advice.
$$$. >se the with most nouns whose specific identity is known to the reader !ecause: ?. the noun has !een pre'iously mentioned: o
*esterday + saw a group of - students. The students were playing with a ball. The ball was white and blue. The ball rolled into a hole. The hole was small.
>$ the noun is ma#e speci'c by a superlatie7 + bought the fastest computer they had. o 3. the noun descri&es a uni4ue person1 place1 or thing: lease give this to the manager. o The sun is bright today. o /ain is falling heavily in the !orth. o 5. the contet or situation !a0es the noun)s identit* clear: lease don$t slam the door when you leave. o 0ob warned me that the dog playing in his yard is very affectionate and 1umps on o every person it meets. 6. 2o not use the with plural or non&count nouns meaning 2all2 or 2in general2 (i.e. generic reference nouns". 3o not use the with most singular proper nouns. 4he fountains are an expensive element of landscape design. +n some parts of the world, the rice is preferred to all other grains. • •
V$ 5o not use articles (ith other noun marers or $eterminers, i$e$ possessive nouns +1elen/s C an# some pronouns +his, her, its, ours, their, (hose, this, that, these, those, all, any, each, either, eery, fe(, many, more, most, much, neither, seeral, some$ Exceptions4 All the7 A few7 The !ost7
xamples: • •
The elen=s book is on the >oor. A this book belongs to Trung.
A nal caution+ A word can !e more than one part of speech. or e"am#le: $ sat on the so$a. A!o'e, so$a is used as a noun (o!*ect of the preposition. , sle#t on the sofa bed.
ere, sofa acts as an ad*ecti'e to descri!e the noun city. #he meaning of the sentence is that the person will ha'e to sleep on the sofa, not a !ed.
Sources:
Aar, <. (?@@. 5undamentals o$ English grammar 6 nd ed. nglewood Bliffs, NC: +rentice all ;egents. ac%er, 5. (?@D@. A writer7s re$erence. New 6or%: -t. Martin9s +ress, $nc. ayes, B. (?@@E. English at hand. Marlton, NC: #ownsend +ress.
Leah9s head. -hono, -. (Fall ?@@D. -L EG Articles andout.
file:///:/H.I+artIofI-peech/#hereIareInineIpartsIofIspeech.html
!nglish Parts of S#eech Nouns J Pronouns J Ad&ectives J ?erbs J Adverbs Pre#ositions J on&unctions J ,nter&ections !nglish Parts of S#eech Summary %able J !"ercises J %o#
"here are eight #i@erent ?nglish parts of speech, but before (e continue any further$$$
lic/ $ere for Ste#HbyHSte# Rules' Stories and !"ercises to Practice All !nglish %enses
7hat is a 'art of 1peech? A part of speech is a group of (or#s that are use# in a certain (ay$ 6or e-ample, Drun,D D9ump,D an# DbeD are all use# to #escribe actionsEstates$ "herefore they belong to the V?R2) group$ In other (or#s, all (or#s in the ?nglish language are #ii#e# into eight #i@erent categories$ ?ach category has a #i@erent roleEfunction in the sentence$ The #nglish Nouns , pronouns , conjunctions an#
parts adjectives ,
of verbs,
speech are! adverbs, prepositions, interjections$
3lick here to learn the #i@erent parts of a sentence$
1ame 7ord @ 1everal 'arts of 1peech In the ?nglish language many (or#s are use# in more than one (ay$ "his means that a (or# can function as seeral #i@erent parts of speech$ 6or e-ample, in the sentence DI (oul# like a #rinkD the (or# D#rinkD is a noun$ 1o(eer, in the sentence D"hey #rink too muchD the (or# D#rinkD is a verb$ )o it all #epen#s on the (or#*s role in the sentence$ (lick here for video grammar lessons including the 'arts of 1peech :ade 1imple /ideosB #nglish 'arts of 1peech Navigation! %ouns F !ronouns F A#9ecties F Verbs F A#erbs !repositions F 3on9unctions F Inter9ections ?nglish !arts of )peech )ummary "able F ?-ercises F "op
Nouns
3lick here for the complete illustrate# page on ?nglish nouns$ A noun is a (or# that names a person, a place or a thing$ #$amples! )arah, la#y, cat, %e( ;ork, 3ana#a, room, school, football, rea#ing$ #$ample sentences! 'eople like to go to the beach$ #mma passe# the test$ My parents are traeling to
"he (or# DnounD comes from the Latin (or# nomen, (hich means Dname,D an# nouns are in#ee# ho( (e name people, places an# things$ Abstract Nouns An abstract noun is a noun that names an i#ea, not a physical thing$
#$amples! 1ope, interest, loe, peace, ability, success, kno(le#ge, trouble$ (oncrete Nouns A concrete noun
is
a
noun
that
names
a
physical
thing$
#$amples! 2oy, table, oor, co@ee, beach, king, rain, chil#ren, professor$ (ommon Nouns A common noun is a noun that names a general thing, not a speci'c thing$ #$amples! 2oy, girl, city, country, company, planet, location, (ar$ 'roper Nouns A proper noun is a noun that in#icates the speci'c name of a thing$ It begins (ith a capital letter$ #$amples! Robin, Alice, Lon#on, )(e#en, Google, ?arth, ?i@el "o(er, 3iil 8ar$ +3ompare these e-amples to ones in the D3ommon nounsD section to see the #i@erence$ (ountable Nouns A countable noun is a noun that in#icates something you coul# actually
count$ 6or e-ample, you coul# count pigs7 one pig, t(o pigs, three pigs$$$ 1o(eer, you coul#n*t count water7 one (ater, t(o (ater : no, it #oesn*t (ork$$$ A countable noun has both a singular an# a plural form, an# it can be use# (ith the in#e'nite articles +aEan$ #$amples! 8in#o(, teacher, tree, lion, eye, clou#, pencil, heart, moie$ Cncountable Nouns An uncountable noun is a noun that in#icates something you cannot count$
6or e-ample, you coul# count pigs7 one pig, t(o pigs, three pigs$$$ 1o(eer, you coul#n*t count water7 one (ater, t(o (ater : no, it #oesn*t (ork$$$ An uncountable noun has only one form +no plural, an# it cannot be use# (ith the in#e'nite articles +aEan$ #$amples! 6urniture, a#ice, mail, ne(s, e&uipment, luggage, (ork, co@ee, information$
%ouns F !ronouns F A#9ecties F Verbs F A#erbs !repositions F 3on9unctions F Inter9ections ?nglish !arts of )peech )ummary "able F ?-ercises F "op
'ronouns 3lick here for the complete illustrate# page on ?nglish pronouns$ A pronoun is a (or# that is use# instea# of a noun$ 6or e-ample, you coul# say, DLisa is a nice girl$D "hen you coul# replace the noun DLisaD (ith the (or# D)heD an# get the follo(ing sentence7 D)he is a nice girl$D D)heD is a pronoun$ #$amples! I, he, it, (e, them, us, mine, itself$ #$ample sentences! e #oesn*t (ant go (ith them$ 8oul# they help us= is house is bigger than ours$ 7ho is she=
"he (or# DpronounD comes from DproD +in the meaning of DsubstituteD H Dnoun$D 'ersonal 'ronouns !ersonal pronouns represent people or things$ "he personal pronouns are7 I, you, he, she, it, (e, they, me, him, her, us, them$ 8emonstrative 'ronouns D5emonstratieD means
Dsho(ing,
making
something
clear$D
5emonstratie pronouns point to things$ "he #emonstratie pronouns are7 this, that, these, those$ se DthisD an# DtheseD to talk about things that are near in space or in time$ se DthatD an# DthoseD to talk about things that are farther a(ay in space or time$ #$ample This cannot go That (as 1e (ante# those, but #eci#e# to compromise on these$ 2nterrogative 'ronouns DInterrogatieD means
Duse#
sentences! on$ beautiful<
in
&uestions$D
Interrogatie pronouns are use# to ask &uestions$ "he interrogatie pronouns are7 (ho, (hom, (hich, (hat, (hoeer, (hateer, etc$ se se
D(hoD D(hichD
an# D(homD to talk about an# D(hatD to talk about animals an#
#$ample 7ho is 7hom #i# 7hich bag 7hat are my choices=
sentences! father= to= buy=
your you #i#
'ossessive 'ronouns D!ossessieD means
people$ things$
speak you
Dsho(ing
o(nership$D
!ossessie pronouns in#icate that something belongs to somebo#yEsomething$ "he possessie pronouns are7 my, your, his, her, its, our, their, mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs$ #$ample I*e lost 1e marrie# "his place Is that My car is slo($ ers is much faster$ 0elative 'ronouns DRelatieD means
sentences! (allet$ girlfrien#$ theirs$ yours=
my his is cat
Dconnecte#
(ith
something$D
Relatie pronouns are pronouns that link #i@erent parts of a sentence$ "he relatie pronouns are7 (ho, (hom, (hich, that, (hoeer, etc$ #$amples sentences! "he girl who calle# yester#ay came to see you$ "he teacher whom you (rote has ans(ere# your &uestions$ )he lies in Kie, which is the capital city of kraine$ I really like# the book that you gae me$ 0e>e$ive 'ronouns DRee-ieD means
Dgoing
back
to
itself$D
Ree-ie pronouns sho( that the action a@ects the person (ho performs the action$ Ree-ie pronouns en# in D0selfD +singular or D0selesD +plural$ "he ree-ie pronouns are7 myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourseles, themseles$ #$ample 1e cut I sent 1e coul# 8e must )he trusts herself $
(hile to
himself myself
hurt help
sentences! shaing$ be#$ himself < ourselves$
2ntensive 'ronouns DIntensieD means
Dgiing
force
or
emphasis$D
An intensie pronoun is a pronoun use# for emphasis$ In other (or#s, intensie pronouns emphasize the sub9ect of the sentence$ "hey are (ritten e-actly the same (ay as the ree-ie pronouns, but their function is #i@erent$ myself I herself "he &ueen 1ae you "he pro9ect 8e (ill #o it ourselves$
bake# the recommen#e# this yourself been itself (asn*t
cake$ restaurant$ there= #icult$
0eciprocal 'ronouns "eciprocal means that t(o people or groups #o the same thing to each other$ "hey treat each other in the same (ay$
6or e-ample, Joe loes Kate, an# Kate loes Joe$ )o (e can say, DKate an# Joe loe each other$D Another e-ample7 Mike helps Lucy, an# Lucy helps Mike$ )o (e can say, DMike an# Lucy help each other$D "here #ach
are
t(o other
reciprocal an#
"he cat an# the "he t(o politicians 8e must stop "hey gae each "hey can*t hear one another$ 2ndenite 'ronouns DIn#e'niteD means
pronouns one
#og
like
each each one 3hristmas
hate 'ghting other
Dnot
in
e-act,
not
?nglish7 another$ other$ other$ another$ presents$
limite#$D
In#e'nite pronouns are pronouns that #o not refer to any speci'c person or thing$ #$amples! Anything, #$ample :any 3an #verybody 1omething
eerybo#y, another, hae
#ie# anyone (ants can be
each,
fe(, many, #uring
none, some$ the
call to
see #one
to
%ouns F !ronouns F A#9ecties F Verbs F A#erbs !repositions F 3on9unctions F Inter9ections ?nglish !arts of )peech )ummary "able F ?-ercises F "op
sentences! (ar$ her= you$ help$
Adjectives
3lick here for the complete illustrate# page on ?nglish a#9ecties$ An a#9ectie is a (or# that #escribes a person or thing$ #$amples! 2ig, pretty, e-pensie, green, roun#, 6rench, lou#, &uick, fat$ #$ample sentences! 1e has big blue eyes$ "he new car broke #o(n$ "he old la#y (as talking in a ;uiet oice$
"he (or# Da#9ectieD comes from the Latin (or# 'acere, (hich means Dto thro($D 8iDerent Types of adjectives A#9ecties can be 4pinion %ice, 1i)e 2ig,
pretty, large, ol#,
1hape Roun#, (olor 2lue, 4rigin Italian,
stupi#,
small,
Age ;oung,
enormous,
ne(,
(hite, 2ritish,
into
original,
tiny,
s&uare, re#,
#ii#e#
e-pensie,
etc$ etc$
anti&ue,
at,
etc$
straight,
#ark,
Me-ican,
types7
little,
ancient,
black,
seeral
bright,
(estern,
etc$
yello(ish, southern,
etc$ etc$
:aterial Metal, (oo#en, plastic, gol#en, etc$ 8eterminers A #eterminer is a (or# that comes before a noun to sho( (hich person or thing you are talking about$ #$amples! A, an, the, #$ample I !lease 1ome
my, hae gie people
your, some,
any,
a
me #eci#e#
seeral, re# my to
enough,
any$
sentences! hat$ bag$ leae$
)he "hey
#oesn*t (atche#
any several
(ant
money$ moies$
)ome people consi#er determiners to be a type of adjective $ 8hat*s special about #eterminers is that you usually can use only one #eterminer at a time$ 2ncorrect! 1e has (orrect! 1e has my ticket E 1e has the ticket$
the
my
ticket$
Nouns that act like adjectives )ometimes nouns function as a#9ecties$ In other (or#s, they come before another noun an# #escribe it$ #$amples! 1ports 4range Television (oDee 3ook coer
car 9uice station shop
The order of adjectives A noun can hae #$amples! D)he bought D1e is
"here
are
certain
a
a#9ecties
ne( great,
a rules
seeral
on
the
correct
re#
#escribing
Italian successful
or#er
of
those
it$ table$D father$D
a#9ecties$
This is the order you should generally follow! 8eterminer +E opinion +E si)e +E age +E shape +E color +E origin +E material +E a word describing purposeFfunction #$amples! A nice little co@ee shop +5eterminer 0 opinion 0 size 0 purposeEfunction (or#
My huge ne( s(imming pool +5eterminer 0 size 0 age 0 purposeEfunction (or# )eeral 3hinese plastic cups +5eterminer 0 origin 0 material "he roun# yello( ball +5eterminer 0 shape 0 color Adjectives of the same type! 8hen you hae seeral a#9ecties of the same type, you shoul# separate them (ith commas or a con9unction +an#, but$ #$amples! A cheap, goo# meal
A happy, smart man "he beautiful, original painting My nice an# s(eet cat An e-pensie but important trip (omparative adjectives D3omparatieD means
3omparatie (eaker, an#
a#9ectie
Dcomparing
sho( us (hich so
something thing
to
something
else$D
is better, (orse, stronger, forth$
#$amples! 2etter, (orse, bigger, smaller, nicer, fatter, thinner, more #angerous$ #$ample better )he is a stu#ent "he test (as worse ;ou are stronger 1e seems ;ou are more beautiful than her$ 1uperlative adjectives D)uperlatieD means
Dof
than than
her I*# than
sentences! brothers$ e-pecte#$ me$ healthier$
the
highest
#egree$D
)uperlatie a#9ecties sho( us (hich thing is the best, the strongest, an# so forth$ #$amples! 2est, (orst, #$ample ;ou "his ?en "his is
strongest,
are is the the the most
smallest,
cheapest,
my worst #ay smallest e$pensive restaurant
most
e-pensie$
sentences! best frien#$ of my life$ #onation helps$ I*e eer hear# of$
%ouns F !ronouns F A#9ecties F Verbs F A#erbs !repositions F 3on9unctions F Inter9ections ?nglish !arts of )peech )ummary "able F ?-ercises F "op
/erbs A erb is a (or# or group of (or#s that e-press an action or a state$ #$amples! Go, 9ump, sleep, eat, think, be, change, become, #rie, complete$ #$ample sentences! 8e had a nice lunch$ I think that he is right$
1e drove for hours$ "he (or# DerbD comes for the Latin (or# verbum, (hich means D(or#$D Au$iliary /erbs also called Ghelping verbsGB 3lick here for the complete illustrate# page on main erbs, au-iliary erbs +helping erbs an# compoun# erbs$
Au-iliary erbs are erbs that are use# together (ith the main erb of the sentence to e-press the action or state$ Main The be,
erb am,
H
au-iliary
main is, are,
(as,
erb
au$iliary (ere, #o,
complete
verbs #i#, hae,
has,
i#ea are! ha#$
#$ample sentences the au$iliary verb is in bold, and the main verb is underlinedB! are "hey 9ogging$ was )he sitting$ were 8e (aiting for hours$ 2s she sleeping= didnHt 1e kno( the ans(er$ 8e have gone a long (ay$ as she receie# any of my letters= 8o you smoke= 7ill she help= (ompound /erbs A compound verb #$amples! (as playing,
"hey 1e I )he
au-iliary
has
were didnHt have will
erb
eaten,
H #oesn*t
their the
discussing tell us nished meet
my us
main
erb$ (ant$
future$ truth$ home(ork$ there$
1tative /erbs 3lick here for the complete illustrate# page on statie erbs an# #ynamic
erbs$ )tatie erbs are erbs that e-press a state rather than an action$ #$amples! be, seem, #$amples )he 1e
loe,
o(n,
(ant,
soun#,
hae,
a
is seems
kno(,
great rather
un#erstan#$ sentences! (ife$ strange$
wanted
1e "hat 8e
to sounds enough
have
)tatie
erbs
#$amples! 2ncorrect! (orrect! 2ncorrect! (orrect!
are
usually
1e 1e
not
things
use#
is
in
am I
progressie
to
see see
to
kno(ing kno(
(hat
are
to
seeming seem
"hey
tenses$ you$ you$
to
(hat
"hey
you$ a(esome< #o$
to
the
(anting (ants
I
2ncorrect! (orrect!
see
#o$ #o$ nice$ nice$
1o(eer, if the same erb is use# to #escribe an actual action +not a state, then it can be use# in the progressie tenses$ #$ample! 8hen the erb DhaeD means Do(nD : it is a state$ )o (e #o not use it in the progressie tenses$ 2ncorrect! (orrect!
I
am
haing
I
a
hae
laptop$ laptop$
a
8hen the erb DhaeD means DeatD : it is an actual action$ )o (e can use it in the progressie tenses$ (orrect! I am haing (orrect! I hae lunch (ith Kate$
lunch
(ith
Kate$
8ynamic /erbs 5ynamic erbs are the opposite of statie erbs$ "hey e-press a real action$ #$amples! Jump, s(im, #$ample "hey )he 4pen
"he
#ynamic
catch,
(rite,
swam hit
call,
to me
(orrect! 1e (orrect! 1e #rinks (ater$ 0egular /erbs Regular erbs !ast form of the erb
can
be
hit,
the on (in#o(,
the erbs
sleep,
use# is
in
the
open,
other the
sentences! si#e$ hea#< please$
progressie
#rinking
are erbs that follo( present form of the erb
speak$
tenses$ (ater$
this H e#
rule7 E #$
#$amples! !ast form !ast form !ast form
of of of
DcheckD DopenD DbakeD
check open bake
H H H
e# e# #
checke#$ opene#$ bake#$
"here are certain rules to a##ing D#D or De#D to a erb$ Rea# about them in the Regular Verbs an# Irregular Verbs section$ 2rregular /erbs Irregular erbs are erbs that #o not follo( the aboe rule, an# there are &uite a lot of them< #$amples! !ast form of !ast form of !ast form of DbringD brought$
D#rinkD DsleepD
#rank$ slept$
'hrasal /erbs 3lick here for the complete illustrate# page on ?nglish phrasal erbs$
A phrasal erb is a erb that is combine# (ith an a#erb or a preposition$ "he combination creates a ne( meaning$ #$amples! Run to moe ery &uickly (ith your legs$ +D)he can run fast
Make to create or #o something$ +D1e ma#e a lot of noise$D p to a higher point$ +DLook up
%ouns F !ronouns F A#9ecties F Verbs F A#erbs !repositions F 3on9unctions F Inter9ections ?nglish !arts of )peech )ummary "able F ?-ercises F "op
Adverbs 3lick here for the complete illustrate# page on ?nglish a#erbs$
An a#erb is a (or# that #escribes or gies more information about a erb, an a#9ectie, another a#erb, or een the entire sentence$ Adverbs usually answer the following ;uestions! ome$ 8here= +DI (ent home$D Yesterday$ 8hen= +D8e met yester#ay$D 1lowly$ 1o(= +D"he turtle moes slo(ly$D 1ometimes$ 1o( often= +D)ometimes it stops respon#ing$D 1o( long= Temporarily$ +D)he is staying (ith us temporarily$D 1urely$ 1o( likely= +D.ur team (ill surely (in
adverb
can
describe
a
runs adverb
can
is adverb
An adverb Naturally,
can smokes can you
describe so describe
describe #on*t
an
another very an hae
entire to
verb! ;uickly $ adjective! beautiful$ adverb! rarely$ sentence! come$
"he (or# Da#erbD comes for the Latin a$- +in a##ition an# verbum +(or#$ 2n many cases but not always*B adverbs have the following form! Adjective I G+lyG #$amples! uick H ly ;uickly )trange H ly strangely 5ea# H ly deadly )u##en H ly suddenly 3leer H ly cleverly 2rae H ly bravely Real H ly really 7hen an adjective ends with GyG replace the GyG with an GiG! 1eay H ly heai H ly heaily 1appy H ly happi H ly happily 7hen the adjective ends with an GeG drop the GeG! "rue H ly tru H ly truly owever, there are many adverbs that do not end in G+lyG! 6ast, ery, har#, home, 9ust, too, (ell, neer, sometimes, an# so forth$ 7e can divide #nglish adverbs into several categories! A#erbs of #egree, a#erbs of manner, a#erbs of place, a#erbs of time, a#erbs of fre&uency, a#erbs of #uration, a#erbs of probability, comparatie a#erbs an# superlatie a#erbs$
Adverbs of degree A#erbs of #egree sho( us the strength or #egree of the action or state$ "hey ans(er the follo(ing &uestions7 1o( much= "o (hat #egree= #$amples! Very, highly,
totally,
perfectly,
#$ample very 1e is ;ou are 8e almost ma#e it to the train$
partially,
almost$
(ith
sentences! you$ right$
concerne# totally
Adverbs of manner A#erbs of manner sho( us the (ay the action is #one$ "hey ans(er the follo(ing &uestion7 1o(= #$amples! 8ell, ba#ly, nicely, slo(ly, lou#ly, &uietly, happily, sa#ly, secretly, (eakly$ #$ample 1e han#le# the )he listene# secretly "he chil#ren ran happily to their father$
situation their
to
sentences! well$ conersation$
Adverbs of place A#erbs of place sho( us the location of the action or state$ "hey ans(er the follo(ing &uestion7 8here= #$amples! 1ome, here, there, outsi#e, insi#e, a(ay, aroun#, any(here, abroa#, up, #o(n, out$ #$ample 8e 1e 8e )he looke# up$
sentences! are here$ home$ outside$
(ent foun#
him
Adverbs of time A#erbs of time sho( us the time of the action or state$ "hey ans(er the follo(ing &uestion7 8hen= #$amples! %o(, soon, #$ample Let*s
later,
yester#ay,
tomorro(, talk
early,
before,
lately,
recently$
sentences! now$
I (ill 1e promise# 8hat are 8e haen*t met before $
#o to you
later$ soon$ tomorrow =
it (rite
back #oing
Adverbs of fre;uency A#erbs of fre&uency sho( us the fre&uency of the action or state$ "hey ans(er the follo(ing &uestion7 1o( often= #$amples! Al(ays, neer,
sometimes,
#$ample always I brush often 8e 1e is usually here on time$
often, my
rarely, teeth
usually,
sentences! a meal$ chat$
after an#
meet
occasionally$
Adverbs of duration A#erbs of #uration sho( us the length of the action or state$ "hey ans(er the follo(ing &uestion7 6or ho( long= #$amples! 6oreer,
constantly,
#$ample 1e is 8e I (ill be forever grateful$
temporarily,
(orking spoke
briey$ sentences! temporarily$ brie>y$
there
Adverbs of probability A#erbs of probability sho( us the chances for the action or state to happen$ "hey ans(er the follo(ing &uestion7 1o( likely= #$amples! 3ertainly,
maybe,
probably,
possibly,
#$ample sentences! certainly )he (ill forget :aybe (e*ll come It (ill probably 1urely you are not serious< (omparative adverbs D3omparatieD means Dcomparing
something
surely$
about after not
it$ all$ (ork$
to
else$D
something
3omparatie a#erbs sho( us (hich action or state is better, (orse, stronger, (eaker, an# so forth$
#$amples! more, less,
better,
#$ample Maggie (orks )he eats ;ou are 8e coul#n*t go Let*s get closer $
(orse,
faster,
slo(er,
farther,
closer$
sentences! more out seriously than 5onna$ less than her frien#s$ better than this$ slower een if (e (ante# to$
1uperlative adverbs D)uperlatieD means
Dof
the
highest
#egree$D
)uperlatie a#erbs sho( us (hich action or state is the best, the strongest, an# so forth$ #$amples! 2est, most,
least,
#$ample 1e It (as the 1e shoute# the 1e ran the slowest so he lost$
(orst,
strongest,
kno(s most loudest
boring so
fastest,
slo(est$
sentences! best$ e-perience$ he (on$
%ouns F !ronouns F A#9ecties F Verbs F A#erbs !repositions F 3on9unctions F Inter9ections ?nglish !arts of )peech )ummary "able F ?-ercises F "op
'repositions
3lick here for the complete illustrate# page on ?nglish prepositions$ 3lick here for further e-planations an# e-amples on prepositions in ?nglish$ A preposition is a (or# that is use# before a noun or a pronoun to connect it to another (or# in the sentence$ It is usually use# to sho( location, #irection, time, an# so forth$ #$amples! .n, in, at, by, un#er, aboe, besi#e, to, out, from, for$
#$ample sentences! I sat on the oor$ Let*s go into the house$ 8e (ill meet at four o*clock$ 1ae a look under the couch$ 1e (ent to school$ "his letter is for you$
"he (or# DprepositionD comes from the Latin (or# praeponere +put before$ )o prepositions usually come before the nounEpronoun$ %ouns F !ronouns F A#9ecties F Verbs F A#erbs !repositions F 3on9unctions F Inter9ections ?nglish !arts of )peech )ummary "able F ?-ercises F "op
(onjunctions
A con9unction is a (or# that 9oins parts of a sentence together$ #$amples! An#, but, or, because, so$ #$ample sentences! I (ant to come, but I can*t$ )he is smart and beautiful$ 8oul# you like a cat or a #og= 1e #i#n*t pass the test because he #i#n*t un#erstan# the sub9ect$ 8e (ere hungry, so (e or#ere# pizza$
"he (or# Dcon9unctionD comes from the Latin (or# con'un%ere +9oin together$ 3lick here to learn more about con9unctions$ %ouns F !ronouns F A#9ecties F Verbs F A#erbs !repositions F 3on9unctions F Inter9ections ?nglish !arts of )peech )ummary "able F ?-ercises F "op
2nterjections
An inter9ection is a short soun#, (or# or phrase use# to e-press the speaker*s emotion$ #$amples! .h< Look out< .(< 1ey< 8o(< Ah< m$$$ #$ample sentences! 7ow, that*s amazing< Ah, that (as a goo# meal$ Cm$$$ I*m not sure (hat to say$ 4h dear< 8hat happene#= ello< 1o( are you #oing= 7ell, that*s an option too$
"he (or# Dinter9ectionD comes from the Latin (or# inter'icere +thro( bet(een$ %ouns F !ronouns F A#9ecties F Verbs F A#erbs !repositions F 3on9unctions F Inter9ections ?nglish !arts of )peech )ummary "able F ?-ercises F "op
inal 7ords on the #nglish 'arts of 1peech If you eer 'n# yourself (on#ering (hich part of speech a certain (or# is, the best solution is to check it out in a #ictionary$ "he #ictionary (ill gie you the ans(er you nee#, together (ith e-amples on ho( to use the (or#$ An# that is priceless<
#nglish 'arts of 1peech 1ummary Table (lick here for video grammar lessons including the 'arts of 1peech :ade 1imple /ideosB
'art of 1peech Nou ns 'ro nouns Adje ctives /er bs Adv erbs
're positions (onj unctions 2nte rjections
#$am ples 2oy, A (or# that names a person, a )am, cat, place or a thing !aris A (or# that is use# instea# of a 1e, noun my, yourself A (or# that #escribes a person or pretty thing , easy, fat go, A (or# or group of (or#s that 9ump, be, e-press an action or a state think A (or# that #escribes or gies &uickl more information about a erb, an y, tomorro(, a#9ectie, another a#erb, or een the outsi#e entire sentence A (or# that is use# before a noun or a pronoun to connect it to another on, in, (or# in the sentence$ It is usually use# to to, from, of sho( location, #irection, time, an# so forth$ A (or# that 9oins parts of a an#, sentence together or, but 8o(, A short soun#, (or# or phrase use# hmm, (ell, to e-press the speaker*s emotion$ oh #ear #$planation
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'art of 1peech 4verview $n the nglish language, words can !e considered as the smallest elements that ha'e distincti'e meanings.
#his part of a speech refers to words that are used to name persons, things, animals, places, ideas, or e'ents. Nouns are the simplest among the D parts of speech, which is why they are the first ones taught to students in primary school. xamples: • •
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&om +ans is ery ersatile$ "he italicize# noun refers to a name of a person$ *o%s can be e-tremely cute$ In this e-ample, the italicize# (or# is consi#ere# a noun because it names an animal$
It is my birth$ay $ "he (or# Pbirth#ayQ is a noun (hich refers to an eent$
#here are different types of nouns namely: •
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'roper: proper nouns al(ays start (ith a capital letter an# refers to speci'c names of persons, places, or things$ ?-amples7 Volks(agen 2eetle, )hakey/s !izza, Game of "hrones (ommon: common nouns are the opposite of proper nouns$ "hese are 9ust generic names of persons, things, or places$ ?-amples7 car, pizza parlor, "V series (oncrete : this kin# refers to nouns (hich you can perceie through your 'e senses$ ?-amples7 fol#er, san#, boar# Abstract+ unlike concrete nouns, abstract nouns are those (hich you can/t perceie through your 'e senses$ ?-amples7 happiness, gru#ge, braery (ount: it refers to anything that is countable, an# has a singular an# plural form$ ?-amples7 kitten, i#eo, ball :ass: this is the opposite of count nouns$ Mass nouns are also calle# non0 countable nouns, an# they nee# to hae PcountersQ to &uantify them$ ?-amples of 3ounters7 kilo, cup, meter
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?-amples of Mass %ouns7 rice, our, garter (ollective : refers to a group of persons, animals, or things$ ?-ample7 faculty +group of teachers, class +group of stu#ents, pri#e +group of lions
#his great list of nouns can help you explore more nouns. &. 'ronoun
A pronoun is a part of a speech which functions as a replacement for a noun. -ome examples of pronouns are: I , it, he, she, mine, his, hers, we, they, theirs, and ours. -ample -entences: •
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Janice is a ery stubborn chil#$ he 9ust stare# at me an# (hen I tol# her to stop$ "he largest slice is mine$ 5e are number one$
#he italicied words in the sentences a!o'e are the pronouns in the sentence. J. Adjective
#his part of a speech is used to descri!e a noun or a pronoun. Ad*ecti'es can specify the 4uality, the sie, and the num!er of nouns or pronouns. >se this lin% to get a list of ad*ecti'es. -ample -entences: • •
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"he carings are intricate$ "he italicize# (or# #escribes the appearance of the noun Pcarings$Q I hae two hamsters$ "he italicize# (or# Pt(o,Q is an a#9ectie (hich #escribes the number of the noun Phamsters$Q 8o(< "hat #oughnut is hu%e< "he italicize# (or# is an a#9ectie (hich #escribes the size of the noun P#oughnut$Q
K. /erb
#his is the most important part of a speech, for without a 'er!, a sentence would not exist. -imply put, this is a word that shows an action (physical or mental or state of !eing of the su!*ect in a sentence. xamples of K-tate of
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As usual, the )tormtroopers misse$ their shot$ "he italicize# (or# e-presses the action of the sub9ect P)tormtroopers$Q "hey are al(ays prepare# in emergencies$ "he erb PareQ refers to the state of being of the pronoun Pthey,Q (hich is the sub9ect in the sentence$
L. Adverb
Cust li%e ad*ecti'es, ad'er!s are also used to descri!e words, !ut the difference is that ad'er!s descri!e ad*ecti'es, 'er!s, or another ad'er!. #he different types of ad'er!s are: •
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Adverb of :anner : this refers to ho( something happens or ho( an action is #one$ ?-ample7 Annie $ance$ gracefully$ "he (or# PgracefullyQ tells ho( Annie $ance$$ Adverb of Time0 this states P(henQ something happens or P(henQ it is #one$ ?-ample7 )he came yester$ay $ "he italicize# (or# tells (hen she Pcame$Q Adverb of 'lace : this tells something about P(hereQ something happens or Q(hereQ something is #one$ ?-ample7 .f course, I looke# eery(here< "he a#erb Peery(hereQ tells (here I Plooke#$Q Adverb of 8egree : this states the intensity or the #egree to (hich a speci'c thing happens or is #one$ ?-ample7 "he chil# is very talente#$ "he italicize# a#erb ans(ers the &uestion, P"o (hat #egree is the chil# talente#=Q
-. 'reposition
#his part of a speech !asically refers to words that specify location or a location in time. xamples of +repositions: abo!e, below, throughout, outside, be$ore, near, and since -ample -entences: • •
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Micah is hi#ing un$er the be#$ "he italicize# preposition intro#uces the prepositional phrase Pun#er the be#,Q an# tells where Micah is hi#ing$ *urin% the game, the au#ience neer stoppe# cheering for their team$ "he italicize# preposition intro#uces the prepositional phrase P#uring the game,Q an# tells when the au#ience cheere#$
M. (onjunction
#he con*unction is a part of a speech which *oins words, phrases, or clauses together. xamples of Bon*unctions: and, yet, but, $or, nor, or, and so -ample -entences: • •
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"his cup of tea is #elicious an$ ery soothing$ Kiyoko has to start all oer again because she #i#n/t follo( the professor/s instructions$ 1omer al(ays (ante# to 9oin the play, but he #i#n/t hae the guts to au#ition$
#he italicied words in the sentences a!o'e are some examples of con*unctions. 5. 2nterjection
#his part of a speech refers to words which express emotions. -ince inter*ections are commonly used to con'ey strong emotions, they are usually followed !y an exclamation point. xamples of $nter*ections:
-ample -entences: • • •
4uch* "hat must hae hurt$ urray, (e (on< ey* I sai# enough<
#he !old words attached to the main sentences a!o'e are some examples of inter*ections. inal %houghts
6ou must familiarie yourself with the different parts of speech discussed in this article !ecause they are among the most fundamental concepts that you will encounter throughout your study of grammar. An indepth %nowledge of this topic will not only ma%e you a !etter writer, !ut an effecti'e communicator as well.
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Parts of S#eech #nglish rammar #he #arts of s#eech explain how a word is used in a sentence. #here are eight main parts of speech (also %now as word classes: nouns' #ronouns' ad&ectives' verbs' adverbs' #re#ositions' con&unctions and inter&ections. Most #arts of s#eech can !e di'ided into su!classes.+repositions can !e di'ided into prepositions of time, prepositions of place etc. Nouns can !e di'ided into proper nouns, common nouns, concrete nouns etc. $t is important to %now that a word can sometimes !e in more than one part of speech. For example with the word increase. Increase can !e a 'er! e.g. +rices increased and increase can also !e a noun e.g. #here was an increase in the num!er of followers.
%he eight main #arts of s#eech in !nglish are:
N4CN + Naming wordB
A noun is the name of a person, place, thing or idea. xamples of nouns: 5aniel, London, ta!le, dog, teacher, pen, city, happiness, hope xample sentences: Steve li'es in Sydney. Mary uses #en and #a#er to write letters. Learn more a!out the different types of nouns.
'04N4CN + 0eplaces a NounB
A pronoun is used in place of a noun or noun phrase to a'oid repetition. xamples of pronouns: $, you, we, they, he, she, it, me, us, them, him, her, this, those xample sentences: Mary is tired. She wants to sleep. , want her to dance with me.
A8<#(T2/# + 8escribing wordB
An ad&ective descri!es, modifies or gi'es more information a!out a noun or pronoun. xamples: !ig, happy, green, young, fun, cray, three xample sentences: #he little girl had a #in/ hat.
/#03 + Action 7ordB
A verb shows an action or state of !eing. A 'er! shows what someone or something is doing. xamples: go, spea%, run, eat, play, li'e, wal%, ha'e, li%e, are, is xample sentences: $ li/e 1oodward nglish. $ study their charts and #lay their games.
A8/#03 + 8escribes a verbB
An adverb descri!es/modifies a 'er!, an ad*ecti'e or another ad'er!. $t tells how, where, when, how often or to what extent. Many ad'er!s end in L6 xamples: slowly, 4uietly, 'ery, always, ne'er, too, well, tomorrow, here xample sentences: $ am usually !usy. -esterday, $ ate my lunch Cuic/ly.
'0#'412T24N + 1hows relationshipB
A #re#osition shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to another word. #hey can indicate time, place, or relationship. xamples: at, on, in, from, with, near, !etween, a!out, under xample sentences: $ left my %eys on the ta!le for you.
(4N
A con&unction *oins two words, ideas, phrases or clauses together in a sentence and shows how they are connected. xamples: and, or, !ut, !ecause, so, yet, unless, since, if. xample sentences: $ was hot and exhausted but $ still finished the marathon.
2NT#0<#(T24N + #$pressive wordB
An inter&ection is a word or phrase that expresses a strong feeling or emotion. $t is a short exclamation. xamples: )uch8 1ow8 &reat8 elp8 )h8 ey8 i8 xample sentences: 1ow8 $ passed my nglish test. &reat8 " )uch8 #hat hurt. 1ummary (hart
-ometimes teachers include Articles as a ninth part of speech so we ha'e included it here. Note, an article is a type of ad*ecti'e.
A0T2(# + 8ening wordB
An article is used !efore a noun. #hese are di'ided into definite (the and indefinite (a, an. Articles help define nouns. xamples: a, an, the xample sentences: $ need a dictionary. %he dictionary needs to !e in nglish.
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Parts of S#eech %able #his is a summary of the @ parts of speech. 6ou can find more detail if you clic% on each part of speech. 6ou can also see these #arts of s#eech e"am#les #art of function or 9&ob9 e"am#le words s#eech (to !e, ha'e, do, li%e, ?erb action or state wor%, sing, can, must pen, dog, wor%, Noun thing or person music, town, London, teacher, Cohn good, !ig, red, well, Ad&ective descri!es a noun interesting limits or 0determines0 a a/an, the, , some, 3eterminer noun many Adverb Pronoun Pre#osition
descri!es a 'er!, ad*ecti'e or ad'er! replaces a noun lin%s a noun to another word
*oins clauses or on&unction sentences or words
e"am#le sentences
nglishBlu! is a we! site. $ li/e nglishBlu!. #his is my dog. e li'es in my house. 1e li'e in 0ondon.
My dogs are big. $ li%e big dogs. $ ha'e two dogs and some ra!!its. My dog eats Cuic/ly. 1hen he 4uic%ly, silently, well, is very hungry, he eats really !adly, 'ery, really 4uic%ly. $, you, he, she, some #ara is $ndian. She is !eautiful. to, at, after, on, !ut
1e went to school on Monday.
and, !ut, when
$ li%e dogs and $ li%e cats. $ li%e cats and dogs. $ li%e dogs but $ dont li%e cats.
short exclamation, ,nter&ection sometimes inserted into oh8, ouch8, hi8, well a sentence
>uch8 #hat hurts8 $i8 ow are you2 6ell, $ dont %now.
-ome grammar sources traditionally categorie nglish into parts of speech. )ther say 78. At nglishBlu!, we use the more recent categoriation of @ parts of speech. xamples of other categoriations are: •
er!s may !e treated as two different parts of speech:
le"ical ?erbs (work, like, run au"iliary ?erbs (be, ha!e, must o 3eterminers may !e treated as ad*ecti'es, instead of !eing a separate part of speech. o
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The 'arts of 1peech All words in the nglish language can !e classified as one of the eight different parts of speech. >nderstanding the different parts of speech is important in understanding how words can and should !e *oined together to ma%e sentences that are !oth grammatically correct and reada!le. An understanding of the parts of speech is also important for %nowing how to correctly punctuate sentences. #he eight parts of speech are nouns, pronouns, 'er!s, ad*ecti'es, ad'er!s, con*unctions, prepositions, and inter*ections. Noun I A noun is generally defined as a person, place, or thingO howe'er, ideas are also nouns. For example, lo'e is not a tangi!le thing that can !e seen or held, !ut clearly it exists, so it is a also a noun.
Nouns can !e di'ided into two main categories: proper nouns and common nouns. +roper nouns are the names of people or places that are capitalied (Aims Bommunity Bollege, Cohn -mith, etc.. Bommon nouns are names that do not re4uire capitaliation (!oo%, chair, school, etc. ?erb I A 'er! is a word that descri!es action or a state of !eing. #he second part of this definition is important, as many !elie'e that 'er!s are always action words that can !e 'isualied. #his is true of action 'er!s: run, wal%, play, *ump, sing, scream, etc.
owe'er, there are also lin%ing 'er!s, and these types of 'er!s do not express actionO instead, they express identity, classification, or existence. (#he following are the most common lin%ing 'er!s: is, am, was, were, are, and 'er! phrases ending in !e, !een, !eing. er!s often change their form as different endings are added to them. #hese endings are changed to show a 'er!9s relationship to time. #his is referred to as 'er! tense. Pronoun I A pronoun is a word that is used to replace a noun. For example, instead of saying K-am li%es pia we can use Ke as a su!stitute for -am. 1riters need to !e careful with pronoun use, as pronouns should only !e used after a noun has !een used first, and it must !e clear which noun the pronoun is replacing. Ad&ective I An ad*ecti'e modifies (limits or descri!es a noun or a pronoun. ssentially, it pro'ides more information a!out a person, place, or thing. For instance, in the sentence 5rank is a tall, skinny man, !oth tall and skinny are ad*ecti'es as they are used to descri!e Fran%.