Part of Speech

Part of Speech

In the English language, words can be considered as the smallest elements that have distinctive meanings. Based

on their use and functions, words are categorized into several types or parts of speech. This article will offer

definitions and examples for the 8 major parts of speech in English

grammar: noun, pronoun, verb, adverb, adjective, conjunction, preposition, and interjection.

1. Noun

This part of a speech refers to words that are used to name persons, things, animals, places, ideas, or events.

Nouns are the simplest among the 8 parts of speech, which is why they are the first ones taught to students in

primary school. Examples:

Tom Hanks

is very versatile.

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The italicized noun refers to a name of a person.

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Dog

s can be extremely cute.

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In this example, the italicized word is considered a noun because it names an animal.

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It is my

birthday

.

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The word “birthday” is a noun which refers to an event.

There are different types of nouns namely:

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Proper

–

proper nouns always start with a capital letter and refers to specific names of persons, places, or

things.

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Examples: Volkswagen Beetle, Shakey’s Pizza, Game of Thrones

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Common

–

common nouns are the opposite of proper nouns. These are just generic names of persons, things,

or places.

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Examples: car, pizza parlor, TV series

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Concrete

–

this kind refers to nouns which you can perceive through your five senses.

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Examples: folder, sand, board

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Abstract-

unlike concrete nouns, abstract nouns are those which y

ou can’t perceive through your five

senses.

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Examples: happiness, grudge, bravery

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Count

–

it refers to anything that is countable, and has a singular and plural form.

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Examples:

kitten, video, ball

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Mass

–

this is the opposite of count nouns. Mass nouns are also called non-countable nouns, and they need

to have “counters” to quantify them.

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Examples of Counters: kilo, cup, meter

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Examples of Mass Nouns: rice, flour, garter

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Collective

–

refers to a group of persons, animals, or things.

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Example: faculty (group of teachers), class (group of students), pride (group of lions)

This great list of nouns can help you explore more nouns.

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2. Pronoun

A pronoun is a part of a speech which functions as a replacement for a noun. Some examples of pronouns

are:

I

,

it, he, she, mine, his, hers, we, they, theirs,

and

ours.

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Sample Sentences: Janice is a very stubborn child.

She

just stared at me and when I told her to stop.

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The largest slice is

mine

.

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We

are number one.

The italicized words in the sentences above are the pronouns in the sentence.

3. Adjective

This part of

a speech is used to describe a noun or a pronoun. Adjectives can specify the quality, the size, and

the number of nouns or pronouns.

Use this link to get a list of adjectives.

Sample Sentences:

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The carvings are

intricate

.

The

italicized word describes the appearance of the noun “carvings.”

I have

two

hamsters.

The italicized word “two,” is an adjective which describes the number of the noun “hamsters.”

Wow! That doughnut is

huge

!

The italicized word is an adjective which

describes the size of the noun “doughnut.”

4. Verb

This is the most important part of a speech, for without a verb, a sentence would not exist. Simply put, this is a

word that shows an action (physical or mental) or state of being of the subject in a sentence.

Examples of “State of Being Verbs” :

am

,

is

,

was

,

are

, and

were

Sample Sentences:

As usual, the Storm troopers

missed

their shot.

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The italicized word expresses the action of the subject “

Storm troopers

.”

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They are always prepared in emergencies.

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The verb “are” refers to the state of being of the pronoun “they,” which is the subject in the sentence.

5. Adverb

Just like adjectives, adverbs are also used to describe words, but the difference is that adverbs describe adjectives,

verbs, or another adverb.

The different types of adverbs are:

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Adverb of Manner

–

this refers to how something happens or how an action is done.

Example: Annie

danced

gracefully.

The word “gracefully” tells how Annie

danced

.

Adverb of Tim

e-

this states “when” something happens or “when” it is done.

Example: She came

yesterday

.

The italicized word tells when she “came.”

Adverb of Place

–

this tells something about “where” something happens or ”where” something is done.

Example:

Of course, I looked everywhere!

The adverb “everywhere” tells where I “looked.”

Adverb of Degree

–

this states the intensity or the degree to which a specific thing happens or is done.

Example: The child is

very

talented.

The italicized adverb answers the question, “To what degree is the child talented?”

6. Preposition

This part of a speech basically refers to words that specify location or a location in time.

Examples of Prepositions:

above, below, throughout, outside, before, near,

and

since

Sample Sentences:

Micah is hiding

under

the bed.

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The italicized preposition introduces the prepositional phrase “under the bed,” and tells

where

Micah is

hiding.

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During

the game, the audience never stopped cheering for their team.

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The italicized preposition introduces the prepositional phrase “during the game,” and tells

when

the

audience cheered.

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7. Conjunction

The conjunction is a part of a speech which joins words, phrases, or clauses together.

Examples of Conjunctions:

and, yet, but, for, nor, or,

and

so

Sample Sentences:

This cup of tea is delicious

and

very soothing.

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Kiyoko has to start all over again

because

she didn’t follow the professor’s instructions.

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Homer always wanted to join the play,

but

he didn’t have the guts to audition.

The italicized words in the sentences above are some examples of conjunctions.

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8. Interjection

This part of a speech refers to words which express emotions. Since interjections are commonly used to convey

strong emotions, they are usually followed by an exclamation point.

Examples of Interjections:

Sample Sentences:

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Ouch!

That must have hurt.

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Hurray

, we won!

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Hey!

I said enough!

The bold words attached to the main sentences above are some examples of interjections.

Final Thoughts

You must familiarize yourself with the different parts of speech discussed in this article because they are among

the most fundamental concepts that you will encounter throughout your study of grammar. An in-depth

knowledge of this topic will not only make you a better writer, but an effective communicator as well.

The following table illustrates the proper use of verb tenses:

Simple Present

Simple Past

Simple Future

Last night, I

read

an entire

I

will read

as much as I can

I

read

nearly every day.

novel.

this year.

Present Continuous

Past Continuous

Future Continuous

I

am reading

Shakespeare

I

was reading

Edgar Allan

I

will be reading

Nathaniel

at the moment.

Poe last night.

Hawthorne soon.

Present Perfect

Past Perfect

Future Perfect

I

had read

at least 100

I

have read

so many books

I

will have read

at least 500

books by the time I was

I can’t keep count.

books by the end of the year.

twelve.

Present Perfect

Past Perfect Continuous

Future Perfect Continuous

Continuous

I

had been reading

for at

I

will have been reading

for at

I

have been reading

since I

least a year before my sister

least two hours before dinner

was four years old.

learned to read.

tonight.

什么是时态？

时态就是表示一个动作 发生的

时间

和所处的

状态

。

“时”就是这个动作发生的“时间”；

“态”就是这个动作在某个时刻的“状态”。

时间的定义

:

英语中把

时间分为三类：过去（

past

）、现在（

now

）和将来（

future

）

。

任何一个动作都必然是发生于过去、

现在或将来。

例如上图 中的动作

1

发生在过去，

动作