What are parts of speech?
Parts of speech is a phrase that, when taken literally, just refers to the literal words we use and the “category” of grammar (in English) which they belong to.
When we speak, we use words—obviously (I’m trying to break it down to the basics; bear with me. When we write or communicate via text, we also use words. Even our thoughts consist of words. Each of these words belongs to one of the main parts of speech. Let’s talk about it.
Paris is a beautiful city.
The tall building reached the sky.
france is a beautiful Country.
The tallness building reached the sky.
Before diving in, a quick anecdote: From what I can remember from grade school, I do recall being overwhelmed and anxious whenever we were learning grammar. Looking back, I see now that this had nothing to do with the material itself, but the clunky explanations and unfamiliar terms made me feel like I knew absolutely nothing about grammar, and never would.
The point is that when it comes to learning, whether it’s grammar or any subject, don’t be intimidated by the phraseology. Once you understand the meaning, it’s usually not that complicated.
Apologies for the side-note, but I mention it because the term ‘part of speech’ was one of those phrases that confused me. However, the parts of speech is what makes our language, and so understanding them, and each of their grammatical roles, and whichever group a word belongs to, will be the ticket to clear writing. There are eight main parts of speech. Each one is responsible for a different, though principal role in language:
| Part of speech | Examples |
|---|---|
| 1. nouns | Henry VIII, a dog, mountains, Paris, sand, mathematics, a cabin |
| 2. verbs | is, be, become, listening, catch, have, could, should, move out |
| 3. adjectives | beautiful, new, blue, ancient, helpful, tall, important |
| 4. adverbs | quickly, very, happily, carefully, often, almost, there |
| 5. pronouns | I, you, he, she, it, we, they, me, him, her, us, them |
| 6. prepositions | in, on, at, under, over, with, for, from, about, by |
| 7. conjunctions | and, but, or, so, because, although, while, if, since |
| 8. interjections | hurray!, yikes, ouch, wow!, ew, ugh, whoops |
Nouns
Nouns name places, people, things, or ideas.
| Sentences with nouns |
|
Henry VII was considered an accomplished king. This is my dog, Bruno. |
| Types of nouns | Examples |
|---|---|
| 1. proper | Henry VIII, Susan, Paris, an iPhone |
| 2. common | lakes, an actor, philosophy, a restaurant |
| 3. abstract | motherhood, ambition, generosity, democracy, love, time |
| 4. concrete | man, dog, table, laptop, boxes, mail |
| 5. countable | men, houses, a fox, pens, boxes, mangoes |
| 6. uncountable | sand, knowledge, justice, milk, software, happiness, research |
| 7. collective | an army, a committee, a jury, family, a gaggle of geese |
| 8. possessive | my mother-in-law’s recipe, James’s car, while, the boy’s book |
Adjectives
Adjectives tell us about nouns. They are describing words that modify nouns in some way, shape, or form by giving us more information. Adjectives add meaning to nouns.
They derive from the Latin word, adjectivum, meaning “that is added to (the noun).” A way to remember adjectives is by the mnemonic: adjectives add. They add meaning to sentences by telling us more about the subjects/objects and other parts of sentences.
| Adjective | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| clever | Beth is a clever girl. |
| delicious | The steak looks delicious. |
| smarter | Jane is smarter than her brother. |
Adjectives come in different types, depending on the kind of information they provide and their grammatical function:
| Types of adjectives | Examples |
|---|---|
| 1. proper | French, Shakesperean, Japanese |
| 2. descriptive | pleasant, smart, shorter, most intelligent |
| 3. demonstrative | this, that, these, those |
| 4. possessive | my, your, his, her, its, our, their |
| 5. interrogative | which, what, whose |
| 6. quantitative | some, a lot, two, several, whole, first |
| 7. numeral | one, two, five, ten, first, second, third |
| 8. compound | absent-minded, happy-go-lucky, two-year-old, well-known, open-minded, French-speaking |
Descriptive, or adjectives of quality, give us information about the kinds of traits, characteristics, or qualities the thing referenced has.
Proper adjectives are the adjectival form of proper nouns, and describe a proper noun. Numerals answer how much of something is mentioned. Quantitative tells the number or quantity of something, either definitely or indefinitely.
Demonstratives answer what is being referenced. There are only three interrogative adjectives: What, which, and whose. They are paired with nouns to form questions.
Adjectives tell us to what degree or extent something has a quality or trait, or compares the degree to which the subject/noun has this trait over someone/something else.
Pronouns
Pronouns are words that stand in the place of names. The Latin root of pronoun, pronomen, directly translates to “stand in the place of nouns.” Pronouns come in the first person, second, and third. The main types of pronouns include:
Pronouns are words that stand in the place of names. The Latin root of pronoun, pronomen, directly translates to “stand in the place of nouns.” Pronouns come in the first person, second, and third. The main types of pronouns include:
| Types of pronouns | Examples |
|---|---|
| 1. personal | I, you, he, she, it, we, they |
| 2. possessive | mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, theirs |
| 3. relative | who, whom, whose, which, that |
| 4. reflexive | myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves |
| 5. indefinite | someone, anyone, everyone, nobody |
| 6. demonstrative | this, that, these, those |
| 7. interrogative | who, whom, which, what |
| 8. intensive | myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself |
Each describes a point of view. First person is from the speaker’s perspective, and uses first person pronouns, such as I, me, my, and mine. First person plural includes we, our, ours, and us.
| Sentences with pronouns |
|
Sam isn’t at school today because he is sick. You do not need to shout. I will have to be at work late tonight. |
The second person perspective addresses you: the person being spoken to. Second person singular and plural are the same: you, your, and yours. The third person is the POV of those that are being spoken about: his, her, him, her, them, they.
If English didn’t include pronouns, speech and writing would sound and read as follows:
| Example of Repetitive Noun Usage |
|---|
|
Henry went to the grocery store, because Henry was out of food. Henry decided to walk to the grocery store. Once Henry was finished with Henry’s shopping, Henry waited in the checkout to pay. |
We use pronouns in the place of nouns to make English less repetitive and easier to follow. Keep in mind that certain pronouns do assume gender. Gender neutral or ambiguous pronouns include they/them.
Verbs
Verbs are action words, and can express a state of being.
Verbs are a broad category of language. They are not limited to describing actions, or even individual words. There are 11 main types of verbs:
| Types of verbs | Examples |
|---|---|
| 1. active | kick, eat, jump, work, sleep, ride, talk, laugh |
| 2. stative | agree, believe, doubt, look, see, seem |
| 3. transitive | rides, kicks, buy, lay |
| 4. intransitive | sleep, laugh, think, fall |
| 5. copulas/linking verbs | forms of ‘to be’ |
| 6. auxiliaries | was, is, are, am, has, had, have |
| 7. phrasal | get up, turn off, look up, give up |
| 8. infinitives | to be, to drink, to wonder, to dance |
| 9. modals | can, could, may, might, will, would, should, must |
| 10. gerunds | swimming, running, reading, writing, singing |
| 11. regular vs. irregular | walked, played, talked, went, ate, saw, do, are, read |
The difference between nouns, adjectives, and prepositions, visualize a sentence: “The (adjective) cat (noun) sat on (preposition) the mat.” Each word’s role highlights its part of speech.
Adverbs
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
| Types of adverbs | Examples |
|---|---|
| 1. time | yesterday, now, soon, later |
| 2. frequency | always, often, rarely, seldom |
| 3. manner | quickly, slowly, carefully, swiftly, thoughtfully |
| 4. degree or quantity | very, quite, almost, hardly, extremely |
| 5. affirmation and negation | definitely, certainly, never, not |
| 6. reason | because, since, as, therefore |
Prepositions
Prepositions are paired with nouns or pronouns to indicate position, or where things stand in relation to each other.
| Types of prepositions | Examples |
|---|---|
| 1. time | at, before, after, during, by |
| 2. place | near, above, between, in, underneath |
| 3. movement or direction | towards, into, through, around, over |
- There are ducks in our swimming pool! (Tony Soprano, The Sopranos)
- We sat on the bench and spoke for a while.
Conjunctions
Conjunctions are smaller words that connect words, phrases, or clauses together in sentences.
The three main kinds of conjunctions are coordinating, subordinating, and correlative.
| Types of conjunctions | Examples |
|---|---|
| 1. coordinating | for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so |
| 2. subordinating | after, although, as, as if, as long as, because, before, despite |
| 3. correlative | both/and, either/or, whether/or, neither/nor |
You can easily remember the coordinating conjunctions form the acronym FANBOYS:
These conjunctions take parts of sentences, such as a clause (dependent or independent), and conjoin them to make complex sentences, and so on.
| Conjunction | Example Sentence |
|---|---|
| because | You’re not allowed to go because you’re too young. |
| and | Two and two make four. |
| but | We looked everywhere, but there are no Ubers in the forests. |
Interjections
Interjections interject: they are exclamations of a feeling, or sudden emotion:
- Hurray!
- Finally! They left!
- Yikes!
Worksheet: Identifying the parts of speech
Identify the nouns in the sentence: I bought a beautiful dress at the mall.
Identify the preposition: I left my shoes under the kitchen table.
Identify the pronoun: That motorcycle is hers.
Identify the adjectives: The snake is long and green.
Which part of speech is ‘extremely’ in the sentence: The painting is extremely old.
Identify the verbs: I am studying biology.
Which is the conjunction in: I’m going to buy milk and bread.
Which is the conjunction: We want to go to the movie, but we don’t have enough money
Identify the pronoun: We live in Spain.
Identify the verb: I’m sure met your girlfriend before.
FAQs
What are parts of speech?
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What is a noun?
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What is an adjective?
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How do adjectives modify nouns?
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What are some types of adjectives?
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