part of speech in detail
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THE EIGHT PARTS OF SPEECH
There are eight parts of speech in the English language: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. The part of speech indicates how the word functions in meaning as well as grammatically within the sentence. An individual word can function as more than one part of speech when used in different circumstances. Understanding parts of speech is essential for determining the correct definition of a word when using the dictionary.
1. NOUN
A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea.
man... Butte College... house... happiness
A noun is a word for a person, place, thing, or idea. Nouns are often used with an article (the, a, an), but not always. Proper nouns always start with a capital letter; common nouns do not. Nouns can be singular or plural, concrete or abstract. Nouns show possession by adding 's. Nouns can function in different roles within a sentence; for example, a noun can be a subject, direct object, indirect object, subject complement, or object of a preposition.
The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared. Oh my!
See the TIP Sheet on "Nouns" for further information.
2. PRONOUN
A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun.
She... we... they... it
A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. A pronoun is usually substituted for a specific noun, which is called its antecedent. In the sentence above, the antecedent for the pronoun she is the girl. Pronouns are further defined by type: personal pronouns refer to specific persons or things; possessive pronouns indicate ownership; reflexive pronouns are used to emphasize another noun or pronoun; relative pronouns introduce a subordinate clause; and demonstrative pronouns identify, point to, or refer to nouns.
The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared. Oh my!
See the TIP Sheet on "Pronouns" for further information.
3. VERB
A verb expresses action or being.
jump... is... write... become
The verb in a sentence expresses action or being. There is a main verb and sometimes one or more helping verbs. ("She can sing." Sing is the main verb; can is the helping verb.) A verb must agree with its subject in number (both are singular or both are plural). Verbs also take different forms to express t
4. ADJECTIVE
An adjective modifies or describes a noun or pronoun.
pretty... old... blue... smart
An adjective is a word used to modify or describe a noun or a pronoun. It usually answers the question of which one, what kind, or how many. (Articles [a, an, the] are usually classified as adjectives.)
The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared.
5. ADVERB
An adverb modifies or describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.
gently... extremely... carefully... well
An adverb describes or modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, but never a noun. It usually answers the questions of when, where, how, why, under what conditions, or to what degree. Adverbs often end in -ly.
6. PREPOSITION
A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase modifying another word in the sentence.
by... with.... about... until
(by the tree, with our friends, about the book, until tomorrow)
A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase modifying another word in the sentence. Therefore a preposition is always part of a prepositional phrase. The prepositional phrase almost always functions as an adjective or as an adverb.
7. CONJUNCTION
A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses.
and... but... or... while... because
A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses, and indicates the relationship between the elements joined. Coordinating conjunctions connect grammatically equal elements: and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet. Subordinating conjunctions connect clauses that are not equal: because, although, while, since, etc. There are other types of conjunctions as well.
8. INTERJECTION
An interjection is a word used to express emotion.
Oh!... Wow!... Oops!
An interjection is a word used to express emotion. It is often followed by an exclamation point.
There are eight parts of speech in the English language: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. The part of speech indicates how the word functions in meaning as well as grammatically within the sentence. An individual word can function as more than one part of speech when used in different circumstances. Understanding parts of speech is essential for determining the correct definition of a word when using the dictionary.
1. NOUN
A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea.
man... Butte College... house... happiness
A noun is a word for a person, place, thing, or idea. Nouns are often used with an article (the, a, an), but not always. Proper nouns always start with a capital letter; common nouns do not. Nouns can be singular or plural, concrete or abstract. Nouns show possession by adding 's. Nouns can function in different roles within a sentence; for example, a noun can be a subject, direct object, indirect object, subject complement, or object of a preposition.
The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared. Oh my!
See the TIP Sheet on "Nouns" for further information.
2. PRONOUN
A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun.
She... we... they... it
A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. A pronoun is usually substituted for a specific noun, which is called its antecedent. In the sentence above, the antecedent for the pronoun she is the girl. Pronouns are further defined by type: personal pronouns refer to specific persons or things; possessive pronouns indicate ownership; reflexive pronouns are used to emphasize another noun or pronoun; relative pronouns introduce a subordinate clause; and demonstrative pronouns identify, point to, or refer to nouns.
The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared. Oh my!
See the TIP Sheet on "Pronouns" for further information.
3. VERB
A verb expresses action or being.
jump... is... write... become
The verb in a sentence expresses action or being. There is a main verb and sometimes one or more helping verbs. ("She can sing." Sing is the main verb; can is the helping verb.) A verb must agree with its subject in number (both are singular or both are plural). Verbs also take different forms to express t
4. ADJECTIVE
An adjective modifies or describes a noun or pronoun.
pretty... old... blue... smart
An adjective is a word used to modify or describe a noun or a pronoun. It usually answers the question of which one, what kind, or how many. (Articles [a, an, the] are usually classified as adjectives.)
The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared.
5. ADVERB
An adverb modifies or describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.
gently... extremely... carefully... well
An adverb describes or modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, but never a noun. It usually answers the questions of when, where, how, why, under what conditions, or to what degree. Adverbs often end in -ly.
6. PREPOSITION
A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase modifying another word in the sentence.
by... with.... about... until
(by the tree, with our friends, about the book, until tomorrow)
A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase modifying another word in the sentence. Therefore a preposition is always part of a prepositional phrase. The prepositional phrase almost always functions as an adjective or as an adverb.
7. CONJUNCTION
A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses.
and... but... or... while... because
A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses, and indicates the relationship between the elements joined. Coordinating conjunctions connect grammatically equal elements: and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet. Subordinating conjunctions connect clauses that are not equal: because, although, while, since, etc. There are other types of conjunctions as well.
8. INTERJECTION
An interjection is a word used to express emotion.
Oh!... Wow!... Oops!
An interjection is a word used to express emotion. It is often followed by an exclamation point.
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. 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.
. 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
Examples:
Tom Hanks is very versatile.
There are different types of nouns namely:
Proper– start with a capital letter and refers to specific names of persons, places, or things.
Examples: Volkswagen Beetle, Shakey’s Pizza,
Common– common nouns are the opposite of proper nouns. These are just generic names of persons, things, or places.
Examples: car, pizza parlor, TV series
Concrete– this kind refers to nouns which you can perceive through your five senses.
Examples: folder, sand, board
Abstract- unlike concrete nouns, abstract nouns are those which you can’t perceive through your five senses.
Examples: happiness, grudge, bravery
Count– it refers to anything that is countable, and has a singular and plural form.
Examples: kitten, video, ball
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.
Examples of Counters: kilo, cup, meter
Examples of Mass Nouns: rice, flour, garter
Collective– refers to a group of persons, animals, or things.
Example: faculty (group of teachers), class (group of students), pride (group of lions)
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.
Sample Sentences:
Janice is a very stubborn child. She just stared at me and when I told her to stop.
The largest slice is mine.
We are number one.
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:
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 Stormtroopers missed their shot.
The italicized word expresses the action of the subject “Stormtroopers.”
They are always prepared in emergencies.
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:
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 Time- 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.
The italicized preposition introduces the prepositional phrase “under the bed,” and tells where Micah is hiding.
During the game, the audience never stopped cheering for their team.
The italicized preposition introduces the prepositional phrase “during the game,” and tells when the audience cheered.
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
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.
Sample Sentences:
Ouch! That must have hurt.
Hurray, we won!
Hey! I said enough!
. 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
Examples:
Tom Hanks is very versatile.
There are different types of nouns namely:
Proper– start with a capital letter and refers to specific names of persons, places, or things.
Examples: Volkswagen Beetle, Shakey’s Pizza,
Common– common nouns are the opposite of proper nouns. These are just generic names of persons, things, or places.
Examples: car, pizza parlor, TV series
Concrete– this kind refers to nouns which you can perceive through your five senses.
Examples: folder, sand, board
Abstract- unlike concrete nouns, abstract nouns are those which you can’t perceive through your five senses.
Examples: happiness, grudge, bravery
Count– it refers to anything that is countable, and has a singular and plural form.
Examples: kitten, video, ball
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.
Examples of Counters: kilo, cup, meter
Examples of Mass Nouns: rice, flour, garter
Collective– refers to a group of persons, animals, or things.
Example: faculty (group of teachers), class (group of students), pride (group of lions)
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.
Sample Sentences:
Janice is a very stubborn child. She just stared at me and when I told her to stop.
The largest slice is mine.
We are number one.
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:
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 Stormtroopers missed their shot.
The italicized word expresses the action of the subject “Stormtroopers.”
They are always prepared in emergencies.
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:
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 Time- 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.
The italicized preposition introduces the prepositional phrase “under the bed,” and tells where Micah is hiding.
During the game, the audience never stopped cheering for their team.
The italicized preposition introduces the prepositional phrase “during the game,” and tells when the audience cheered.
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
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.
Sample Sentences:
Ouch! That must have hurt.
Hurray, we won!
Hey! I said enough!
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