Part of Speech Overview

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.
The italicized noun refers to a name of a person.
Dogs can be extremely cute.
In this example, the italicized word is considered a noun because it names an animal.
It is my birthday.
The word “birthday” is a noun which refers to an event.
There are different types of nouns namely:

Proper– proper nouns always start with a capital letter and refers to specific names of persons, places, or things.
Examples: Volkswagen Beetle, Shakey’s Pizza, Game of Thrones
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)
This great list of nouns can help you explore more nouns.

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.
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:

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
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