PART OF SPEECH
PART 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. Nouns
Nouns refer to persons, animals, places, things, ideas, or events, etc. Nouns encompass most of the words of a language.
Noun can be a/an -
Person — a name for a person: — Max, Julie, Catherine, Michel, Bob, etc.
Animal — a name for an animal: — dog, cat, cow, kangaroo, etc.
Place — a name for a place: — London, Australia, Canada, Mumbai, etc.
Thing — a name for a thing: — bat, ball, chair, door, house, computer, etc.
Idea — A name for an idea: — devotion, superstition, happiness, excitement, etc.
Different Types of Noun:
· Proper Noun
· Common Noun
· Abstract Noun
· Concrete Noun
· Countable Noun
· Non-countable Noun
· Collective Noun
· Compound Noun
Example :
· I have a phone, few books, a notepad, a table-calendar, and a computer on my desk.
· Sydney is the city he lives in.
Abstract noun: She will defeat them.
2. Verbs
Verbs are the action words in a sentence that describe what the subject is doing.
1. Action verbs
When a person or thing is doing something, that’s an action verb. They can be split into two categories:
A. Transitive verbs.
A transitive verb is one whose action must be used in relation to an object, and when using the verb, it only makes sense if the verb is transferring action upon an object.
Examples:
- Johnny kicked the ball.
- She take anything from the table.
B. Intransitive verbs.
An intransitive verb is one that does not need to transfer action on an object in order to make sense.
Examples:
- I sneeze in the morning.
- I eat fried eggs for breakfast.
2. Modal verbs
Modal verbs are auxiliary verbs that are used to express abilities, possibilities, permissions, and obligations.
Examples:
- You must not delay.
- Sally would not recommend the sushi.
3. Auxiliary verbs
Auxiliary verbs are also known as helping verbs and are used together with a main verb to show the verb’s tense or to form a question or negative.
Examples:
- Jessica is taking John to the airport.
- The secretaries have written all the letters yet.
4. Stative verbs
Stative verbs can be recognized because they express a state rather than an action. They typically relate to thoughts, emotions, relationships, senses, states of being, and measurements.
Examples:
- I believe the doctor is right.
- She wanted another opinion.
5. Phrasal verbs
A phrasal verb is a combination of words (a verb + a preposition or verb +adverb) that when used together, usually take on a different meaning to that of the original verb.
Examples:
- Ella tore up the letter after she read it.
- Their car broke down two miles out of town.
3. Adverb
Adverb usually used to describe or use a verb , adjective, or other adverb. However, adverbs never describe a noun and usually answer the question of how, when, where, why.
Not only that, the adverb of an adjective usually ends in -ly particles, such as deep, very, happy, fair, and others, but there are also adverbs that do not come from adjectives such as very, somewhat, only, enough, and so on.
The kinds of adverbs and examples in the sentences:
1. Adverbs of Time/Frequency (When?)
Adverbs of time/frequency indicate time or frequency of the action in the sentence. They answer the question ‘when/how frequently is the action performed?’.
Always, never, often, eventually, now, frequently, occasionally, once, forever, seldom, before, Sunday, Monday, 10 AM, 12 PM, etc. are common adverbs of time/frequency.
Example:
· went to school a little late yesterday.
· He always gets a good result.
· I will leave Monday.
· He smokes occasionally.
2. Adverbs of Place/Direction (Where?)
Adverbs of place/direction that indicate place/direction of the action in the sentence. They answer the question ‘ where is the action performed?’.
Across, over, under, in, out, through, backward, there, around, here, sideways, upstairs, in the park, in the field, in that place, etc. are some common adverbs of place/direction.
Example:
· I went through the jungle.
· He plays in the field.
· Alex is going to school.
3. Adverbs of Degree (How Much?)
Adverbs that express the importance/degree/level of the action in the sentence are called adverbs of degree. They answer the question ‘how much is the action performed?’.
Completely, nearly, entirely, less, mildly, most, thoroughly, somewhat, excessively, much, etc. are common adverbs of degree.
Example:
· She completely forgot about her anniversary.
· I read the newspaper thoroughly.
· I am so excited about the new job.
4. Adverbs of Manner (How?)
Adverbs that express the manner/approach/process of the action in the sentence are called adverbs of manner. They answer the question ‘how is the action performed?’.
Beautifully, equally, thankfully, carefully, handily, quickly, coldly, hotly, resentfully, earnestly, nicely, tirelessly, etc. are common adverbs of manner. These adverbs usually end in ly.
Example:
· Let’s divide the prizes equally.
· Please, handle the camera carefully.
· Mike is walking slowly.
4. Adjective
An adjective is a word that is used to describe or use a noun or pronoun. Usually, it comes before a noun or pronoun. However, it can also lie afterward linking verbs related to the senses (apparently, taste). For a noun or pronoun, there can be more than one adjective.
Example:
They live in a beautiful house.
I bought a new and expensive car but it was very comfortable.
5. Pronouns
A pronoun is defined as a word or phrase that is used as a substitution for a noun or noun phrase, which is known as the pronoun’s antecedent. Common pronouns are he, she, you, me, I, we, us, this, them, that.
Examples:
· Ellie loves watching movies. -> She loves watching movies, especially if they are comedies.
· Billy, Caren, and I were playing poker with friends -> We were playing poker with friends.
6. Preposition
Preposition is a word that indicates the relationship between a noun and the other words of a sentence. They explain relationships of sequence, space, and logic between the object of the sentence and the rest of the sentence. They help us understand order, time connections, and positions.
Example:
I am going to Canada.
Alex threw a stone into the pond.
The present is inside the box.
They have gone out of the town.
There are some commonly used phrasal prepositions:
because of, in case of, instead of, by way of, on behalf of, on account of, in care of, in spite of, on the side of, etc.
Types of Prepositions
1. Prepositions of Time:
Prepositions of time show the relationship of time between the nouns to the other parts of a sentence.
On, at, in, from, to, for, since, ago, before, till/until, by, etc. are the most common preposition of time.
Example:
· He started working at 10 AM.
· The company called meeting on 25 October.
2. Prepositions of Place and Direction:
Prepositions of place show the relationship of place between the nouns to the other parts of a sentence.
On, at, in, by, from, to, towards, up, down, across, between, among, through, in front of, behind, above, over, under, below, etc. are the most common prepositions of place/direction.
Example:
-He is at home.
-He came from England.
3. Prepositions of Agents or Things:
Prepositions of agents or things indicate a casual relationship between nouns and other parts of the sentence.
Of, for, by, with, about, etc. are the most used and common prepositions of agents or things.
Example:
-This article is about smartphones.
-Most of the guests have already left.
4. Phrasal Prepositions:
A phrasal preposition is not a prepositional phrase, but they are a combination of two or more words which functions as a preposition.
Along with, apart from, because of, by means of, according to, in front of, contrary to, in spite of, on account of, in reference to, in addition to, in regard to, instead of, on top of, out of, with regard to, etc. are the most common phrasal prepositions.
Example:
-They along with their children went to Atlanta.
-According to the new rules, you are not right.
7. Conjunctions
Conjunctions are used to join clauses, phrases, and words together for constructing sentences. Conjunctions make a link between/among words or groups of words to other parts of the sentence and show a relationship between/among them.
Example:
• Alex and Robin are playing together.
• Alex plays well, but Robin plays better than him.
• I play cricket, and Robin plays football.
• When he was sick, I went to see him.
Types of Conjunctions
Coordinating Conjunctions:
The job of a coordinating conjunction is to join two words, phrases, or independent clauses, which are parallel in structure. There are seven coordinating conjunctions which are by far the most common conjunctions: and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet.
Example:
• We went to the stadium and enjoyed the cricket match.
• Do you want an ice cream or chocolate?
• Go away and never come back.
Correlative Conjunctions:
A correlative conjunction uses a set of words in a parallel sentence structure to show a contrast or to compare the equal parts of a sentence. The words of correlative conjunctions have a special connection between them.
The correlative conjunctions are not only — but also, either- or, neither — nor, both — and, not — but, whether — or.
Example:
• Neither Alex nor Robin can play baseball.
• I want both ice cream and
Subordinating Conjunctions:
A subordinating conjunction joins elements of an unparallel sentence structure. These elements are usually a dependent clause and an independent clause.
Most commonly used subordinating conjunctions are:
After, how, than, when, although, if, that, where, as, in order that, though, which, as much as, inasmuch as, unless, while, because, provided, until, who/whom, before, since, what, whoever/whomever.
Example:
• Before we left home, I had had my breakfast.
• Provided they come, we can start class Tuesday.
8. An interjection is a word or phrase that is grammatically independent from the words around it, and mainly expresses feeling rather than meaning.
Example:
· Oh, what a beautiful house!
· Bah! That was a total waste of time.
Exercise!
1. I bought a beautiful bag at the mall.
a. preposition
b. adjective
c. noun
2. What did he ask you to do?
a. conjunction
b. preposition
c. pronoun
3. I left my shoes under the table.
a. adjective
b. preposition
c. pronoun
4. If we finish our work quickly we can go to the park.
a. adverb
b. conjunction
c. verb
5. On Monday I work from eight to five.
a. verb
b. preposition
c. adverb
6. I want to go to a university in the United States.
a. adjective
b. preposition
c. noun
7. I’m sure I’ve met your boyfriend before.
a. verb
b. preposition
c. interjection
8. Well, I don’t think I’ll be home before 5.
a. interjection
b. preposition
c. pronoun
9. Wendy knocked on the door but nobody answered.
a. adverb
b. adjective
c. conjunction
10. After lunch let’s go out for a coffee.
a. pronoun
b. preposition
c. verb
