Day 2: Parts of Speech

What Is Parts of Speech

In grammar, parts of speech are the categories that classify words based on their function and role within a sentence. These categories help us understand how words relate to one another and how they contribute to the overall structure and meaning of a sentence. There are traditionally eight parts of speech: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. Each part of speech serves a specific purpose in conveying meaning and organizing language.

The lesson objective will help you

• Learn about the eight parts of speech, and
• Understand their roles in sentences.

The lesson content covers nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections

1. Nouns:

• • Definition: Names a person, place, thing, or idea.
  • Examples: teacher, park, car, happiness.
  • Types: Common nouns, proper nouns, abstract nouns, concrete nouns.

Example: The teacher drove her car to Central Park and felt a sense of happiness.

• Teacher (Common noun)
• Car (Common noun)
• Central Park (Proper noun)
• Happiness (Abstract noun)

2. Pronouns:

• • Definition: Replaces a noun to avoid repetition.
  • Examples: he, she, it, they, them.
  • Types: Personal pronouns, possessive pronouns, relative pronouns.

Example Sentence: She gave her book to him because it was his favorite.

• She (Personal pronoun)
• Her (Possessive pronoun)
• Him (Personal pronoun)
• It (Personal pronoun)
• His (Possessive pronoun)

3. Verbs:

• • Definition: Shows an action or state of being.
  • Examples: run, jump, be, think.
  • Types: Action verbs, linking verbs, auxiliary verbs.

Examples:

1. Action Verb: She runs every morning.
2. Linking Verb: He is a talented musician.
3. Auxiliary Verb: They have finished their homework.

4. Adjectives:

• • Definition: Describes or modifies a noun.
  • Examples: tall, blue, fast, beautiful.
  • Usage: Can answer questions like “What kind?”, “How many?”, “Which one?”

Examples:

1. She lives in a tall building. (What kind?)
2. He wore a blue shirt. (Which one?)
3. The fast car won the race. (What kind?)

5. Adverbs:

• • Definition: Describes or modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb.
  • Examples: quickly, very, well, softly.
  • Usage: Can answer questions like “How?”, “When?”, “Where?”, “To what extent?”

Examples:

1. She ran quickly to catch the bus. (How?)
2. The movie was very interesting. (To what extent?)
3. He sings well in front of an audience. (How?)

6. Prepositions:

• • Definition: Shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and another word in the sentence.
  • Examples: in, on, at, by, with.
  • Common prepositional phrases: in the park, on the table.

Examples:

1. The cat is on the roof.
2. She sat by the window.
3. We met at the coffee shop.

7. Conjunctions:

• • Definition: Connects words, phrases, or clauses.
  • Examples: and, but, because, although.
  • Types: Coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions, correlative conjunctions.

Examples:

1. She wanted to go for a walk, but it started raining. (Coordinating conjunction)
2. I stayed home because I was feeling sick. (Subordinating conjunction)
3. Either you finish your homework, or you can’t go out. (Correlative conjunctions)

8. Interjections:

• • Definition: Expresses emotion or exclamation.
  • Examples: wow, ouch, hey, oh.
  • Usage: Often stand alone or are followed by an exclamation point.

Examples:

1. Wow, that was amazing!
2. Ouch, that hurt!
3. Hey, wait for me!

Now your quiz below

1. Identify the noun in the sentence: “The apple is red.”
2. Choose the correct pronoun for the sentence: “Maria loves ____ dog.”
3. Identify the adjective in the sentence: “The sky is blue.”

Watch this Video from James on Parts of Speech

Video Credit: ENGLISH with James · engVid youtube