The Parts Of Speech

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In a sentence, words can be considered as the smallest components that have unique
meanings. We can categorize words into several types or parts of speech based on their
use and functions. An individual word can function as more than one part of speech when
used in different circumstances. Therefore, understanding parts of speech is essential for
determining the correct meaning of a word.
There are eight parts of speech in the English language: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective,
adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection.
1. The Noun
This part of a speech refers to words that are used to name persons, places, things, events
or ideas. All nouns are naming words.
Example: Ravi, woman, boy (person); elephant, rabbit, tiger (animal); parrot, crow,
sparrow (bird); Delhi, Mumbai, India (place); computer, mobile, pencil (thing); honesty,
courage (idea), etc. Whatever we can see, feel or think and have names are considered
nouns.
Sample Sentences:
1. Rita lives in India.
2. Mina uses an ink pen for writing.
3. Tina is very flexible.
4. Diva is looking very pretty.
5. Today is Harry’s birthday.
6. My brother is shifting to Calcutta.

2. The Pronoun
This part of a speech refers to a word that replaces a noun. They eliminate the need for
repetition. A pronoun is usually substituted for a specific noun, which is called its
antecedent.
Example: I, you, he, she, we, ours, mine, yours, his, her, him, hers, they, them, theirs, it,
etc.
Sample Sentences:
1. Jia is a very determined child. She always focuses on her goal.
2. The largest share is mine.
3. We are Indian.
4. The teacher gave all of them punishment.
5. Tina gave her bicycle to Rina.
6. His car is bigger than ours.

3. The Adjective
This part of a speech refers to a word that modifies, describes or gives more information
about a noun or pronoun. Adjectives are describing words and normally come before the
nouns.
Example: fast, quiet, useful, much, pretty, old, blue, smart, beautiful, big, sad, red, young,
fun, crazy, three etc.
Sample Sentences:
1. The little boy had a blue umbrella.
2. The hardworking student received "A" grade.
 3. I have two cars.
4. Wow! That cake is delicious.
5. She is a young woman.
6. Tom is a wise man.

4. The Verb
This part of a speech refers to a word that tells us what the subject does, or what happens
to it, or what state it is in, or what possesses.
Examples: am, is, was, are, were, have, has, had, do, does, did, be, am, is, are, was,
were, being, been, should, could, will, would, might, can, may, must, shall, ought (to), go,
speak, run, eat, play, live, walk, like etc.
Sample Sentences:
1. They are always ready for any disaster.
2. Ria is charming.
3. Tia runs every morning.
4. I like vanilla ice-cream.
5. We had a healthy breakfast.
6. I think that she is right.

5. The Adverb
This part of a speech refers to a word that modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb.
Adverbs tell us how, when, where, how often and to what degree (extent) something
happens or takes place. Adverbs often end in -ly.
Examples: gently, quickly, extremely, carefully, well, slowly, quietly, very, always, never,
too, tomorrow, here etc.
Sample sentences:
1. He ate his pie quickly.
2. The teacher carefully corrected the exam copy.
3. Ravi was extremely excited about his adventure camp.
4. She danced gracefully.
5. We are going tomorrow.
6. He looked everywhere for his sunglasses.

6. The Preposition
This part of a speech refers to a word or a group of words that shows its relation with
another noun or pronoun or a verb. Therefore it can also be called as a ‘relation’ word and
comes before a noun or a pronoun in a sentence. They are used to indicate time, place,
direction or relationship.
Example: in, on, into, at, by, upon, across, beside, between, of, out of, for, above, below,
throughout, outside, before, near etc.
Sample Sentences:
1. Rita’s act is lying under the bed.
2. She left her purse on the table.
3. He sat on the carpet.
4. Let's go into the cave.
5. They will gather at 5 o’ clock in the evening.
6. Look under the pillow.

7. The Conjunction (Connectors or Linking Words)

This part of a speech refers to a word that joins two or more words, phrases, or clauses. .
There are three kinds of conjunctions:
1. Coordinating Conjunctions: These are the words that join words, phrases, and
clauses of equal grammatical importance in the sentence. Example: and, but, or,
so, nor, for, yet.
2. Correlative Conjunctions: These are the words that join equally important ideas,
but they work in pairs. Example: either...or, both...and, not only...but also,
neither…nor, whether…or, either…or
3. Subordinating Conjunctions: These are the words that join words, phrases, and
clauses that are not equal. Example: because, although, while, since, after, as, as
if, before, even if, even though, if, so that, though, unless, until, when, whenever,
where, wherever, whether.
Sample sentences:
1. He wants to go, but he can't.
2. She is honest and hardworking.
3. Would you like a cup of tea or a coffee?
4. He didn't clear the test because he was not prepared.
5. We were thirsty, so we ordered cold drinks.
6. I was exhausted but I still finished my assignment.

8. The Interjection
This part of a speech refers to a word or phrase that states strong, sudden emotions. It
expresses strong feelings of joy, sadness, surprise, appreciation, condemnation, etc. Since
interjections are commonly used to convey strong emotions, they are usually followed by
an exclamation mark but in case of mild interjections we place comma after the
interjection.
Example: Ouch!, Alas!, Oh!, Bravo!, Fantastic!, Gorgeous!, Wow!, Hurrah!, Pooh!, Pshaw!,
Fie!, Gosh!
Sample Sentences:
1. Ouch! I got hurt.
2. Hurray! Tomorrow is a holiday.
3. Hey! You are wrong.
4. Oh, we’re late for the party.
5. Oh! I’m late for my office.
6. Wow! I cleared my IIT entrance exam.

Note 1: Articles and determiners like a, an, the, some, any, etc. are also adjectives but
they are studied separately due to their importance in modifying the meaning of the word
they qualify.
Note 2: Same Word – Several Parts of Speech
There are words that can be used in more than one way. This implies that a word can
function as several different parts of speech. The function of a word in a sentence decides
to which part of speech it belongs.
Note the highlighted words in the following sentences.
1. She like to watch plays on T.V. (noun)
2. He plays cricket during his vacation. (verb)
3. I would like a drink. (noun)
4. They drink too much alcohol. (verb)
5. Rima bought a new sofa for her house. (noun)
6. She is planning to buy a sofa bed for her living room. (adjective)
Part of Speech - Questions
Practice Page 1
Pick out the verbs and write.
 He ran for 3 hours. ____________________________________________

 My sister is a dancer. __________________________________________

 My uncle has an old car. ________________________________________

 Tim was inspired by the speech. __________________________________

 We celebrated the Independence Day in our school. ___________________

 They will meet us here. _________________________________________

 They are jumping. _____________________________________________

 My friend has a unique bike. ____________________________________

 She met with her friend yesterday. ________________________________

 Is he eating? _________________________________________________

 Rita didn’t know the solution. ____________________________________

 We were chatting for hours. _____________________________________

 He didn't tell us the reality. ______________________________________

Practice Page 2
Pick out the pronouns and write.

 She doesn’t want to go with him. _________________________________

 Who is he? ___________________________________________________

 That was amazing.

_____________________________________________

 This is mine.

__________________________________________________

 I can speak two languages. ______________________________________

 He is a manager in a factory. ____________________________________

 My friend gave me a nice gift. ____________________________________

 Whom did you speak to? _______________________________________

 What is your choice? __________________________________________

 She narrated the story to her friend. ______________________________

 Which laptop did you buy? ______________________________________

 I love my bike. _______________________________________________

 Is that pen yours? ____________________________________________

Practice Page 3
Circle the adjectives in the following sentences.

 Rita is a good dancer.

 It is a fascinating story.

 Our teacher is very kind.

 I like cold coffee.

 He has big blue umbrella.

 The old lady was talking to me.

 She bought a new red carpet.

 He is a successful businessman.

 She is a better student than her sisters.

 You are wealthier than me.

 You are more beautiful than your friend.

 That was the worst day of my life.

 This is the most expensive restaurant in this area.

Practice Page 4
Circle the adverbs in the following sentences.

 That child is very talented.

 He walks slowly.

 The new auditorium is very big.

 Diva worked extremely hard for her exam.

 We will go to America very soon.

 Rita always submits her assignment in time.

 He is very much interested in the project.

 You are totally wrong at this point.

 She listened secretly to their conversation.

 We find Rita inside home.

 Let’s complete it now.

 He spoke softly.

 She will join us soon.

Part of Speech - Questions
Practice Page 1
Pick out the verbs and write.

 He ran for 3 hours. ____________________________________________

 My sister is a dancer. __________________________________________

 My uncle has an old car. ________________________________________

 Tim was inspired by the speech. __________________________________

 We celebrated the Independence Day in our school. ___________________

 They will meet us here. _________________________________________

 They are jumping. _____________________________________________

 My friend has a unique bike. ____________________________________

 She met with her friend yesterday. ________________________________

 Is he eating? _________________________________________________

 Rita didn’t know the solution. ____________________________________

 We were chatting for hours. _____________________________________

 He didn't tell us the reality. ______________________________________

Practice Page 2
Pick out the pronouns and write.

 She doesn’t want to go with him. _________________________________

 Who is he? ___________________________________________________

 That was amazing.

_____________________________________________

 This is mine.

__________________________________________________

 I can speak two languages. ______________________________________

 He is a manager in a factory. ____________________________________

 My friend gave me a nice gift. ____________________________________

 Whom did you speak to? _______________________________________

 What is your choice? __________________________________________

 She narrated the story to her friend. ______________________________

 Which laptop did you buy? ______________________________________

 I love my bike. _______________________________________________

 Is that pen yours? ____________________________________________

Practice Page 3
Circle the adjectives in the following sentences.

 Rita is a good dancer.

 It is a fascinating story.

 Our teacher is very kind.

 I like cold coffee.

 He has big blue umbrella.

 The old lady was talking to me.

 She bought a new red carpet.

 He is a successful businessman.

 She is a better student than her sisters.

 You are wealthier than me.

 You are more beautiful than your friend.

 That was the worst day of my life.

 This is the most expensive restaurant in this area.

Practice Page 4
Circle the adverbs in the following sentences.

 That child is very talented.

 He walks slowly.

 The new auditorium is very big.

 Diva worked extremely hard for her exam.

 We will go to America very soon.

 Rita always submits her assignment in time.

 He is very much interested in the project.

 You are totally wrong at this point.

 She listened secretly to their conversation.

 We find Rita inside home.

 Let’s complete it now.

 He spoke softly.

 She will join us soon.

Part of Speech Overview
http://partofspeech.org/
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 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.

 Kiyoko has to start all over again because she didn’t follow the professor’s
instructions.
 Homer always wanted to join the play, but he didn’t have the guts to audition.
The italicized words in the sentences above are some examples of conjunctions.

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.

Examples of Interjections:

Sample Sentences:

 Ouch! That must have hurt.

 Hurray, we won!
 Hey! I said enough!
The bold words attached to the main sentences above are some examples of
interjections.

Final Thoughts
You must familiarize yourself with the different parts of speech discussed in this article
because they are among the most fundamental concepts that you will encounter
throughout your study of grammar. An in-depth knowledge of this topic will not only
make you a better writer, but an effective communicator as well.