LoginParts of Speech
In this lesson we learn about parts of speech, which are essential categories of words that include nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Clear explanations and practice exercises to help you learn.
What Does 'Part of Speech' Mean?
Part of Speech (also called word class) refers to the grammatical groups into which words are classified according to their use.
English Parts of Speech
We have nine main parts of speech:
Open and Closed Word Classes
The classes of parts of speech are commonly divided into open (or lexical) and closed (or functional) classes.
Open Word Classes
An open word class indicates the fact that new words can be added to it over time as the language evolves and changes. The following is a list of open parts of speech:
nouns and pronouns
verbs
adjectives
adverbs
Closed Word Classes
A closed (or functional) word class refers to groups that include a limited number of words and other words cannot be added to them. For example, new nouns are created every day, but articles never change.
The following is the list of closed parts of speech:
prepositions
conjunctions
articles/determiners
interjections
Tip!
The term 'part of speech' is no longer commonly used in grammar. Instead, linguists use the terms 'word class' or 'syntactic category'.
Nouns and Pronouns
Nouns are words that are used to refer to people, places, things, or concepts. Nouns can serve as the subject or object in a sentence.
We have different types of nouns, such as proper and common, collective, concrete and abstract, etc. Take a look at some examples:
tree
Leonardo
country
happiness
bathtub
Pronouns are words that replace a noun (or a noun phrase) to avoid unnecessary repetition of the noun or noun phrase. We have different types of pronouns, such as personal, demonstrative, and indefinite pronouns. Although pronouns form a more restricted class of words than nouns, they are considered together with nouns because they fulfill the same grammatical function, which is heading a noun phrase. Here are some examples:
Verbs
Verbs are words that tell us about the action or state of the subject. Verbs can take different forms based on their tense and number. We have different types of verbs, such as modals, auxiliaries, or linking verbs. Here are some examples:
be (am/is/are)
continue
love
make
can
Adjectives
Adjectives describe or modify nouns and pronouns. Adjectives give us information about the quality, size, number, and many other features of nouns or pronouns. We have different types of adjectives, such as comparative, gradable, descriptive, etc. Here are some examples:
funny
beautiful
second
slow
nice
Adverbs
Adverbs describe or modify verbs, adjectives, and sometimes other adverbs. They give us more information about when, where, how, why, to what extent, or how often something happens. We have different types of adverbs, such as adverbs of place, manner, degree, frequency, etc. Here are some examples:
slowly
always
only
extremely
well
Prepositions
Prepositions are words that appear before a noun or pronoun and describe the relationship between words (such as a verb and a noun). We have different types of prepositions, such as place, time, direction and movement, etc. Here are some examples:
at
in
around
by
from
Determiners
Determiners are words that come before nouns and, like adjectives, modify them. However, they are different from adjectives in that they are essential for the grammatical structure of the sentence rather than being descriptive elements. We have different types of determiners, such as possessive, interrogative, demonstrative, articles, etc. Here are some examples:
a
this
some
the
much
Tip!
In traditional grammar, articles were treated as a distinct part of speech. However, in modern grammar, they are considered determiners. Articles are essential to the sentence, just like determiners.
Conjunctions
Conjunctions are words that join one word, phrase, or clause to another word, phrase, or clause. We have different types of conjunctions, such as coordinating, subordinating, and correlative conjunctions. Here are some examples:
if
but
yet
because
however
Interjections
Interjections (also called exclamations) are words that show people's emotions and reactions to events and situations. We have different types of interjections, such as interjections of greeting, joy, surprise, sorrow, understanding, etc. Here are some examples:
oh
ouch
gosh
hey
oops
How to Identify the Part of Speech
Except for interjections that can stand alone by themselves, all other parts of speech must appear within a sentence, and some, such as nouns and verbs, are essential for forming complete sentences. To identify the part of speech of a word:
look at the word itself
pay attention to its meaning
pay attention to its position
pay attention to its use
Here are a few tips to help you identify the part of speech of a word:
Sometimes (but not always), a suffix can tell us if a word is a noun (e.g., -ment), verb (e.g., -ize), adjective (e.g., -ive), or adverb (e.g., -ly).
An adjective plus the suffix '-ly' forms an adverb. For example: slowly, beautifully.
When a word can replace a noun without changing the meaning of the sentence, the word is a pronoun.
When a word represents an action, the word is a verb.
When a word can be removed and the sentence would still make sense, the word is most likely an adjective or adverb.
If none of these tips works, just look the word up in a dictionary.
Words with Several Parts of Speech
Some words can function as multiple parts of speech depending on the context of the sentence. For example:
I don't feel very well. (adjective)
Did you sleep well? (adverb)
Well, let's see! (interjection)
Review
In traditional grammar, a 'part of speech' (now also known as word-class) is a category of words that have similar grammatical properties. Some word classes are open to new additions while others are not.
Here are the open word classes that are supposed to get any words added to them.
nouns and pronouns | verbs |
adjectives | adverbs |
Here are some closed word classes to which no terms can be added.
prepositions | conjunctions |
determiners | interjections |
Quiz:
Which of the following is a closed word class?
Nouns and pronouns
Verbs
Prepositions
Adverbs
Match each set of examples with the corresponding part of speech.
Fill the blanks based on information form the lesson.
are words that name or replace people, places, things, or ideas.
express strong emotion or sudden reactions and can often stand alone.
modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs by indicating manner, time, place, or degree.
modify or describe nouns and pronouns by providing information about qualities or characteristics.
join words, phrases, or clauses together to show relationships between them.
Which of the following is a key strategy when determining the part of speech of an unfamiliar word?
Checking its spelling and capitalization
Looking at its position and use in the sentence
Counting its letters and syllables
Relying solely on its dictionary definition
Fill the table by identifying the part of speech of each word based on its suffix.
| Word | Part of speech |
|---|---|
movement | |
carefully | |
aggressive | |
finalize | |
peacefully | |
familiarize | |
disappointment |
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