Parts of Speech For Intermediate learners

In this lesson we learn about parts of speech, which are the categories of words like nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. Improve with simple explanations and easy examples.

"Parts of Speech" in the English Grammar

What Are Parts of Speech?

Parts of speech are categories that are used to classify words based on their function and role in a sentence.

Main Parts of Speech

There are nine main parts of speech in English. Take a look at the following list:

Now, let us examine some of them in more detail:

Nouns

When we want to refer to people, places, and things, we use nouns. This group is the biggest category of words in English. Nouns can be further categorized into groups such as common and proper nouns, concrete and abstract nouns, etc. Let us look at some nouns in the following list:

apple

Sophie

desk

class

Now let us see some examples:

Example

There's an apple in the fridge.

Can you help me move the desk, please?

I deeply understand Sophie's feelings.

Verbs

Verbs are used to indicate the action or state of the subject in a sentence. There are various types of verbs in English, such as linking, action, modals, auxiliaries, etc. which differ in terms of their tense and usage. Take a look at the following list:

Will

Like

Wear

Could

Now, let us take a look at some examples below:

Example

I will become a guitarist.

Do you like to read 'Find Me' by Andre Aciman?

She always wears black.

Pronouns

We use pronouns to avoid repeating nouns or noun phrases. Just like other parts of speech, pronouns have different types, including reflexive, interrogative, personal, etc. Take a look at the list below:

Who/whom

His

Hers

Me

Now, check out the following examples:

Example

It was me who sang at the festival.

Is this umbrella hers?

Is it his idea?

Adjectives

We use adjectives to give more information about nouns and pronouns. We have different types of adjectives, such as demonstrative, descriptive, attributive, numeral, etc. Take a look at the list below:

Cute

Quick

Ugly

Adventurous

Now, study the following examples:

Example

Your friend looks cute.

You'd better be quick.

I went on an adventurous hiking trip with my fiend.

Adverbs

We can use adverbs to modify adjectives, verbs, and sometimes other adverbs. Based on their functions and structures, adverbs can be classified into adverbs of manner, frequency, time, etc. Take a look at the following list:

Quickly

Courageously

Well

Exceedingly

Now, let us examine some examples:

Example

Why can't you run more quickly?

The music was exceedingly loud and I could not hear a thing.

Arthur finished all the tasks courageously.

Tip!

Some words can function as several parts of speech. Study the following examples carefully:

Example

You did well on your exam today. (as an adverb)

She doesn't feel very well. (as an adjective)

Prepositions

We use prepositions to show the relationship between different words. They come before a noun or pronoun. We have different types of prepositions such as prepositions of movement and direction, [place](), time, etc. Take a look at the list below:

On

At

In

About

Now, let us see how they are used in sentences:

Example

I'm on Apple Street.

She is at the museum right now, George.

Sometimes I cannot stop my mind from thinking about her.

How to identify them?

Some of these parts of speech such as nouns and verbs are essential for constructing sentences. To identify them in a sentence, we can examine the word's meaning, position, and function within the sentence.

Comments

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Mar 2024
Hi, may I verify the accuracy of one of your examples which stated - You did well on your exam today. (well was highlighted red to represent an adjective). Wouldn't 'well' be an adverb here instead since it modifies the verb 'did' indicating how well the pronoun 'you' did? If 'well' is to be used as an adjective, it should be used to describe the noun/pronoun. For example: I feel well.
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Langeek
Mar 2024
Thanks for catching that! We fixed it.
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