Parts of Speech

 

1.  Noun: Person, place, thing, or concept

Ex: Abraham Lincoln; Seattle; bike trail; joy

 

Football is a popular sport.  (2)

Macy*s is a good place to buy a coat.  (3)

 

2.  Pronoun: Word used in place of a noun (List:  526-527)

Ex: It is the greatest city in Washington; He was America’s sixteenth president; I am in trouble with the law.

 

They are out to get me (2)

She didn’t get it.  (2)

 

3.  Verb: Shows action (doing) or expresses a state of being

Types:

·       Action: Tells what the subject is doing

Ex: He ran all the way to the bus stop.

·       Being: Expresses a state of being (is; was; were; are; am)

Ex: He is nearsighted; I am foolish; They were hungry.

·       Helping: Used with main verb, often to form other tenses

Ex: I may go to the movies with you guys; I should stay home.

 

I took a nap after school.  (1)

They were late to the movie.  (1)

I should do my homework, but I might go to a play.  (2)


4.  Adjective: Describes nouns and pronouns.  Answers the questions What kind? Which one?  & How many?

·       What Kind?: Descriptive adjective

Ex: My car is the filthy one; It is a two door car.

·       Which One?: Adjective that makes a noun specific (can be a pronoun)

Ex: Give me that wrench; He won’t take my money.

·       How many?: Numbering adjective

Ex: I had three miles left to go; Each step required effort.

·       Article: A, An, and The; These make nouns more precise.

Ex: I had to get a new Visa card; It is next to the exit sign.

 

I want the little gray noisy one.  (4)

We have twelve, long miles to go.  (2)

That woman slapped that man.  (2)

 

5.  Adverb: Modifies verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.  They answer the questions How? Where? When?  & To what degree?

·       How?: Tells how something is done

Ex: The cat meowed frantically.

·       Where?: Shows location

Ex: I walked forward.

·       When?: Indicates time

Ex: She is leaving tomorrow.

·       To what degree?: Expresses extent

Ex: I was thoroughly exhausted.

 

I left yesterday, quickly drove south, and barely made it.  (4)

6.  Preposition: Word or group of words that connect its object to other words in the sentence.  A preposition and its object make up a prepositional phrase.  (List:  529)

*Common prepositions: In, over, under, across, behind, at, on, after, between, from, for, near, to, with

Ex:  The cat hid under the bed.

       (subject) v.    prep .    object

 

Ex: She ran to the slide; I looked out the window.

 

I went up the stairs, into the bedroom, and over to the TV.  (3)

 

7.  Conjunction: Connects and shows a relationship between words, phrases, or clauses

·       Coordinating:  Show an equal relationship

For; And; Nor; But; Or; Yet; So (FANBOYS)

Ex: We could go skating or hiking; I will take Joe or Susan.

·       Subordinating:  One idea is more important

Ex: Because he was out of licorice, I got peppermint.

 

He went to the store and his wife returned their movies.

When I got home, I saw that I had been robbed.

 

8.  Interjection: Shows strong emotion or surprise

·       Appearing alone: Punctuated with an exclamation mark

Ex: Hey!

·       Appearing in a sentence: Followed by a comma

Ex: Hey, that’s my skateboard.