Learn Parts of Speech: Unlock the Secrets of Grammar
We often sort things into categories, like clothes in a closet or tools in a toolbox. Similarly, in grammar, we group words into categories. Each category of words is called a part of speech.
What is part of speech?
"A part of speech is a category of words that play similar role in sentence construction."
Types of Parts of Speech
In traditional grammar, there are eight parts of speech:
1. Nouns are words that name people, places, things, or ideas. Here are some examples:
- People: Michael is a teacher.
- Places: Paris is modern city.
- Things: The cat is on the chair.
- Ideas: Love is an emotion.
2. Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns to avoid repetition.
- He is coming to the party later tonight.
- She said she would call me back after work.
- They are going on vacation to Europe next month.
- We will need to finish the project by Friday.
3. Adjectives are words that describe nouns or pronouns.
- The red car sped down the highway.
- She admired the beautiful sunset over the ocean.
- He is a tall basketball player.
- The old house needed renovation.
4. Verbs are words that expresses action, occurrence, or state of being.
- The cat ran quickly across the yard.
- The sun shines brightly in the morning.
- He became a doctor after years of studying.
- They laughed at the funny joke.
5. Adverbs are words that describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. They tell when, where, why, how or to what degree something happens.
- She spoke softly to avoid waking the baby.
- He completed the task quickly and efficiently.
- They arrived early for the meeting.
- The car slowed abruptly to avoid hitting the pedestrian.
6. Prepositions are words that link nouns or pronouns to the other words within a sentence. Prepositions typically come before nouns or pronouns to show place, position, time, or method.
- The book is on the table.
- She walked through the park on her way home.
- The cat is hiding under the bed.
- He sat between his two friends.
7. Conjunctions are words that connect words, phrases, clauses, or sentences.
- He is tired, but he still has work to do.
- You can choose either pizza or pasta for dinner.
- She went to the gym because she wanted to exercise.
- He wanted to go out, so he called his friends.
8. Interjections are words that express sudden emotion or surprise.
- Wow, that's an impressive performance!
- Ouch, that hurt!
- Hey, what's going on here?
- Oh, I see what you mean now.
Why should we learn parts of speech?
Words are the building blocks of sentences. So, understanding how words function in the sentence should be the first step towards learning grammar. The study of parts of speech teaches you this.
Online Test
Below is a 15 minute online test on parts of speech. Login to take the test. Answers wont be submitted unless you login.