Parts of speech

Parts of speech

Learn parts of speech in an interactive way, by creating sentences with each of them and adding them to this template. The parts of speech are verbs, nouns, adjectives, pronouns, articles, conjunctions, prepositions, interjections, adverbs, and numerals.

Parts of Speech

The part of speech is a category to which a word is assigned according to its syntactic functions. In English the main parts of speech are noun, pronoun, adjective, determiner, verb, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection.

Conjunction

A conjunction is a word like 'if' 'but' or 'and' which is used to connect sentences or clauses together.

Subordinating conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions are conjunctions that are used at the beginning of subordinate clauses. Some examples of these conjunctions are: although, after, before, because, how, if, once, since, so that, until, unless, when etc.

Although it was raining, I went out.

Coordinating

Coordinating conjunctions always connect phrases, words, and clauses. They are: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.

This stew is savory and delicious.

Prepositions

A preposition is one of the most exciting parts of grammar. A preposition is used to describe the location of something in relation to something else.

Phrase

A group of words used with the force of a single preposition is called phrase preposition.

according to, by means of, owing to, with a view to, in place of, in front of, etc.

Participle preposition consists of words that end in “ing”.

regarding, barring, concerning, considering, etc.

Intensifiers

Extremely, Very

Double

When a preposition consists of more than one word, it is called double preposition.

into, within, upto etc.

Compound preposition consists of two or more words.

on behalf of, according to, in front of, from across, etc.

Simple

When a preposition consists of one word it is called single or simple preposition.

in, at, on, to for, of, from, up, after, over, under, with, etc.

Interjection

An interjection is used to express emotion in a sentence.

Think of other interjections!

Other examples

"Woah!" or "Oops!"

Adverb

An adverb is used to describe a verb, but it can also describe an adjective or another adverb.

Adverbs normally help paint a fuller picture by describing how something happens.

Focusing Adverbs

Especially, Specifically, Merely, Either

Adverbs of Quantity

A lot, Little, Much

Adverbs of Degree

The intensifiers strengthen adverbs adjectives and adverbs and down- toners make them weaker.

Adverbs of Relative Time

Just, Afterward, Soon, Currently

Adverbs of Frequency

Always, usually, Never

Adverbs of Manner

Carefully, Slowly

Numeral

A numeral is a word or phrase that describes a numerical quantity.

Some theories of grammar use the word 'numeral' to refer to cardinal numbers that act as a determiner to specify the quantity of a noun, for example the 'two' in 'two hats'.

Cardinal numbers

One, two..

Ordinal numbers

First, second..

Article

An article is a word used to modify a noun, which is a person, place, object, or idea. Technically, an article is an adjective, which is any word that modifies a noun.

Indefinite article

Indefinite articles are the words 'a' and 'an.' Each of these articles is used to refer to a noun, but the noun being referred to is not a specific person, place, object, or idea. It can be any noun from a group of nouns.

A car in the parking lot.

Definite article

It refers directly to a specific noun or groups of nouns.

The breakfast on my plate.

Pronoun

A pronoun is a word that can be used in place of a noun, typically after the noun itself has already been stated.

Indefinite

Unlike demonstrative pronouns, which point out specific items, indefinite pronouns are used for non-specific things. This is the largest group of pronouns. All, some, any, several, anyone, nobody, each, both, few, either, none, one, and no one are the most common.

None, Several

Relative

Relative pronouns are used to add more information to a sentence. Which, that, who (including whom and whose), and where are all relative pronouns.

Which, Where

Interrogative

Interrogative pronouns are used in questions. Although they are classified as pronouns, it is not easy to see how they replace nouns. Who, which, what, where, and how are all interrogative pronouns.

Which, Who

Reciprocal

Reciprocal pronouns are used for actions or feelings that are reciprocated. The reciprocal pronouns are each other and one another.

Each other, one another

Reflexive

A reflexive pronoun ends with ...self or ...selves and refers to another noun or pronoun in the sentence (usually the subject of the sentence). The reflexive pronouns are myself, yourself, herself, himself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, and themselves.

Itself, Himself

Demonstrative

Demonstrative pronouns are used to demonstrate (or indicate). This, that, these, and those are all demonstrative pronouns.

This, These

Possesive

Possessive pronouns are used to show possession. The possessive pronouns are mine, yours, his, hers, ours, and theirs.

His, Your

Personal

The personal pronouns are I, you, he, she, it, we, they. More often than not (but certainly not always), they replace nouns representing people.

He, They

Adjective

An adjective is a word that's used to describe a specific noun and to provide more detail to the listener.

Superlative

Superlative adjectives demonstrate a higher level of comparison between entities.

She is the prettiest princess.

Comparative

Expresses a comparison between two entities or groups of entities in quality or degree.

He is taller than she is.

Nouns

A noun is defined as a person, place, thing or idea. Proper nouns always begin with a capital letter. Common nouns, which are general words, such as 'cars,' are not capitalized.

Compound

Compound nouns are words where two nouns have been stuck together to make a new noun. Compound nouns should be written as one word, without a hyphen.

Candlestick

Collective

A noun which refers to a group of things/people.

Family, Class

Countable/Uncountable

Countable nouns are nouns that can be counted, even if the number might be extraordinarily high.

Uncountable nouns are nouns that come in a state or quantity which is impossible to count; liquids are uncountable, as are things which act
like liquids.

Cats, Rain

Proper/Common

Proper nouns are the names of specific people or places. They should always begin with a capital letter.

Mary, Paris

Verb

A verb is an action word or 'doing' word that signifies movement in some way.

Auxiliary

An auxiliary verb helps the main (full) verb and is also called a 'helping verb.' With auxiliary verbs, you can write sentences in different tenses, moods, or voices.

You have been practicing hard.

Participle

A participle is a verb form that can be used as an adjective or to create a verb tense. There are two types of participles: Present participle (ending -ing) and Past participle (usually ending -ed, -d, -t, -en, or -n).

The winning athlete gets a trophy.

Modal

A modal is a type of auxiliary (helping) verb that is used to express: ability, possibility, permission or obligation. The main modal verbs in the English language are: can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would.

I might go to the park if I get my homework done.

Linking verb

A linking verb connects the subject with a word that gives information about the subject, such as a condition or relationship.

You look exhausted after studying all night.

Full verb

A verb with its own meaning: a verb that is not an auxiliary verb.

Create sentences

They have it.