The parts of speech explain how a word is used in a sentence.
There are eight main parts of speech (also known as word classes): nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions and interjections.
Most parts of speech can be divided into sub-classes. Prepositions can be divided into prepositions of time, prepositions of place etc. Nouns can be divided into proper nouns, common nouns, concrete nouns etc.
It is important to know that a word can sometimes be in more than one part of speech. For example with the word increase.
Increase can be a verb e.g. Prices increased
and increase can also be a noun e.g. There was an increase in the number of followers.
A list of parts of speech in English grammar include the following:
1. Verb
A verb is used to show an action or a state of being
go, write, exist, be
2. Noun
A noun is a word used to refer to people, animals, objects, substances, states, events, ideas and feelings. A noun functions as a subject or object of a verb and can be modified by an adjective.
John, lion, table, freedom, love ...
3. Adjective
Adjectives are used to describe or specify a noun or pronoun
good, beautiful, nice, my ...
4. Adverb
An adverb is used to modify a verb, adjective and other adverbs.
completely, never, there ...
5. Pronoun
A pronoun is used in the place of a noun or phrase.
I, you, he, she, it ...
6. Preposition
Prepositions are used before nouns to form a phrase that shows where, when, how and why
in, above, to, for, at ...
7. Conjunction
Conjunctions join clauses or sentences or words
and, but, when ...
8. Interjection
Interjections are used to show surprise or emotion.
oh!, Good Lord
Examples of parts of speech
Here are some examples of parts of speech:
- My (adjective) friend (noun) speaks (verb) English (noun) fluently (adverb).
- Oh! (interjection) I ( pronoun) went (verb) to (preposition) school (noun) and (conjunction) I ( pronoun) met (verb) Fred (noun).
