Download Parts of Speech

Parts of Speech
The words that make up sentences can be classified into nine grammatical
categories or word classes. The function of a word in a sentence determines
what part of speech it is. The word rock, for example, can belong to any one
of three categories, depending on its context.
We stopped to rest in the shadow of an enormous rock. (noun)
The baby will usually stop fussing if you rock her. (verb)
I used to listen only to rock music, but now I prefer rap. (adjective)
Here’s another example, illustrating three functions of the word since.
We have not seen Lucy since Saturday. (preposition)
We haven’t seen Lucy since she left. (subordinate conjunction)
We haven’t seen Lucy since. (adverb)
1. NOUNS
A noun is a word that names a person, place, object, quality, or concept.
A. Common nouns are general names for persons, places, and objects:
e.g., artist, politician; city, suburb; train, computer.
• Concrete nouns name things that can be seen and touched: telephone, sister, puppy.
• Abstract nouns name thoughts, emotions, qualities, or values—
things that cannot be seen or touched: e.g., ambition, success, honesty.
B. Proper nouns name specific persons, places, and things and are capitalized: Queen Elizabeth, Homer Simpson, Bugs Bunny, CN Tower, Calgary,
General Motors.
C. Collective nouns name groups of people or things that act as a single
unit: jury, class, committee, herd.
2. VERBS
A. A verb is a word or phrase that tells what the subject of the clause
is or does.
• Action verbs tell what the subject does: The driver braked suddenly.
• Linking (or copula) verbs connect the subject to a word or phrase identifying or describing the subject of a sentence: The driver was my older
brother. He felt sleepy.
B. All verbs have different forms (called tenses) to indicate past,
present, or future time.
Our team played badly last night. (action verb in past tense)
Mario thinks that we will win tonight. (present tense, future tense)
I am not so confident. (linking verb in present tense)
C. Auxiliary (or helping) verbs are used with a main verb to show
tense or voice.
The auxiliary verbs are be, have, do, may, can, ought, must, shall, will, and
their various forms.
By November, we will have spent six months in Canada. (future perfect
tense)
D. The way verbs interact with their subjects is shown through a
quality called voice. Active voice and passive voice verbs give different messages to the reader.
• Active voice verbs show the subject doing or acting:
A woman in a BMW took my parking place.
The tornado destroyed everything in its path.
• Passive voice verbs show the subject being acted upon:
My parking place was taken by a woman in a BMW.
Our home was destroyed by the tornado.
3. PRONOUNS
Pronouns are words that substitute for nouns. They can act as subjects
or objects.
There are seven classes of pronouns:
1. Personal Pronouns
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
Singular
(Subject/Object)
Plural
(Subject/Object)
I/me
you/you
he, she, it/him, her, it
we/us
you/you
they/them
We would like you to come with us, but they can fit only four people into
the car.
2. Possessive Pronouns
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
Singular
Plural
mine
yours
his, hers, its
ours
yours
theirs
The wonton soup is yours, the chicken wings are hers, the spareribs are
mine, and the spring rolls are ours to share.
3. Indefinite
Pronouns
Singular
Plural
any, anyone, anybody, anything
everyone, everybody, everything
someone, somebody, something
some, all, many
some, all, many
some people,
some things
none (pl.)
no one, nobody, nothing,
none (sing.)
one
each
either, neither
several
both
few, several, many
Is no one curious about anything someone is doing for the good of us all?
4. Demonstrative
Pronouns
Singular
Plural
this
that
these
those
This paper is mine; these papers are yours.
That is my magazine; I’ve read those, so you can have them if you wish.
5. Relative Pronouns
Singular and Plural
(Subject/Object)
who/whom; whoever/whomever;
which/whichever; what/whatever;
that; whose
The Order of Canada, which was created in 1967, is awarded each year to
Canadians who have distinguished themselves in the arts and sciences,
politics, or community service, and whose contributions in whatever field
are deemed worthy of national honour.
6. Interrogative Pronouns
Singular and Plural
(Subject/Object)
who?/whom?
which? what?/which? what?
Jan is the leader on whom the team depended. Who could take her place?
What can the team do now?
7. Reflexive/Emphatic
Pronouns
1st person
2nd person
3rd person
Singular
Plural
myself
yourself
himself, herself, itself
ourselves
yourselves
themselves
We had planned to go by ourselves, but since Sharon invited herself along,
Leo and Jon should have included themselves on the outing, too.
4. ADJECTIVES
An adjective is a word that modifies or describes a noun or pronoun.
• Adjectives usually answer one of these questions: “What kind?”
“Which?” “How many?”
what kind?
which? how many?
The exhausted young mother carried her two screaming babies.
• Pay special attention to the possessive pronoun adjectives: my, our; your;
his, her, their. These words follow the same rules for agreement that
govern the possessive pronouns listed above.
• Most adjectives have three forms:
Positive (Base) Form: short, brief, concise
Comparative Form:
• Add -er to one-syllable words: shorter, briefer
• Use more + base form for adjectives of two or more syllables:
more concise
Superlative Form:
• Add -est to one-syllable words: shortest, briefest
• Use most + base form for adjectives of two or more syllables:
most concise
A few adjectives such as bad have irregular comparatives (worse) and superlatives (worst). Your dictionary will list these irregular forms.
5. ADVERBS
An adverb is a word that modifies or describes a verb, an adjective, or
another adverb.
• Adverbs commonly answer the questions “When?” “Where?” “How?”
• Adverbs often—but not always—end in -ly.
Rocco foolishly challenged the police officer. (adverb modifies verb)
The baby is an extremely fussy eater. (adverb modifies adjective)
My elderly father drives very slowly. (adverb modifies another adverb;
adverb phrase modifies verb)
6. PREPOSITIONS
A preposition is a word (or words) such as in, on, among, to, for,
according to, instead of that introduces a prepositional phrase. A prepositional phrase = preposition + object of the preposition (a noun or
pronoun).
Prepositional phrases can function as adjectives, adverbs, or nouns.
Celeste is an old friend of mine from Paris. (prepositional phrases as
adjectives modifying noun friend)
I’ll wait until seven o’clock. (prepositional phrase as adverb modifying
verb wait)
We all hope for a better world. (prepositional phrase as noun object of
verb hope)
7. CONJUNCTIONS
Conjunctions are connecting words used to join two words, two
phrases, or two clauses.
• Coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, for, so, nor, yet) join grammatically equal elements in a sentence (e.g., the two parts of a compound
subject; two independent clauses).
Moreen and Gina are coming, but Tessa is not.
• Subordinating conjunctions are dependent clause cues: because,
although, when, since, etc. They link dependent (or subordinate) clauses
to independent clauses.
Tom must go home early because he promised to cook dinner.
• Conjunctive adverbs are transitional expressions (e.g., however, therefore, nevertheless, in fact) usually used after a semicolon to join two independent clauses.
I would like to go to the club tonight; however, I have no money.
• Correlative conjunctions are conjunctions used in pairs: e.g., both . . .
and, not only . . . but (also), either . . . or, neither . . . nor. These constructions are intensifiers. They make the meaning of a statement more
emphatic by focusing the reader’s attention on each element separately.
For example,
Helen is beautiful and intelligent. (coordinating conjunction = statement)
Helen is both beautiful and intelligent. (correlative conjunctions =
emphatic statement)
Luca invited all his friends to the party and gave everyone a gift. (coordinating conjunction = statement)
Not only did Luca invite all his friends to the party, but (also) he gave
everyone a gift. (correlative conjunctions = emphatic statement)
8. ARTICLES
An article precedes the noun it modifies. The definite article, the, may be
used with a singular or a plural noun; it denotes a particular person or
thing. The indefinite article, a/an, is generally used with a singular, countable noun, and signals an unspecified one of a number of others.
(Use an before vowel sounds, not just vowels: e.g., an apple, an honest person.)
The student sitting next to you is asleep. (a particular student)
A student in the back row is snoring. (one of a number of students)
A number of factors determine the use or non-use of articles. For a summary of rules governing articles, go to “ESL Tips” on this Web site.
9. EXPLETIVES
Here and There are expletives, which are words used at the beginning
of a sentence to postpone the subject until after the verb and thus
emphasize it.
Here is your mail. ( = Your mail is here.)
There are hundreds of copies still available. ( = Hundreds of copies are
still available.)