Download PARTS OF SPEECH

PARTS OF SPEECH
NOUNS – person, place, thing, or idea
Concrete nouns – takes up space or can be recognized by any of the senses
(table, thunder, child, stars)
Abstract nouns – names an idea, quality, or a characteristic (happiness, truth,
bravery, softness, fear)
Singular noun – one (desk, bench, sky, wolf, man)
Plural noun – more than one (desks, bench, skies, wolves, men)
Possessive noun – shows ownership or possession
Singular Possessive
the girl’s coat
a business’s debt
a prince’s crown
a woman’s voice
Plural Possessive
the girls’ coat
those businesses’ debts
the princes’ crowns
the women’s voices
Proper noun – name of a particular person, place, thing, idea. Always
capitalized. (Aunt Shirley, Brad Pitt, Mars, Labor Day, Judaism)
Common noun – general, not specific, name of person, place, thing, idea (family,
actor, planet, holiday, religion)
Collective noun – names a group (team, faculty, committee, herd, flock)
PRONOUNS – takes the place of a noun or another pronoun
ANTECEDENT – the word or group of words that a pronoun refers to
When she was still a young girl, Sylvia Plath decided to become a writer.
[pronoun – she; antecedent – Sylvia Plath]
Personal Pronoun – refers to a specific person or thing (can be singular or plural)
Singular
I, me
You
He, him
She, her
It
Plural
we, us
you
they, them
Possessive Pronouns – take the place of possessive nouns
Singular
My, mine
Your, yours
His
Her, hers
Its
Plural
our, ours
your, yours
their, theirs
This radio is Jill’s.
This radio is hers.
The radio’s battery is new.
Its battery is new.
Reflexive and Intensive – add –self or –selves to certain personal and
possessive pronouns.
Reflexive pronouns – refers to a noun used earlier in a sentence. It always adds
information. It has to be there.
I almost exhausted myself working for her in the campaign.
Today, for the first time in months, she is herself.
Intensive pronouns – adds emphasis to another noun or pronoun. Does NOT
add info to the sentence. If it is omitted, the meaning of the sentence will not
change. Often placed directly after its antecedent, but may come anywhere in
the sentence.
You yourself told me to stop.
Rita herself met us.
I baked the bread myself. We will bake it ourselves.
Demonstrative Pronouns – point out a specific person, place, thing, or idea (this,
that, these, those)
This is the hat I want.
These are the potatoes left over from dinner.
Interrogative Pronouns – form a question
Who are those strangers? Whose did you borrow?
Whom should I invite?
What did you say?
Which of these shall I buy?
Relative Pronouns – used to begin subordinate clauses [Sub. Clause: has
subject and predicate, but cannot stand alone as a complete sentence]
Who
whose whomever that
what
Whom whoever
which whichever whatever
The pilot who landed the plane is my cousin.
The plane, which landed late, carried our friends.
VERBS – express action or state of being
Action Verb – what someone or something is doing
Physical action: The huge lineman leads the charge.
Mental action:
The coaches plan the team’s strategy
Transitive Verb – action verb that is followed by a word that answers what? or
whom?
Chipmunks climb small trees to get at berries and nuts.
Climb what? trees
Intranstive Verb – action verb that is not followed by a word or that answers the
question what? or whom?
Chipmunks also climb much of the time simply to escape from their enemies.
Climb what? We don’t know. The rest of this sent. tells when and why
ADJECTIVES – words that modify nouns or pronouns by limiting its meaning
Answers the questions:
What kind? green sweater
sunny Greece
tall woman pure joy
Which one? this book
these islands
that child
those rules
How many? four oceans
many rings
few farmers
both principals
How much? More money no time
enough salad
little patience
Forms of Adjectives – degrees of comparison
Positive (1)
Slow
Healthy
Strenuous
Comparative (2)
slower
healthier
more strenuous
Superlative (more than 2)
slowest
healthiest
most strenuous
* Comparative and Superlative adjectives of 2 or more syllables are usually formed by
adding more or most before the positive form.
** Never use –er and more or –est and most with the same word.
Ex: More slower; Most healthiest  NO, NO, NO!
- Nouns can be used as adjectives. They answer the questions Which one? and What
kind?
EX: music critic (what kind of critic)
City bus (what kind of bus)
History lesson (which lesson)
United States flag (which flag)
- Sometimes possessive nouns are used as adjectives.
Kate’s parrot
the river’s source
the story’s end
Don’s restaurant
- A, an, and the are adjectives called ARTICLES. A and an are indefinite articles. The
is a definite article. (Examples in Writer’s Choice page 460)
ADVERBS – modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs by making its meaning more
specific.
Answer the questions
When?
Verb
Fly
Had arrived
Where?
Jump
Was charging
How?
Argued
Will speak
To what degree?
Finish
Would have known
Eventually, the train will arrive at the station.
Adverb
fly now
had arrived early
jump aside
was charging forward
Argued effectively
will speak clearly
finish completely
hardly would have known
The train will eventually arrive at the station.
The train will arrive at the station eventually.
More info:
Adverbs: degrees of comparison - Writer’s Choice p470
Distinguishing between Adverbs and Adjectives – Writes Choice p471
PREPOSITIONS – a word that shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to some
other words in a sentence.
The garage is behind the house. [Behind shows the spatial relationship between the
house and the garage.]
The engine purred after the adjustment. [After tells the time relationship between the
purring and the adjustment.]
It started with ease. [With relates the verb started to the noun ease.]
SEE CHARTS ON PAGE 473
CONJUNCTION- a word that joins single words or groups of words.
-
Coordinating conjunctions – joins words or groups of words with equal
grammatical weight in a sentence. [CHART p 476]
She designs and builds.
He writes in French but not English.
Practice writing, or you will never improve.
-
Correlative Conjunctions – work in pairs to join words or groups of words with
equal grammatical weight in a sentence. [CHART p 477]
Both you and I must go.
We saw not only Tokyo but also Kyoto.
-
Subordinating Conjunctions – join two clauses, or ideas, in such a way as to make
one grammatically dependent upon the other. [CHART p 478]
We cheered the tall ships because they were so glorious.
We cheered the tall ships when they arrived.
Whenever the ships sail again, we will want to see them.
We will want to see them if they sail again.
- Conjunctive Adverbs – clarify the relationship between clauses of equal weight in
a sentence.
The ships sailed away; nevertheless, they left us with happy memories.
To replace AND
To replace BUT
To state a result
To state equality
also, besides, furthermore, moreover
however, nevertheless, still
consequently, therefore, so, thus
equally, likewise, similarly
INTERJECTIONS – express emotion or exclamation. It has no grammatical connection
to the other words in the sentence. Is set off with a comma, exclamation point, or
question mark.
Surprise
Delight
Confusion
Pain
Joy
Oh, didn’t you know?
Ah, your father knows the recipe.
What? I didn’t know that.
Ouch! That hurts.
Wow! This is great.