Download AP Parts of Speech

AP English Language
Grammar Intensive
Parts of Speech Review
1. Nouns
Person, place, thing or idea
 Can be:

◦ Proper/common
◦ Concrete/abstract
◦ collective
1. Functions of nouns

Subject
◦ The baby cried.
◦ Dogs and cats make excellent pets.

Predicate Nominative –with a linking verb
◦ My grandfather is a farmer.

Direct Object
◦ The children ate all the cookies.
1. Functions of Nouns

Object complements – directly modifying
the direct object.
◦ My aunt calls my uncle sweetheart.
◦ America recently elected Barack Obama
president.

Indirect Objects
◦ The salesman sold the company new
computers.

Object of Preposition
◦ Mike bought flowers for Andrea.
1. Functions of Nouns

Appositives
◦ The musician Stevie Nicks is a singer in
Fleetwood Mac.
◦ The teacher, my uncle, assigns a lot of
homework.
1. Functions of Nouns

Adjectives – noun phrase modifiers
◦ The child actor won an award.

Adjectives - Possessive modifiers
◦ The librarians' report was informative.

Adverbs
◦ We decided to go home.
◦ Today the children woke up early.
2. Pronouns
Use in place of one or more nouns
 Can serve all of the same functions as
nouns, including ADJECTIVES!!
 The word that the pronoun replaces or
refers to is called an antecedent
 There are seven types of pronouns!

2. Pronoun Types
Personal and Personal Possessive
I, me, my, mine
He, him, his
She, her, hers
We, us, our, ours
They, them, their, theirs
You, your, yours
it, its
Note: Possessive Pronouns function as
ADJECTIVES!

2. Pronoun Types

Reflexive and Intensive
◦ Can be used to REFLECT on a noun or
◦ Can be used to INTENSIFY for emphasis
myself
ourselves yourself
yourselves
himself herself
itself
themselves
Ex. Miranda explained herself.
Ex. Miranda herself made the explanation.
2. Pronoun Types

Relative Pronouns
◦ Used to introduce subordinate clauses
that
who
whose
which
whom
Ex. The college [that I chose] was in Texas.
Ex. Do you know the woman [whose writing
was mentioned?]
2. Pronoun Types

Interrogative Pronouns
◦ Used in questions
who
which
whom
what
whose
Ex. Who borrowed my pen?
Ex. Which do you prefer?
2. Pronoun Types

Who vs. Whom
Who is always referring to a subject of a
verb in a clause
 Whom is always referring to an object of
a verb in a clause

2. Pronoun Types

Examples of correct “who” usage:
◦ Who went to the circus?
◦ We all know who won the game for the team.
◦ Corie knows who made the cake.
◦ Whoever said that you couldn't dance?
2. Pronoun Types

Examples of correct “whom” usage
◦ For whom did you vote?
◦ With whom do you sail?
◦ Whom should I ask about the discount?
◦ You may go with whomever you choose.
2. Pronoun Types
Who vs. Whom – The he/him test
 Try restating your clause as statement or
answer. If you can substitute “he,” use
who. If you substitute “him,” use whom.

Who went to the circus? He went to the circus
 Corie knows who made the cake. He made the
cake.
 For whom did you vote? I voted for him.
 You may go with whomever you choose. I
choose him.

2. Pronoun Types

Demonstrative Pronouns
◦ Used to point out persons or things
This
that
these
Ex. That is an excellent answer.
Ex. This is the correct answer.
those
2. Pronoun Types

Indefinite Pronouns
◦ Pronouns that do not usually refer to a
specific antecedent
all
everybody
no one
another
everyone
one
any
few
other
anybody
many
several
anyone
most
some
both
neither
somebody
each
nobody
someone
either
none
such
3. Adjectives
A word used to modify a noun or
pronoun
 Answers the questions:

◦
◦
◦
◦
Which one?
What kind?
How many?
How much?
3. Adjective Placement

Before the nouns they modify
◦ The green apples smelled good.
◦ I placed the arduous task in the hands of a
capable student.

Predicate Adjective – with a linking verb
◦ Deborah is practical.
◦ His stew tasted delicious.

After the nouns they modify
◦ The hikers, tired and hungry, straglled into
camp
4.Verbs
A word that expresses action or state of
being
 Three types

◦ Action – transitive or intransitive
◦ Linking – describing state or condition
◦ Helping – used with a main verb to form a
verb phrase
4.Verbs

Action Transitive – takes a direct object
◦ The rain pelted the windows.
◦ My cousin bought a car.

Action Intransitive – no object necessary
◦ The rain fell.
◦ My cousin drove.

Some are one, some are both
◦ The chorus sang patriotic songs. (trans)
◦ The chorus sang. (intrans)
4.Verbs
Linking Verbs – describe state of being
 Link the subject to a noun, pronoun or
adjective that describes or identifies the
subject
 Links a subject to a subject complement
is
were
appear
look
am
be
become
remain
are
being
feel
seem
was
been
grow
sound
stay
taste

4.Verbs

Linking verb examples
◦ This is she
◦ She looks serious
◦ My uncle was a doctor.

Some words can be linking OR action,
based on usage
◦ The singer appeared nervous (linking)
◦ The singer appeared on television (action)
4.Verbs
Helping verbs – combine with other verbs
to form verb phrases
Am
has
can/may have
Are
had
could/would/should have
Is
can
could/would/should be
Was
may
will/shall/have been
Were
will/shall be
might have
Do
will/shall have
might have been
Did
has/had been
must
Have
can/may be
must have
must have been

4.Verbs

Examples of Helping Verbs – they can be
separated and still function as one
◦ Did you see Lorraine Hansberry’s play?
◦ We have not seen it yet.
5. Adverbs
A word used to modify a verb, adjective
or other adverb
 Answers the questions

◦
◦
◦
◦
Where?
When?
In what way?
To what extent?
5. Adverbs

Modify a verb
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
She reads quickly. (in what way)
She reads early and late. (when)
She reads everywhere. (where)
She reads thoroughly. (to what extent)
She reads frequently. (how often)
5. Adverbs

Modify an adjective
◦ She is an awfully intense competitor

Modify another adverb
◦ She skated very well.

Used chiefly for emphasis
really actually
truly
◦ She can actually fly over the ice
◦ She is a really good skater.
indeed
5. Adverbs

Nouns as adverbs
◦ My parents left yesterday.
◦ They will return Saturday.
6. Preposition
A word used to show the relation of a noun or pronoun to
some other word in a sentence
 Used as part of a prepositional phrase

About
Above
Across
After
Against
Along
Amid
Among
Around
At
Before
Behind
Below
Beneath
beside
besides
between
beyond
by
concerning
down
during
except
for
from
in
into
like
of
off
on
over
past
since
through
throughout
to
toward
under
underneath
until
unto
up
upon
with
within
without
6. Preposition
Examples of prepositions/phrases
 The first speaker [on the program] is my
mother.
 Her cousin will teach [in San Diego] next
year.
 The two [of us] edited the article [for the
magazine].

7. Conjunctions
Joins words or groups of words
 Coordinating, Correlative, or
Subordinating

7. Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions
◦ Connect items of equal importance
and
but
for
or
so
nor
yet
Ex. The bear turned and lumbered off into
the woods.
Ex. We can use a pickup truck or a jeep.
7. Conjunctions

Correlative Conjunctions
◦ Must be used as a pair… shows correlation
Either… or
neither… nor
Both… and
not only… but (also)
Whether… or
Ex. She helped both Carrie and me with our
applications
7. Conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions
 Used to begin subordinate clauses
(usually adverb clauses)

After
before
provided
Although
how
since
As
if
than
As much as
inasmuch as
that
Because
in order that
though
Unless
until
when
Where
while
Note: many of these words can also be used as
prepositions, adverbs or relative pronouns
7. Conjunctions

Examples of subordinating conjunctions
◦ This computer is even better [than we had
anticipated].
◦ The sun had already set [when we reached
the Grand Canyon].
◦ [If the price is right], I will buy your bicycle.
◦ [Since you can’t help me], I will do it myself
8. Interjections

A word that expresses emotion and has
no grammatical relation to any other
word in the sentence.
Oh!
My goodness!
Yikes!
Yeah,
Hooray!
Sure,
Awww,
The End