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Parts of Speech
Parts of Speech
The eight ways in which words are used are called the eight parts of speech. The eight classifications are
noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. Some words called
homographs can be used as several parts of speech. Words must be used in a sentence before one can
determine their classification.
1. A noun is the name of anything.
2. A pronoun takes the place of a noun.
3. A verb expresses action or state of being.
4. An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun.
5. An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.
6. A preposition shows a relationship between its object and another word in the sentence.
7. A conjunction connects words, phrases, and clauses.
8. An interjection expresses strong feeling.
Noun
A noun is a word used to name a person, place, thing, or idea.
Uses of Nouns
Common uses of the noun are:
1. Subject of the verb
2. Object of a verb
3. Object of a verbal
4. Object of a preposition
5. Predicate nominative
6. Appositive
7. Nominative of address
Kinds of Nouns
In general, there are two kinds of nouns: proper nouns and common nouns.
Proper Noun
A proper noun is a word that names a specific person, place, or thing.
Common Noun
A common noun is a word naming a person, place, or thing without being specific.
Kinds of Common Nouns:
·
Collective
·
Concrete
·
Abstract
·
Compound
Collective Noun
A collective noun is a noun that names a group or collection.
Concrete Noun
A concrete noun is a noun that names something material in form.
Abstract Noun
An abstract noun is a noun that names a quality or idea.
Transitive Verb
A transitive verb is one that requires an object to complete its meaning.
Intransitive Verb
An intransitive verb is one that expresses complete action without an object.
Linking Verb
A linking verb is an intransitive verb that connects the subject to the predicate complement. They are
sometimes called state-of-being verbs or copulative verbs. Common linking verbs are be, am, is, are, was,
were, been, seem, appear, feel become, smell, taste, and sound.
Auxiliary Verb
An auxiliary or helping verb helps to form the mood, voice, tense, etc. of other verbs.
e.g. be, go, may, have, shall, will
Tense
Tense is the form of the verb that indicates the time of the action. The six tenses are:
·
Present
·
Past
·
Future
·
Present perfect
·
Past perfect
·
Future perfect
Adjective
An adjective is a word that modifies a noun or pronoun.
Adverb
An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.
Conjunction
A conjunction is a word used to connect words, phrases and clauses.
Interjection
An interjection is a word that expresses strong feeling. It is independent of the sentence and is not used very
often. Examples are: Oh!, Ah!, Ouch!, Help.
Gerund
A gerund is a verb ending in –ing that is used as a noun. A gerund is a noun.
Participle
A participle is a word derived from a verb that is used as an adjective. A participle is an adjective.
Infinitive
An infinitive is a form of a verb usually preceded by to and is used as:
·
a noun
·
an adjective
·
an adverb