Download Parts of Speech

Parts of Speech
(For more detailed definitions and for examples, refer to the Glossary of Grammatical
Terms in your Pocket Style Manual, pp 220—227.)
Nouns—a word used to name a person, place, thing or idea
proper nouns—Ann, Georgia, Mississippi River, Lincoln Memorial
common nouns—sister, state, river
abstract nouns – honor, love, justice
concrete nouns—chair, tree, building, whisper
collective nouns—jury, troop, family, committee
Pronouns—a word used in place of a noun or group of nouns
(Note: The word to which a pronoun refers is the antecedent to the pronoun.)
personal pronouns (I, you, he, she, it, we, you, they, me, him, her, etc)
possessive pronouns (personal pronouns that show possession like mine, his, etc)
reflexive or intensive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself, themselves, etc)
interrogative pronouns (pronouns used to open a question, like who or what)
demonstrative pronouns (identify or point to a noun, like this, that, these, etc)
indefinite pronouns (refer to a nonspecific person or thing, like anyone, each,
both, few, many, nobody, etc)
Verb—a word that expresses action (jump, run, think) or being (is, was).
Helping verbs help the main verb express action or make a statement
I am going to the store. (am is the helping verb and going is the main verb)
(See Ms. B’s info sheets on verbs for more complete information)
Adjective—a word used to describe a noun or a pronoun. Adjectives usually answer
one of three questions -- What kind? How many or how much? Which one?
What kind – green apples, kind teacher, conscientious student
How many—some ducks, three dogs, few tourists
Which one—that man, this table
The articles a, an and the are adjectives.
Adverb—a word used to describe a verb, adjective or another adverb. Adverbs
usually answer one of the following questions: how, when, where, why, to what
extent, how often, to what degree.
Conjunction—a word that joins words or groups of words
coordinating conjunctions connect equal parts
(for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so)
correlative conjunctions are always used in pairs
either…or
neither…nor
both…and
not only…but also
whether…or
subordinate conjunctions begin subordinate clauses
after
before
provided
although
how
since
as
if
than
as much as
in order that that
because
though
unless
until
when
where
while
Preposition—a word used to show the relation of a noun or pronoun to some word
in the sentence
about
before
concerning
off
underneath
above
behind
down
on
until
across
below
during
over
unto
after
beneath
except
past
up
against
beside
for
since
upon
along
besides
from
through
with
amid
between
in
throughout
within
among
beyond
into
to
without
around
but*
like
toward
at
by
of
under
Interjection—a word that expresses emotion
Oh! Wow! Help!