Download Parts of Speech Review Guide NOUN Definition: Person/Place

Parts of Speech Review Guide
NOUN

Definition: Person/Place/Thing/Idea
o

Example: I had the biggest kid’s meal. (meal is a thing)
Hints:
o
If you see an article (a, an, the), a noun will follow (although there may be adjectives in-between). Ex: The angry
bear roared.
o
Also, if a word fits into the subject position, (if you can plug the word into this sentence: “[The] __________ is/are
good.”) it’s either a noun or a pronoun.

Warning: this doesn’t work so well with –ing words because –ing words can be either gerunds (nouns) or
participles (adjectives).

Advanced: Gerunds are nouns made out of verb words (verb words that act like something other than a verb are called
“verbals”). Ex: I like swimming. (Swimming is a thing here, so it’s a noun, not a verb!)
PRONOUN

Definition: Pronouns REPLACE a noun or nouns.

Hint: Pronouns stand in for the noun they are replacing. They are like a substitute!
o

Ex: Will is getting married. He is very excited.

The word “He” is standing in for “Will.”

“He” is a substitute for the real thing, the noun “Will.”
Advanced: Pronouns have “antecedents”
o
The antecedent is the noun that the pronoun replaces. The antecedent is the “real” thing, and the pronoun is the
“substitute.”
o
Ex: I like to watch Netflix. It is a good way to relax.
o
“It” is a pronoun (because “it” replaces Netflix). Netflix is the “antecedent;” it is a noun.
ADJECTIVES

Definition: Adjectives modify nouns and pronouns.

Hint: Because adjectives give extra info, they can be crossed out, and the sentence would be okay.

Advanced: Adjectives answer the adjective questions:

o
How many?
o
What kind?
o
Which one?
Super Advanced: Verbals called “participles” act like adjectives. Ex: The chewed pen cap goes in the trash.
ADVERBS

Definition: Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.
o
Examples: I run quickly. I run very quickly. I like the super pretty shoes.

“quickly” modifies a verb. “very” modifies and adverb. “super” modifies an adjective.

Hint: Adverbs are modifiers, so they can be crossed out, and the sentence will be fine.

Advanced: Adverbs answer the adverb questions:
o
How? When? Where? Why? To what extent?
VERBS

Definition: Action words (mental or physical) AND “state of being” words

Advanced: There are three types of verbs you should know!
o
ACTIVE VERBS show physical or mental actions. (I jumped. I lied. I thought about it.)
o
HELPING VERBS are ALWAYS connected to Active verbs. They help develop an active verb, giving the
active verb either a tense or a sense of possibility or necessity
o

All of these show a different tense: I will eat / I am eating / I did eat

All: of these show possibility or necessity: I can jump / I would win / I must pass the exam

Note: Helping verbs must be working together with an active verb in order to be helping verbs.
LINKING VERBS are either forms of “to be” or they are “seeming” verbs. Some grade schools call linking
verbs “being verbs.” All linking verbs connect a noun or pronoun to either a predicate noun or a predicate
adjective. Unlike helping verbs, linking verbs stand alone rather than working with another verb.

Ex: The bear looks cold out there. (First, “Looks” can be replaced with is/seems. Second, “looks”
connects bear to the predicate adjective, “pretty.”)

Ex: I am pretty. (“Am” connects “I,” the pronoun, to the predicate adjective, “pretty.” It is also a form
of “to be.”)

More Advanced…
o
Direct Objects

Definition: A direct object is the noun or pronoun that receives the action of the verb.

Hint: To figure out what the direct object of a verb is, ask “verbed what?”

Ex: She kicked. Here, there is no direct object. Kicked what? IDK

Ex: She kicked a door. Kicked what? The door is receiving the kick. This means “door”
is the direct object.

Note: To “receive the action of the verb” is to be “verbed.” The door is receiving the
action of the kick; it is being “kicked.”
o
Indirect Objects

Definition: An indirect object is the noun or pronoun for/to whom/what something was done.

Hint: Look at the sample below. First, just like before, you should ask “verbed what?” (Gave what?
Flowers). Okay, so “Flowers” is the direct object. Next, you just ask “to or for whom or what?” (To
whom? Lisa!) Okay, so “Lisa” must be the indirect object.

Sample: Will gave Lisa flowers.

Note: If this said, “I gave flowers to Lisa” there wouldn’t be an indirect object because
“to Lisa” is a prepositional phrase, therefore Lisa is the object of the preposition “to.”
o
Transitive/Intransitive Verbs

Definitions: A transitive verb TAKES an object. An intransitive verb has NO object.

Hint: If you ask “verbed what?” you will get no answer if the verb is intransitive. However, you will
get an answer if the verb is transitive.

Ex: She kicked. (Here, kicked is intransitive.)

Ex: She kicked the door. (Here, kicked is transitive because it takes an object, “door.”)
PREPOSITIONS

Definition: words that show relationships; they must take an object. Prepositions create [prepositional phrases], these
phrases add extra info, acting like adjectives or adverbs.

Hint: Prepositions often show spatial relationships. Thus, you can use “the mountain” as their object.
o

Ex: I walked [over the mountain].
Advanced: Some prepositions show less-obvious relationships. These words, when read in isolation, have little meaning;
they are hard to define because they only really gain meaning by being used to connect other words.
o

Ex: I bought it [from the guy] [at the mall].
Super Advanced: What is the Object of the Preposition?
o
Note: The “object of the preposition” is NOT the same as an indirect object or a direct object. Direct and
indirect objects are the object(s) of a VERB, not objects of a preposition.
o
To find the object, ask “preposition what/who?”

Ex: I bought it [from the guy*] [at the mall*].

From who? The guy. Guy = object of the preposition

At what? The mall. Mall = object of the preposition
CONJUNCTIONS

Definition: conjunctions make connections between different parts of a sentence.

Hint: Like prepositions, they are hard to define on their own; however, they do NOT take an object.

Advanced: There are two types you should know!
o
Coordinating conjunctions are always found by themselves (the FANBOYS conjunctions).

Note: “For” and “so” can be prepositions OR conjunctions. Ask whether a “for” or “so” you
are seeing is part of a prepositional phrase (then it’s a preposition and not a conjunction).
o
Correlative conjunctions are linking words that always come in pairs.

Correlatives: Either/or, Whether/or, Both/and, Neither/nor.

Ex: “I like neither the black cat nor the white one.”

Note: If one of the FANBOYS appears in a pair with a buddy conjunction, (like with
neither/nor) then that FANBOY (in this case, “nor”) is a correlative conjunction. If it
appears by itself, it is a coordinating conjunction (like in a compound sentence).
Practice: Label the parts of speech!
N = noun ; PN = pronoun ; V = verb ; AJ = adjective ; AV = adverb ; PP = preposition ; C = conjunction
From
the
sky
a
swift
Angel
descends,
an
Angel
with
a
golden
helmet
and
green
spurs,
a
flaming
sword
in
his
hand,
an
Angel
escaped
from
opposites
merging:
wakefulness
and
death,
living
and
sleeping:
the
happy
boy
who
reaches
the
sad
beach
carries
this
on
his
lips,
Death’s
memory,
white
and
destroyed,
and
for
an
instant,
the
boy
knows
the
light
of
wisdom
and
death
is
an
Angel
with
a
sword
in
his
hand,
and
a
golden
helmet,
and
this
Angel
strikes
the
lips
of
the
boy
on
the
beach:
the
burning
and
painful
sword
strikes
his
lips
and
he
forgets
Phrases Review
A phrase is a group of words that does not have both a subject and verb. A phrase is a combination of words that
makes a larger unit. When considered as a unit, a phrase works like a single part of speech does.
Remember, clauses are groups of words that DO have both a subject and a verb.
Clause: The old fence fell down yesterday. (subject: fence, verb: fell)
Phrase: The old fence (noun phrase – it does not have a predicate)
Ex1: The phrase “The old fence” is made up of adjectives and a noun, but when you think about it as one thing, it acts
like a noun (it is a thing and it can be the subject or the object in the sentence).
Ex2: A participial phrase can be made up of adjectives, nouns, prepositions and adverbs, but when one thinks about it
as one unit, it functions as one big adjective that modifies a noun. “The television mounted on the wall is way too loud.”
(mounted on the wall describes the television, so this phrase acts like an adjective).
Noun Phrase - “The crazy old lady in the park feeds the pigeons every day.” A noun phrase consists of a noun and all
of its modifiers, which can include other phrases (like the prepositional phrase in the park).
Appositive Phrase – “Bob, my best friend, works here” or “My best friend Bob works here.” An appositive
(single word, phrase, or clause) renames another noun, but it is not technically modifying it. The appositive
phrase must be specific enough to replace the noun it is renaming.
Gerund Phrase - “I love baking cakes.” A gerund phrase is just a noun phrase with a gerund as its core
word. (Gerunds are derived from verbs (so they are called “verbals,” but they work as nouns in the sentence,
and they end in –ing). Here, you can see that “baking cakes” is a noun—it is the object of the sentence.
Infinitive Phrase – “I love to bake cakes.” An infinitive phrase is a noun phrase with an infinitive at the
beginning. Unlike the other noun phrases, however, an infinitive phrase can also function as an adjective or
an adverb. Infinitives = “to + verb”



Infinitives as Noun Phrases
o To finish her shift without spilling another pizza into a customer's lap is Michelle's only
goal tonight. (Here, it’s the subject of the sentence.)
o Tina hopes to win the approval of her mother by switching her major from fine arts to premed. (Here, it is the direct object of the verb “hopes.”)
Infinitive as an Adjective Phrase
o The best way to stay awake in class when you are really tired is holding a pencil up. It
will fall if you start drifting off. (Here, it is an adjective because it modifies “way” – it
answers the question “which one?”)
Infinitive as an Adverb Phrase
o Andy, an aspiring comic book artist, is taking Anatomy and Physiology this semester to
understand the interplay of muscle and bone in the human body. (Here, it is an adverb
phrase because it modifies “taking” – it answers the question “why?”)
Verb Phrase – The verb phrase can refer to the whole predicate of a sentence (I was watching my favorite show
yesterday) or just the verb or verb + helping verb (was watching).
Adverb Phrase – The adverbial phrase is a prepositional phrase that acts as an adverb. (I went swimming in the
Indian Ocean.)
Adjective Phrase – Adjective phrases are either participial (I think the guy sitting over there likes you.) or
prepositional (The girl in that line looks really bored.) phrases that act as adjectives.
Participial Phrase –A participial phrase has a past or present participle at the beginning. Past participles usually
end in –ed, but there are some irregulars, like brought, rung, sung, and swum. Present participles always end in –
ing. Participial phrases always function as adjectives. (Crushed to pieces by a sledgehammer, the computer no
longer worked.) (Singing loudly, he turned the corner.)
Prepositional Phrase –A prepositional phrase, which has a preposition as the beginning, can function as an
adjective (The food on the table looked delicious) or an adverb (They have a house by the train tracks).
Absolute Phrase – “My cake finally baking in the oven, I was free to rest for thirty minutes.” Absolute phrases modify
the entire sentence. They are created by combining a noun, a participle, and any modifiers. (Noun = cake. Participle =
baking. Modifiers = my; finally; in the oven.)
An absolute phrase can include a verb (like baking) and a subject (like cake), but it cannot stand on its own. For
example, “My cake finally baking in the oven” cannot stand on its own. It could be its own sentence if you just
added one finite verb: “My cake was finally baking in the oven.”
1.
Usually, a noun or pronoun + a participle + modifiers.
2.
They are always treated as parenthetical elements and are set off from the rest of the sentence with a
comma or a pair of commas (or by a dash or pair of dashes).
3.
Notice that absolute phrases contain a subject (which is often modified by a participle) and some form of a
verb, but it is never a true finite verb (a finite verb doesn’t “leave you hanging”).
4.
They cannot stand on their own.
One kind of absolute phrase does not directly modify any specific word in the rest of the sentence; instead, it modifies
the entire sentence, adding information.
Examples:

Their reputation as winners secured by victory, the New York Liberty charged into the semifinals.

The season nearly finished, Rebecca Lobo and Sophie Witherspoon emerged as true leaders.

The two superstars signed autographs into the night, their faces beaming happily.
Note: When the participle of an absolute phrase is a form of to be, such as being or having been, the participle is often
left out but understood.
Examples:

The season [being] over, they were mobbed by fans in Times Square.

[Having been] Stars all their adult lives, they seemed used to the attention.
Another kind of absolute phrase adds a focusing detail to the idea of the main clause.
Examples:

The old firefighter stood over the smoking ruins, his senses alert to any sign of another flare-up.

His subordinates, their faces sweat-streaked and smudged with ash, leaned heavily against the fire truck.

Coach Nikki strolled onto the court, her arms akimbo and a large silver whistle clenched between her teeth.

The new recruits stood in one corner of the gym, their uniforms stiff and ill fitting, their faces betraying their
anxiety.
Phrase Practice
 Write sentences that incorporate different types of phrases. Underline the key phrase.
Noun Phrase A noun phrase consists of a noun and all of its modifiers, which can include other phrases if those
phrases are modifying the noun.
Appositive Phrase An appositive renames another noun, but it is not technically modifying it.
Gerund Phrase A gerund phrase is just a noun phrase with a gerund. (Gerunds are derived from verbs, but they work
as nouns in the sentence (that means they are the subject or an object in the sentence). They end in –ing).
Infinitive Phrase An infinitive phrase is a noun phrase with an infinitive at the beginning. Write a sentence with an
infinitive phrase that is also a noun phrase.
Verb Phrase the complete predicate of a sentence.
Prepositional Phrases –have prepositions @ the beginning & can function as an adjective or an adverb.
1.
Write a sentence that uses a prepositional phrase as an adjective phrase.
2.
Write a sentence that uses a prepositional phrase as an adverb phrase.
Participial Phrase has a past or present participle at the beginning. Participial phrases always function as adjectives.
Identifying Phrases
 Underline / color-code / label as many phrases as you can in the following sentences.
 Identify the phrase types using the letters A-E in the right-hand column.
A. APPOSITIVE PHRASE: “re-namer”
Acts as a noun.
B. GERUND PHRASE: Gerund + modifiers
Acts as a noun.
C. INFINITIVE PHRASE: Infinitive + modifiers or objects
Can act as an adjective, an adverb, or a noun.
D. PREPOSITIONAL PHRASE: Preposition + object of the preposition + modifiers
Can act as an adjective or an adverb.
E. PARTICIPIAL PHRASE: Present participle or past participle + modifiers.
Acts as an adjective.
1.
A curtain, made of strings of bamboo beads, hung across the open door.
2.
Cramming for tests is not a good study strategy.
3.
Eating before swimming is often warned against.
4.
Except Jo, the children were remarkably like their father.
5.
Tyler wanted to go to the building next to the lodge by the highway.
6.
He was proud of the presentation that he had made the night before.
7.
Her plan to subsidize childcare won wide acceptance among urban politicians.
8.
I'm really not interested in studying biochemistry for the rest of my life.
9.
It was very hot, and the express from Barcelona would arrive in forty minutes.
10. Joe Biden, the American Vice President, traveled to Ukraine.
11. John enjoyed swimming in the lake after dark.
12. Kristen went to college to study veterinary medicine.
13. My teacher, the best chess player in town, has won several tournaments.
14. She wanted to raise taxes.
15. Lisa’s goal, to become an occupational therapist, is within her grasp this year.
16. The best exercise, walking briskly, is also the least expensive.
17. The hills across the valley of the Ebro were long and white.
18. Our pond, frozen over since early December, is now safe for ice-skating.
19. His ship, beaten by the wind, headed for shore.
20. The steps, having been worn down by generations of students, needed repair.
21. The time had come to stop spending money and to save for the future.
22. One of the trails following the edge of the lake was covered in fallen leaves.
23. To watch Uncle Billy tell this story is an eye-opening experience.
24. Working around the clock, the firefighters put out the last of the brush fires.
Absolute Phrases Worksheet
An absolute phrase consists of a noun (or a pronoun) modified by a participle or a participial phrase.
Although an absolute phrase may appear to be a clause, it lacks a verb, so it is indeed a phrase. It stands
“absolutely” by itself, having no direct grammatical relation to the complete subject or the complete predicate
of a sentence.
Use a comma before or after an absolute phrase.
EXAMPLES…

Its leaves burned off by the fire, the dead tree fell.

We hurried to the game, our anticipation (being) high.
 Underline each absolute phrase.
 Be careful! DO NOT underline any participial phrase without the noun/pronoun kernel.
1. Her suspicions confirmed, the police officer made the arrest.
2. Backing out of the driveway, I hit the mailbox.
3. They will take the daytime train, the landscape inviting.
4. My doubts relieved, I gained confidence as the game progressed.
5. Peering through a microscope, the scientist identified several microbes.
6. His dogs panting with exertion, Hagos took a break from his run.
7. Its shutters hanging limply in the wind, the house looked abandoned and forlorn.
8. The car rusted and worthless, I left it at the junkyard.
9. Wearing a red plaid outfit, Lydia looked like a character in a novel.
10. Everything planned in advance, the party went like clockwork.
11. We scrambled from the car, racing to the amusement park gates.
12. Moving quickly, the lion cut off the fleeing zebra.
13. My garden is dying, pesticides having been applied by mistake.
14. As the parole board met to decide the fates of several people, the prisoner was hoping for parole.