Parts Of Speech

Parts of speech in English

Part of Speech / Word Class

Definition (often very simplistic!)

Example

NOUN

The name of a person, place, thing, event, substance, quality, or idea

Michael, Paris (Proper nouns) cat, birthday, air(Common Nouns) honour, love (Abstract nouns)

VERB

An action or ʻdoingʼ word

He RUNS, she FALLS (Intransitive verbs - only have a subject) He EATS fish, she KILLS fleas (Transitive verbs have a subject and can have a direct object) He WRITES letters (FINITE Transitive verb...) He HAS WRITTEN letters (...plus one AUXILIARY verb...) Letters HAVE BEEN WRITTEN (...plus two AUXILIARY verbs)

ADVERB

Words used alongside verbs, except nouns and pronouns, to enhance the meaning of a sentence

John eats QUICKLY Michael was THEREFORE punished Peter is going THERE

ADJECTIVE

Words which give a noun a more precise meaning describing words

An ugly man A compassionate teacher An arrogant official

PRONOUN

Words that can designate things or people without having to name them specifically

I, you, he, she, it, they, them, that, those, someone...

Parts of speech in English

Part of Speech / Word Class

Definition (often very simplistic!)

Example

PREPOSITION

Words used with nouns and pronouns to express the relationship between objects

I write messages TO you Peter is going THERE tomorrow She is ON medication I am NEAR the river

INTERJECTION

Words used to express emotions

Wow! Ouch! Hey! Um.... Meh.

CONJUNCTION OR CONNECTIVE

Words used to connect or join phrases, sentences or words

Mark AND Sophie are married I shouted BECAUSE I was angry BECAUSE I was angry, I shouted