Every English word fits into one of eight parts of speech. A part of speech indicates a word’s role in a sentence. Like roles in a workplace or a TV ensemble cast. These parts of speech in English collaborate effectively. Understanding the different parts of speech helps us use words correctly and clearly.
Explore the various parts of speech we use daily and see how they work together to convey ideas accurately.
The 8 Parts of Speech in English
There are 8 parts of speech:
1. Nouns
A noun names a person, place, thing, or idea.
Examples: man, Butte College, house, happiness
Further, we can define nouns as singular or plural, concrete or abstract. Nouns show possession by adding ‘s. They can function as subjects, direct objects, indirect objects, subject complements, or objects of prepositions.
Example Sentence: The boy accidentally dropped the letter, and then he quickly picked it up. Oh my!
2. Pronouns
A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun.
Examples: she, we, they, it
A pronoun is generally used in place of a specific noun, known as its antecedent.
Sentence Example: The boy accidentally dropped the letter, and then he quickly picked it up. Oh my! The antecedent for the pronoun he is the boy.
Types of Pronouns
Personal pronouns:
It refers to specific persons or things (e.g., I, you, he, she, it, we, they).
Possessive pronouns:
It indicates ownership (e.g., my, your, his, her, its, our, their).
Reflexive pronouns:
It emphasizes another noun or pronoun (e.g., myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves).
Relative pronouns:
who, whom, whose, which, that are relative pronouns to introduce a subordinate clause
Demonstrative pronouns:
this, that, these, those are demonstrative pronouns that identify the point to or refer to nouns.
3. Verbs
A verb expresses action or being.
Examples: jump, is, write, become
The verb in a sentence expresses action or being. There is a main verb and sometimes one or more helping verbs. In “He can sing,” “sing” is the main verb, and “can” is the helping verb.
Sentence Example: The dog barked loudly and then slept soundly in its bed, the verbs are barked and slept.
4. Adverbs
An adverb modifies or describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, providing additional detail.
Examples: rapidly, incredibly, carefully, barely
An adverb describes or modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb but does not modify nouns. It typically answers questions such as when, where, how, why, under what conditions, or to what extent.
Sentence Example: She spoke incredibly softly during the meeting and worked diligently on the report, the adverbs incredibly and softly describe the manner of speaking, while diligently describing how she worked.
Adverbs enhance sentences by adding nuance and specifying how actions occur or the degree of characteristics.
5. Adjectives
An adjective modifies a noun or pronoun and provides more information about its characteristics.
Examples: stunning, ancient, crimson, brilliant
An adjective usually answers the questions: which one, what kind, or how many? a, an, the generally classified as adjectives. Adjectives can also indicate quality, size, shape, color, and quantity.
Sentence Example: The stunning mountain view took my breath away as I read a captivating novel under the ancient oak tree, the adjectives are stunning, captivating, and ancient.
Adjectives help to add detail and depth to your writing. It allows readers to visualize and understand the characteristics of the nouns they modify.
6. Prepositions
A preposition is a word that introduces a prepositional phrase, providing context such as location, time, direction, or relationship.
Examples: near, through, among, during
Examples in sentences: near the park, through the tunnel, among friends, during lunch
A preposition precedes a noun or pronoun to form a phrase that modifies another word in the sentence. This phrase often functions as an adjective or adverb, adding detail about how, when, where, or why something occurs.
Sentence Example: The cat hid under the table while the children played outside, the prepositional phrase under the table describes the cat’s location, and outside describes where the children played.
Common prepositions: for, in, of, by, at, on, to, and with
Prepositions help to clarify relationships and provide important context within sentences.
7. Conjunctions
A conjunction is a word that connects words, phrases, or clauses, illustrating their relationship.
Examples: and, but, or, although, because
A conjunction links words, phrases, or clauses and indicates how they are related.
There are different types of conjunctions:
1. Coordinating Conjunctions
Connect grammatically equal elements (e.g., and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet).
2. Subordinating Conjunctions
Connect a main clause with a subordinate clause (e.g., although, because, if, while, since).
3. Correlative Conjunctions
Work in pairs to connect equal elements (e.g., either… or, neither… nor).
Sentence Example: I wanted to go for a walk, but it started raining, the conjunction “but” connects the two clauses I wanted to go for a walk and it started raining, showing a contrast.
Conjunctions are essential for constructing complex sentences and establishing the logical connections between different parts of a sentence.
8. Interjections
An interjection is a word or phrase that expresses a strong or sudden feeling.
Examples: Alas! Hooray! Bravo! Ugh! Oh no!
An interjection is used to convey an immediate reaction or emotion and often stands alone. It is usually followed by an exclamation point to emphasize the intensity of the feeling. Though interjections are not grammatically connected to the rest of the sentence, they add emotional depth and context.
Sentence Example: After finishing the marathon, she exclaimed, ‘Wow! I can’t believe I did it!’ the interjection Wow expresses the speaker’s amazement and triumph.
Interjections are versatile and help convey a range of emotions quickly and effectively.