Parts of Speech

PARTS OF SPEECH

• NOUN
• VERBS
• ADJECTIVES
• PRONOUNS
• ADVERBS
• PREPOSITIONS
• CONJUNCTIONS
• INTERJECTIONS

Remember, the same word may occur as several different parts of speech, according to the work it is doing in each particular sentence.

This watch keeps good time. (noun)

There are watch towers on the coast. (adjective)

Sit still and watch me. (verb)

NOUN: A noun is a word that names something.

Proper nouns name a particular person, place or thing. Take capital letter.

 Jane, London, BBC.

Common nouns name general non-specific things and do not need a capital.

dog, train, market.

Abstract nouns name concepts, ideas, emotions.

PRONOUN: A pronoun is a word used instead of a noun.

You, he, they, I, it.

VERB: A verb tells what the subject of a sentence does, what is done to the subject of the sentence, or it expresses the state of the subject.

The man fell to the ground.

The man was thrown to the ground.

The man was on the ground.

Verbs can be active when the subject does the action, or passive if the action is done to the subject.

He fell to the ground. (active)

He was thrown to the ground. (passive)

Verbs are called transitive if the action directly affects an object.

Verbs are called intransitive if the action or state affects only the subject.

The monkey ate the banana. (transitive) (object = banana)

The monkey was eating. (intransitive) (no object, only subject)

A verb may be expressed in one word, or it may require several words.

He sang.

He is singing.

He has been singing.

PARTICIPLE: A participle is an incomplete verb.

Together with one or more helping verbs it can form a complete verb. A participle can be used on its own as an adjective.

The present participle always ends in –ing.

I am speaking. (participle is used as a verb)

The speaking clock. (participle used as an adjective)

Past participles very often end in –ed, -d, or –t: walked, tasted, kept or in –en, -n: spoken, known

I have spoken. (Here the participle spoken is a verb)

The spoken word. (Here the participle spoken is an adjective)

ADJECTIVE: An adjective is a word that describes or limits a noun.

Swiss watches; a clever child; this book

ADVERB: An adverb tells more about a verb, or modifies an adjective or adverb.

She ran swiftly. (tells more about the verb ran.)

It was very slippery. (tells more about the adjective slippery)

She spoke rather fast. (tells more about the adverb fast)

CONJUNCTION: A conjunction is a word that joins two words, phrases or sentences.

They can be single words, and, as

or a group of words: as well as, neither...nor

PREPOSITION – A preposition governs a noun or pronoun and relates it to something else.

The hat is on the table. (On governs table and relates to hat.)

MORE ABOUT VERBS:

TENSES:

Present: The picture hangs on the wall at present.

Past: The picture hung in the wall last year.

Future: The picture will hang there next year.

Be careful not to mix tenses when you are giving an account  of something.

Wrong:	Right:
I seen him. She done it. The pipes were froze. Have you forgot? The cup was broke. We been to town.	I saw him. She did it. The pipes were frozen. Have you forgotten? The cup was broken. We have been to town.

ALSO: If the subject is singular, the verb should be singular too.

One of the boys was hurt.

Two of the boys were hurt.

MORE ABOUT ADJECTIVES:

Adjectives have three degrees: positive, comparative, superlative

When speaking of one person, use the positive form.

When speaking of two persons or things, use the comparative.

When speaking of more than two persons or things, use the superlative.

To turn a short adjective into the comparative form add –er.

To turn a short adjective into the superlative form, add –est.

Positive	Comparative	Superlative
tall dark heavy	taller darker heavier	tallest darkest heaviest

Long adjectives remain unchanged, but have more, or most, added to them to form the comparative and superlative.

beautiful	more beautiful	most beautiful
fragrant	more fragrant	most fragrant

AND, remember, some adjectives are irregular:

good bad much little

better worse more less

best worse most leas