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A-movies, documentaries, and political ads. This article is part of the ultimate guide to language for teachers and students. Click the buttons below to view these. What are Parts of Speech?Just as a skilled bricklayer must get to grips with the trowel, brick hammer, tape measure, and spirit level, the student-writer must develop a thorough understanding of the tools of their trade too. In English, words can be categorized according to their common syntactic function in a sentence, i.e. the job they perform. We call these different categories Parts of Speech. Understanding the various parts of speech and how they work has several compelling benefits for our students. Without first acquiring a firm grasp of the various parts of speech, students will struggle to fully comprehend how language works. This is essential not only for the development of their reading comprehension but their writing skills too. Parts of speech are the core building blocks of grammar. To understand how a language works at a sentence and a whole-text level, we must first master parts of speech. In English, we can identify eight of these individual parts of speech, and these will provide the focus for our Complete Guide to Parts of Speech. THE EIGHT PARTS OF SPEECH (Click to jump to each section)A COMPLETE UNIT ON TEACHING FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE❤️The use of FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE is like “SPECIAL EFFECTS FOR AUTHORS.” It is a powerful tool to create VIVID IMAGERY through words. This HUGE 110 PAGE UNIT guides you through a complete understanding of FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE as both a READER and WRITER covering.
NounSOften the first word that a child speaks will be a noun, for example, Mum, Dad, cow, dog, etc. Nouns are naming words, and, as most school kids can recite, they are the names of people, places, and things. But, what isn’t as widely understood by many of our students is that nouns can be further classified into more specific categories. These categories are:
All nouns can be classified as either common or proper. Common NounsCommon nouns are the general names of people, places, and things. They are groups or classes on their own, rather than specific types of people, places, or things such as we find in proper nouns. Common nouns can be further classified as abstract or concrete – more on this shortly! Some examples of common nouns include: People: teacher, author, engineer, artist, singer. Places: country, city, town, house, garden. Things: language, trophy, magazine, movie, book. Proper NounsProper nouns are the specific names for people, places, and things. Unlike common nouns, which are always lowercase, proper nouns are capitalized. This makes them easy to identify in a text. Where possible, using proper nouns in place of common nouns helps bring precision to a student’s writing. Some examples of proper nouns include: People: Mrs Casey, J.K. Rowling, Nikola Tesla, Pablo Picasso, Billie Eilish. Places: Australia, San Francisco, Llandovery, The White House, Gardens of Versailles. Things: Bulgarian, The World Cup, Rolling Stone, The Lion King, The Hunger Games. Nouns Teaching Activity: Common vs Proper Nouns
As mentioned, all common and proper nouns can be further classified as either concrete or abstract. Concrete NounsA concrete noun is any noun that can be experienced through one of the five senses. In other words, if you can see, smell, hear, taste, or touch it, then it’s a concrete noun. Some examples of concrete nouns include:
Abstract NounsAbstract nouns refer to those things that can’t be experienced or identified through the five senses. They are not physical things we can perceive but intangible concepts and ideas, qualities and states. Some examples of abstract nouns include:
Nouns Teaching Activity: Concrete Vs. Abstract Nouns
Collective NounsA collective noun is the name of a group of people or things. That is, a collective noun always refers to more than one of something. Some examples of collective nouns include: People: a board of directors, a team of football players, a cast of actors, a band of musicians, a class of students. Places: a range of mountains, a suite of rooms, a union of states, a chain of islands. Things: a bale of hay, a constellation of stars, a bag of sweets, a school of fish, a flock of seagulls. Countable NounsCountable nouns are nouns that refer to things that can be counted. They come in two flavors: singular and plural. In their singular form, countable nouns are often preceded by the article, e.g. a, an, or the. In their plural form, countable nouns are often preceded by a number. They can also be used in conjunction with quantifiers such as a few and many. Some examples of countable nouns include: COUNTABLE NOUNS EXAMPLES
Uncountable NounsAlso known as mass nouns, uncountable nouns are, as their name suggests, impossible to count. Abstract ideas such as bravery and compassion are uncountable, as are things like liquid and bread. These types of nouns are always treated in the singular and usually do not have a plural form. They can stand alone or be used in conjunction with words and phrases such as any, some, a little, a lot of, and much. Some examples of uncountable nouns include: UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS EXAMPLES
Nouns Teaching Activity: How many can you list?
VerbSWithout a verb, there is no sentence! Verbs are the words we use to represent both internal and external actions or states of being. Without a verb, nothing happens. There are many different types of verbs. Here, we will look at five important verb forms organised according to the jobs they perform:
Each verb can be classified as being either an action or a stative verb. Dynamic VerbsDynamic or action verbs describe the physical activity performed by the subject of a sentence. This type of verb is usually the first we learn as children. For example, run, hit, throw, hide, eat, sleep, watch, write, etc. are all dynamic verbs, as is any action performed by the body. Let’s see a few examples in sentences:
If a verb doesn’t describe a physical activity, then it is a stative verb. Stative VerbsStative verbs refer to states of being, conditions, or mental processes. Generally, we can classify stative verbs into four types:
Some examples of stative verbs include: Senses: hurt, see, smell, taste, hear, etc. Emotions: love, doubt, desire, remember, believe, etc. Being: be, have, require, involve, contain, etc. Possession: want, include, own, have, belong, etc. Here are some stative verbs at work in sentences:
Sometimes verbs can fit into more than one category, e.g., be, have, look, see, e.g.,
Each action or stative verb can also be further classified as transitive or intransitive. Transitive VerbsA transitive verb takes a direct object after it. The object is the noun, noun phrase, or pronoun that has something done to it by the subject of the sentence. We see this in the most straightforward English sentences, i.e., the Subject-Verb-Object or SVO sentence. Here are two examples to illustrate. Note: the subject of each sentence is underlined, and the transitive verbs are in bold.
Most sentences in English employ transitive verbs. Intransitive VerbsAn intransitive verb does not take a direct object after it. It is important to note that only nouns, noun phrases, and pronouns can be classed as direct objects. Here are some examples of intransitive verbs – notice how none of these sentences has direct objects after their verbs.
Auxiliary VerbsAuxiliary verbs, also known as ‘helping’ verbs, work with other verbs to affect the meaning of a sentence. They do this by combining with a main verb to alter the sentence’s tense, mood, or voice. Auxiliary verbs will frequently use not in the negative. There are relatively few auxiliary verbs in English. Here is a list of the main ones:
Here are some examples of auxiliary verbs (in bold) in action alongside a main verb (underlined).
The Subject-Auxiliary Inversion Test To test whether or not a verb is an auxiliary verb, you can use the Subject-Auxiliary Inversion Test.
She is working as hard as she can.
Is she working as hard as she can?
She isnotworking as hard as she can.
Verbs Teaching Activity: Identify the Verbs
AdjectiveSThe job of an adjective is to modify a noun or a pronoun. It does this by describing, quantifying, or identifying the noun or pronoun. Adjectives help to make writing more interesting and specific. Usually, the adjective is placed before the word it modifies. As with other parts of speech, not all adjectives are the same. There are many different types of adjectives and, in this article, we will look at:
Descriptive AdjectivesDescriptive adjectives are what most students think of first when asked what an adjective is. Descriptive adjectives tell us something about the quality of the noun or pronoun in question. For this reason, they are sometimes referred to as qualitative adjectives. Some examples of this type of adjective include:
In sentences, they look like this:
Degrees of AdjectivesDescriptive adjectives have three degrees to express varying degrees of intensity and to compare one thing to another. These degrees are referred to as positive, comparative, and superlative. The positive degree is the regular form of the descriptive adjective when no comparison is being made, e.g., strong. The comparative degree is used to compare two people, places, or things, e.g., stronger. There are several ways to form the comparative, methods include:
The superlative degree is typically used when comparing three or more things to denote the upper or lowermost limit of a quality, e.g., strongest. There are several ways to form the superlative, including:
There are also some irregular adjectives of degree that follow no discernible pattern that must be learned off by students, e.g., good – better – best. Let’s take a look at these degrees of adjectives in their different forms.
Let’s take a quick look at some sample sentences: Positive
Comparative
Superlative
Quantitative AdjectivesQuantitive adjectives provide information about how many or how much of the noun or pronoun. Some quantitive adjectives include:
Demonstrative AdjectivesA demonstrative adjective identifies or emphasizes a noun’s place in time or space. The most common demonstrative adjectives are this, that, these, and those. Here are some examples of demonstrative adjectives in use:
Possessive AdjectivesPossessive adjectives show ownership, and they are sometimes confused with possessive pronouns. The most common possessive adjectives are my, your, his, her, our, and their. Students need to be careful not to confuse these with possessive pronouns such as mine, yours, his (same in both contexts), hers, ours, and theirs. Here are some examples of possessive adjectives in sentences:
Interrogative AdjectivesInterrogative adjectives ask questions, and, in common with many types of adjectives, they are always followed by a noun. Basically, these are the question words we use to start questions. Be careful however, interrogative adjectives modify nouns. If the word after the question word is a verb, then you have an interrogative adverb on hand. Some examples of interrogative adjectives include what, which, and whose. Let’s take a look at these in action:
Please note: Whose can also fit into the possessive adjective category too. Proper AdjectivesWe can think of proper adjectives as the adjective form of proper nouns – remember those? They were the specific names of people, places, and things and need to be capitalized. Let’s take the proper noun for the place America. If we wanted to make an adjective out of this proper noun to describe something, say, a car we would get ‘American car’. Let’s take a look at another few examples:
ArticlesThough it may come as a surprise to some, articles are also adjectives as, like all adjectives, they modify nouns. Articles help us determine a noun’s specification. For example, ‘a’ and ‘an’ are used in front of an unspecific noun, while ‘the’ is used when referring to a specific noun. Let’s see some articles as adjectives in action!
Adjectives Teaching Activity: Types of Adjective Tally
AdverbSTraditionally, adverbs are defined as those words that modify verbs, but they do so much more than that. They can be used not only to describe how verbs are performed but also to modify adjectives, other adverbs, clauses, prepositions, or entire sentences. With such a broad range of tasks at the feet of the humble adverb, it would be impossible to cover every possibility in this article alone. However, there are five main types of adverbs our students should familiarize themselves with. These are:
Adverbs of MannerAdverbs of manner describe how or the way in which something happens or is done. This type of adverb is often the first type taught to students. Many of these end with -ly. Some common examples include happily, quickly, sadly, slowly, and fast. Here are a few taster sentences employing adverbs of manner:
Adverbs of TimeAdverbs of time indicate when something happens. Common adverbs of time include before, now, then, after, already, immediately, and soon. Here are some sentences employing adverbs of time:
Adverbs of FrequencyWhile adverbs of time deal with when something happens, adverbs of frequency are concerned with how often something happens. Common adverbs of frequency include always, frequently, sometimes, seldom, and never. Here’s what they look like in sentences:
Adverbs of PlaceAdverbs of place, as the name suggests, describe where something happens or where it is. They can refer to position, distance, or direction. Some common adverbs of place include above, below, beside, inside, and anywhere. Check out some examples in the sentences below:
Adverbs of DegreeAdverbs of degree express the degree to which or how much of something is done. They can also be used to describe levels of intensity. Some common adverbs of degree include barely, little, lots, completely, and entirely. Here are some adverbs of degree at work in sentences:
Adverb Teaching Activity: The Adverb Generator
PRONOUNSPronouns are used in place of a specific noun used earlier in a sentence. They are helpful when the writer wants to avoid repetitive use of a particular noun such as a name. For example, in the following sentences, the pronoun she is used to stand for the girl’s name Mary after it is used in the first sentence. Mary loved traveling. She had been to France, Thailand, and Taiwan already, but her favorite place in the world was Australia. She had never seen an animal quite as curious-looking as the duck-billed platypus. We also see her used in place of Mary’s in the above passage. There are many different pronouns and, in this article, we’ll take a look at:
Subject PronounsSubject pronouns are the type of pronoun most of us think of when we hear the term pronoun. They operate as the subject of a verb in a sentence. They are also known as personal pronouns. The subject pronouns are:
Here are a few examples of subject pronouns doing what they do best:
Object PronounsObject pronouns operate as the object of a verb, or a preposition, in a sentence. They act in the same way as object nouns but are used when it is clear what the object is. The object pronouns are:
Here are a few examples of object pronouns in sentences:
Possessive PronounsPossessive pronouns indicate ownership of a noun. For example, in the sentence: These books are mine. The word mine stands for my books. It’s important to note that while possessive pronouns look similar to possessive adjectives, their function in a sentence is different. The possessive pronouns are:
Let’s take a look at how these are used in sentences:
Reflexive pronouns are used in instances where the object and the subject are the same. For example, in the sentence, she did it herself, the words she and herself refer to the same person. Reflexive PronounsThe reflexive pronoun forms are:
Here are a few more examples of reflexive pronouns at work:
Intensive PronounsThis type of pronoun can be used to indicate emphasis. For example, when we write, I spoke to the manager herself, the point is made that we talked to the person in charge and not someone lower down the hierarchy. Similar to the reflexive pronouns above, we can easily differentiate between reflexive and intensive pronouns by asking if the pronoun is essential to the sentence’s meaning. If it isn’t, then it is used solely for emphasis, and therefore, it’s an intensive rather than a reflexive pronoun. Demonstrative PronounsOften confused with demonstrative adjectives, demonstrative pronouns can stand alone in a sentence. When this, that, these, and those are used as demonstrative adjectives they come before the noun they modify. When these same words are used as demonstrative pronouns, they replace a noun rather than modify it. Here are some examples of demonstrative pronouns in sentences:
Interrogative PronounsInterrogative pronouns are used to form questions. They are the typical question words that come at the start of questions, with a question mark coming at the end. The interrogative pronouns are:
Putting them into sentences looks like this:
Pronoun Teaching Activity: Pronoun Review Table
PrepositionsPrepositions provide extra information showing the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another part of a sentence. These are usually short words that come directly before nouns or pronouns, e.g., in, at, on, etc. There are, of course, many different types of prepositions, each relating to particular types of information. In this article, we will look at:
It’s worth noting that several prepositional words make an appearance in several different categories of prepositions. Prepositions of TimePrepositions of time indicate when something happens. Common prepositions of time include after, at, before, during, in, on. Let’s see some of these at work:
Sometimes students have difficulty knowing when to use in, on, or at. These little words are often confused. The table below provides helpful guidance to help students use the right preposition in the right context.
Prepositions of PlaceThe prepositions of place, in, at, on, will be instantly recognisable as they also double as prepositions of time. Again, students can sometimes struggle a little to select the correct one for the situation they are describing. Some guidelines can be helpful.
A few example sentences will assist in illustrating these: in
on
at
Prepositions of MovementUsually used with verbs of motion, prepositions of movement indicate movement from one place to another. The most commonly used preposition of movement is to. Some other prepositions of movement include:
Here’s how they look in some sample sentences:
Prepositions of MannerPreposition of manner shows us how something is done or how it happens. The most common of these are by, in, like, on, with. Let’s take a look at how they work in sentences:
Prepositions of MeasurePrepositions of measure are used to indicate quantities and specific units of measurement. The two most common of these are by and of. Check out these sample sentences:
Prepositions of AgencyThese prepositions indicate the causal relationship between a noun or pronoun and an action. They show the cause of something happening. The most commonly used prepositions of agency are by and with. Here are some examples of their use in sentences:
Prepositions of PossessionPrepositions of possessions indicate who or what something belongs to. The most common of these are of, to, and with. Let’s take a look:
Prepositions of SourcePrepositions of source indicate where something comes from or its origins. The two most common prepositions of source are from and by. There is some crossover here with prepositions of agency. Here are some examples:
Phrasal PrepositionsPhrasal prepositions are also known as compound prepositions. These are phrases of two or more words that function in the same way as prepositions. That is, they join nouns or pronouns to the rest of the sentence. Some common phrasal prepositions are:
Students should be careful of overusing phrasal prepositions as some of them can seem clichéd. Frequently, it’s best to say things in as few words as is necessary. Preposition Teaching Activity: Preposition Sort
ConjunctionSConjunctions are used to connect words, phrases, and clauses. There are three main types of conjunction that are used to join different parts of sentences. These are:
Coordinating ConjunctionsThese conjunctions are used to join sentence components that are equal such as two words, two phrases, or two clauses. In English, there are seven of these that can be memorized using the mnemonic FANBOYS:
Here are a few example sentences employing coordinating conjunctions:
Subordinating ConjunctionsSubordinating conjunctions are used to introduce dependent clauses in sentences. Basically, dependent clauses are parts of sentences that cannot stand as complete sentences on their own. Some of the most common subordinate conjunctions are:
Let’s take a look at some example sentences:
Correlative ConjunctionsCorrelative conjunctions are like shoes; they come in pairs. They work together to make sentences work. Some come correlative conjunctions are:
Let’s see how some of these work together:
Conjunction Teaching Activity: Conjunction Challenge
InterjectionSInterjections focus on feelings and are generally grammatically unrelated to the rest of the sentence or sentences around them. They convey thoughts and feelings and are common in our speech. They are often followed by exclamation marks in writing. Interjections include expressions such as:
Here’s what they look like in sentences:
Interjection Teaching Activity: Create a scenario
With a good grasp of the fundamentals of parts of speech, your students will now be equipped to do a deeper dive into the wild waters of English grammar. To learn more about the twists and turns of English grammar, check out our comprehensive article on English grammar here. DOWNLOAD THESE 9 FREE CLASSROOM PARTS OF SPEECH POSTERSPARTS OF SPEECH TUTORIAL VIDEOSMORE ARTICLES RELATED TO PARTS OF SPEECHThe content for this page has been written by Shane Mac Donnchaidh. A former principal of an international school and university English lecturer with 15 years of teaching and administration experience. Shane’s latest Book the Complete Guide to Nonfiction Writing can be found here. Editing and support for this article have been provided by the literacyideas team. Which of the following would be the most effective technique for testing students understanding of common literary genres?Which of the following would be the most effective technique for testing students' understanding of common literary genres? Matching terms and examples.
Which of the following should a teacher do to best help students who are revising their own writing?Which of the following should a teacher do to best help students who are revising their own writing? Recommend that students elaborate and use words to make images more specific.
Which of the following strategies should be incorporated into the classroom to help students determine the meaning of unknown words while reading?Teaching students to use contextual analysis when reading unfamiliar words is likely to help their fluency by helping the student: verify the accuracy of their reading by considering the word's meaning within the sentence.
Which of the following describes the best way for elementary students to learn decoding skills?Which of the following describes the best way for elementary students to learn decoding skills? Students should practice decoding words in books that are at their reading level.
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