The parts of speech are a set of general rules that govern how words are used in different written and oral texts.
It is important to understand the parts of speech in the English language in order to be able to speak and write effectively. When we learn parts of speech, we get to know how words perform different roles in a sentence.
Table of Contents
In this article about “parts of speech”, we are going to see that the words we use every day fall into different parts of speech. We are also going to see how to use them. Because, to create a sentence or communicate our ideas, those parts of speech (the words) need to be put together in a certain way.
What Are The 8 Parts of Speech?
Every word in the English language has its own set of rules, and it is important to learn them so that you can understand and communicate with others.
Every single word in the English language is called a part of speech; and in order to be able to master the language, it is important to understand how these parts work.
There are a total of 8 parts of speech in the English language, and each one has its own set of rules. These are nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections.
Parts of Speech Chart
The following chart lists the 8 parts of speech—along with brief descriptions and examples.
8 Parts of Speech Definitions and Examples
Let’s go ahead and learn the 8 parts of speech with definitions and examples.
Noun
A noun is a word that refers to a person, animal, place, idea, or thing. For example, Mona, John, cat, dog, table, house, office, park, etc.
In English, nouns come in many different forms, including proper nouns, which are names that refer to people or places; descriptive nouns, which describe things; and common nouns, which are words that are used to refer to a wide range of things.
Common nouns are often used to refer to everyday objects, such as “chair,” “table,” and “door.” Other common nouns are used to refer to abstract concepts, such as “love,” “hate,” and “peace.”
Nouns can also be singular, plural, and neuter. A singular noun refers to one person or thing, while a plural noun refers to more than one person or thing. A neuter noun is used to refer to something that isn’t either a person or a thing.
Let’s see some examples of nouns in sentences:
Person- Her name is Amy.
Place– This park is so crowded.
Thing- You never sit on this chair.
Animal– They have a dog.
Pronoun
Pronouns are words that we use to replace nouns in sentences that refer to people, animals, objects, or places. Pronouns help us to avoid the repetition of nouns while we speak or write. Words such as he, she, it, I, you, we, they, them, etc. are pronouns.
Read the paragraph below and see how it sounds if we don’t use pronouns.
Amy always wakes up early in the morning. Amy goes to the office and comes back in the afternoon. In the evening, Amy cooks dinner. After having dinner Amy goes to bed. This is Amy’s daily routine.
It felt a bit boring, didn’t it?
Now, once we replace the noun with a pronoun, the same paragraph will become more interactive.
Amy always wakes up early in the morning. She goes to the office and comes back in the afternoon. She cooks dinner in the evening. And, after dinner, she goes to bed. This is her routine.
She and her are pronouns here that we used instead of repeating Amy’s name.
Adjectives
Adjectives are words used to describe the person, place, or thing that a noun refers to. Adjectives are often used to add extra information about a noun. It can be used to describe a person’s age, gender, or personality. Adjectives are also used to describe the quality of a noun, such as its size, shape, or color.
Some examples of adjectives are: tall, short, good, bad, beautiful, large, funny, sad, etc.
Let’s see some examples of adjectives in sentences:
You look beautiful in this dress.
It’s pleasant weather today.
He is a kind person.
The movie we watched yesterday was engaging. She looks sad today.
Verb
A verb is a word that describes specific actions, or an action that is being performed. They are also called action verbs.
However, not all verbs are action verbs. There are non-action verbs that denote feelings or state of being. So, a verb can be either an action verb or a state verb.
Action verbs are words such as “walk,” “run,” and “jump.” State verbs are words such as “be,” “look,” “love,” and “feel.”
Let’s see some examples of verbs in sentences:
We play video games every day.
They run very fast.
I love pizza.
He jumped off the bridge.
She hates horror movies.
Adverbs
Adverbs describe or provide more information about verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. They are often used to describe the action or state of something.
Adverbs can be used to describe the way something is done, how something is done, or how something feels. Adverbs can also be used to show how something is different from other things.
For example, we use words such as “slowly” or “carefully” to describe the way something is done. We often use words such as “well” or “badly” to describe how something is done.
Some examples of adverbs are always, quickly, badly, quietly, early, slowly, etc.
While you are learning the parts of speech, you may want to check other topics as well:
Let’s see some examples of adverbs in sentences:
He runs faster than me.
Can you finish your work early?
She was badly injured while playing.
Can you do it silently?
She was walking slowly towards me.
Prepositions
Prepositions are words that connect words in a sentence. Prepositions can be used to describe the location of something, as well as the time and manner in which something is done.
The most common prepositions are: at, on, by, under, over, beside, before, after, behind, above, below, in, out, with, and without. Prepositions can also be used to indicate the relationship between two things (for example, beside means “next to”).
Prepositions are one of the most important parts of speech that you must learn to use correctly. They can make your writing clear and make your sentences more interesting.
Let’s see some examples of prepositions in sentences:
My books are on the table.
He leaves for home at 8 pm.
You can sit beside me.
They came here after me.
I travel by public transport.
Conjunction
A conjunction is a word or phrase that connects two ideas or clauses. There are many different types of conjunctions. Some examples of common conjunctions are: and, but, when, unless, or, nor, for, yet, although, but not, because, not only, etc.
I like sports. I like music. These are two sentences. You can connect them using the conjunction “and”.
I like sports and music.
Let’s see some examples of conjunction in sentences:
I cannot go to work today because my mother is sick.
My dad used to ride horses when he was young.
You are likely to fail unless you work hard.
Interjection
Interjections are words that show sudden feelings or emotions such as joy, surprise, or shock. We usually use the exclamation mark (!) with Interjections words.
Some examples of interjections are:
Oh!
Wow!
Hello!
Ouch!
Bravo!
Let’s see some examples of interjections in sentences:
Oh! I forgot the keys.
Wow! It looks great.
Hello! Is anybody there?
