Parts of Speech

Bruce Bennett
STUS 011 Basic English
Why Learn Parts of Speech?
 Why Learn Parts of Speech?
They are the
building blocks of
English grammar.
Understanding and
applying a process
is learning to learn.
It is a foundation to
improve your
writing.
 The Eight Parts of Speech
Nouns
Adjectives
Pronouns
Verbs
Conjunctions
Prepositions
Adverbs
Interjections
 Nouns
Names of persons, Example:
places, things, John has a new
feelings, or ideas. car, and he parks on
the street under a
big tree in Filer.
 Nouns
Names of persons, Example:
places, things, feelings, The boy on the
or ideas. red bike hit a bird
Often indicated by with a rock at the
noun markers -- end of the long
a, an, and the. road.
 Nouns
Names of persons, Example:
places, things, feelings, Happiness is the
or ideas. preference of every
Noun markers -- action and is the
a, an, and the. tendency toward
Noun endings: kindness and
-ness, -ment, -ance, contentment.
-ence, -ancy, -ency,
-ity, -ion, -ure.
 Nouns
Names of persons, Example:
places, things, feelings, The needs of the
or ideas. masses may conflict
Noun markers -- with expectations of
a, an, and the. the members of
Noun endings: legislative bodies.
-ness, -ment, -ance,
-ence, -ancy, -ency, -ity,
-ion, -ure.
Can be made plural
with s or es.
 Nouns
Names of persons, places, things, feelings,
or ideas.
Noun markers -- a, an, and the.
Noun endings: -ness, -ment, -ance, -ence,
-ancy, -ency, -ity, -ion, -ure.
Can be made plural with s or es.
 Verbs
The action or The horse ran,
doing words in a jumped and kicked
sentence. until it threw the
rider.
Most verbs make
sense in the blanks
below:
He _________.
They ________.
 Verbs
The action or Example:
doing words in a She is a nice
sentence. person, and we are
Linking verbs show her friends.
being. Memorize the linking
verbs:
Be, am, is, are, was,
were, been, being.
 Verbs
The action or Example:
doing words in a Today I am on a
sentence. bus, and it goes
Linking verbs show past my house.
being. Yesterday I was on
Change to show a bus, and it went
time (tense). past my house.
The words that change
are verbs.
 Verbs
The action or Always helping verbs:
doing words in a Can Will Shall May
sentence. Could Would Should Might
Must
Linking verbs show
Always verbs, may be
being. helping:
Change to show Have, has, had
time (tense). Do, does, did, done
Be, am, is, are, was,
Complete verbs were, been, being
include helping
verbs.
 Verbs
The action or Example:
doing words in a They might have
sentence. been going to the
Linking verbs show store if they could
being. have gotten a ride.
Change to show
time (tense).
Complete verbs
include helping
verbs.
 Verbs
The action or doing words in a
sentence.
Linking verbs show being.
Change to show time (tense).
Complete verbs include helping
verbs.
 Adjectives
Describe or modify Example:
only nouns. A big, red dump
truck hit a parked
little car and the
worried driver ran
to the other side of
the busy street.
 Adjectives
Describe or modify only Example:
nouns.
The three tired
Answer questions, teens tried to eat a
what kind? or large pie at two
how many? pizza parlors.
How many teens? three
What kind of teens? tired
What kind of pie? large
How many parlors? two
What kind of parlors? pizza
 Adjectives
Describe or modify only Example:
nouns.
The way to a smile
Answer questions,
and an appreciative
what kind? or how
many? attitude is through
the stomach.
The noun markers
a, an, the are
always adjectives.
 Adjectives
Describe or modify only Example:
nouns.
The long, shiny
Answer questions,
black limousine
what kind? or how
many? pulled in front of the
The noun markers a, huge old mansion,
an, the are always and a tall, well-
adjectives. dressed older
Usually piled up gentleman got out.
before nouns.
 Adjectives
Describe or modify only Example:
nouns.
Answer questions, what The river is deep,
kind? or how many? wide and cold, but
The noun markers a, an, the divers are brave
the are always adjectives.
Usually piled up before and well-trained.
nouns. Note: to test these, try
May follow linking verbs
putting them in front of
and describe the
subject. the noun they modify.
 Adjectives
Describe or modify only nouns.
Answer questions, what kind? or
how many?
The noun markers a, an, the are
always adjectives.
Usually piled up before nouns.
May follow linking verbs and describe
the subject.
 Pronouns
Specialized words to Example:
take the place of Paul gave Emily
nouns. stationery because
he wanted her to
write to him when
she could.
 Pronouns
Specialized words to Memorize:
take the place of I he we she they
nouns. me him us her them
Often refer to people Other common
and have several pronouns:
forms.
you, it, this, that,
who, what, someone,
everything, anyone,
and many other
similar words.
 Pronouns
Specialized words to Example:
take the place of nouns.
Her red car is faster
Often refer to people
than my old Ford,
and have several forms.
but their new Honda
May be possessive, cost more than ours.
showing ownership
Note the form:
and working like an
I he we she they
adjective.
me him us her them
my his our hers theirs
Others: yours, its, whose
 Pronouns
Specialized words to take the place of
nouns.
Often refer to people and have several
forms.
May be possessive, showing ownership
and working like an adjective.
 Prepositions
Specialized words to The man on the bus
start prepositional with a hat on his
phrases. head looked at me
A prepositional phrase and turned toward
is a group of words the window.
describing things
which starts with a
preposition and ends
with a noun or
pronoun.
 Prepositions
Specialized words to Memory clue:
start prepositional The rabbit went _____
phrases. the hollow log.
Most prepositions Memorize:
are small, common
words indicating at, from, to, on, in,
time, place or into, onto, between,
position. under, over, against,
around, through
 Prepositions
Specialized words to Example:
start prepositional
phrases.
The problem with him
Most prepositions are is that he sleeps
small, common words during the day and
indicating time, place or
position.
spends most of the
Some prepositions night with his friends.
simply must be Memorize:
memorized. of, with, for, during
 Prepositions
Specialized words to start prepositional
phrases.
Most prepositions are small, common
words indicating time, place or position.
Some prepositions simply must be
memorized.
 Conjunctions
Words which hook Example:
words, phrases, or She and I left, but they
sentences. stayed, for Joe or Ted
Memory clue: FAN BOYS.
was coming on the
For But
And Or bus, yet not on time.
Nor Yet
So
 Conjunctions
Words which hook Example:
together words, I ran when I saw her
phrases, or because I was happy
sentences.
since she was home.
Some conjunctions
Memory clue:
only hook clauses.
They include: She is cute _____ she
smiles.
when, as, if, since,
because, while, after,
although, before
 Conjunctions
Words which hook together words,
phrases, or sentences.
Some conjunctions only hook clauses.
 Adverbs
Describe verbs, She quickly ran to
adjectives, or other her extremely tired
adverbs. friend and gave him
a very big hug.
 Adverbs
Describe verbs, Soon the very able
adjectives, or other pilot confidently flew
adverbs. west, and thus he
Answer the adverb almost crashed.
questions: How? When? soon
When? Where? Where? west
Why? Under what How? very,confidently
conditions? Why? thus
What conditions? almost
 Adverbs
Describe verbs, Example:
adjectives, or other
adverbs.
The extremely hungry
Answer the adverb animal howled eerily in
questions: How? the especially dark
When? Where? Why?
Under what conditions?
night.
Often end in -ly
 Adverbs
Describe verbs, Example:
adjectives, or other
adverbs.
We do not very often
Answer the adverb want them here, for
questions: How? they are always late
When? Where? Why?
Under what conditions?
and almost never want
Often end in -ly to go there with us.
Always adverbs: not
very, often, here,
almost, always,
never, there
 Adverbs
Describe verbs, adjectives, or other
adverbs.
Answer the adverb questions: How?
When? Where? Why? Under what
conditions?
Often end in -ly
Always adverbs: not very, often, here,
almost, always, never, there
 Interjections
Words which show Example:
emotion or are Oh, I am surprised, but
fillers with no other please dont do it
function.
again. Ouch, you hurt
me.