8 parts of speech definitions and examples

8 Parts of Speech Definitions and Examples


Last updated on September 6th, 2024 at 11:00 pm

8 Parts of Speech Definitions and Examples

In this lesson, we’ll analyze the 8 parts of speech definitions and examples including their types. Parts of Speech are part and parcel of English grammar. We can’t think of a sentence without using Parts of Speech. Because parts of speech are the building blocks of English grammar, each plays a unique role in making a sentence perfect.

However, if you want to improve your English grammar skills, you must know the parts of speech. Otherwise, it won’t be easy to learn English grammar more accurately. Let us know the definition of parts of speech in English grammar.

What is a Part of Speech?

If we come to the definition of parts of speech, the simple definition is every word in a sentence is called a part of speech. Parts of speech can be described as words that play different roles to create a meaningful sentence. Let’s see the sentence below.

  • Wow! I see a very stunning bird flying in the sky.

This sentence gives a clear picture of the 8 parts of speech in English. Every word in the sentence is a part of speech.

Note: A single word can function as more than one part of speech in terms of its use in sentences. For example:

  • Sometimes I dream about you.
  • I have a dream to be a doctor.

In the first sentence “dream” is functioned as a verb but in the second sentence the same word “dream” is functioned as a noun.

Definition of Parts of Speech by Different Scholars

  • J.C. Nesfield: “The different kinds of words are called Parts of Speech.”
  • Wren & Martin: “Words are divided into different kinds of classes, called Parts of speech, according to their use; that is, according to the work they do in the sentence.”

Types of Parts of Speech

There are eight types of Parts of Speech in English grammar. They are:

8 Parts of Speech Definitions and Examples
  1. Nouns
  2. Pronouns
  3. Adjectives
  4. Verbs
  5. Adverbs
  6. Prepositions
  7. Conjunctions
  8. Interjections

1. Nouns

Any naming word (person, place, thing, or idea) is called a Noun. In other words, we can say, anything that names a person, place, idea, or object is a noun. Sometimes many students think a noun is the name of a person or place only, but it can be a thing, idea, feeling, object, etc.

Let us see some examples of nouns; John, boy, watch, country, United Kingdom, New York City, cow, army, iron, honesty, virtue, etc. Nouns are marked as bold in the below sentences for easy identification:

  • John is a good boy.
  • She gives an attractive watch.
  • The United Kingdom is my favorite country.
  • My brother lives in New York City.
  • The Cow is roaming in the field.
  • The army protects their homeland.
  • Iron is beneficial for our daily life.
  • Honesty is a good virtue.

There are five types of nouns in English. They are:

  1. Proper nouns
  2. Common nouns
  3. Collective nouns
  4. Material nouns
  5. Abstract nouns

2. Pronouns

Pronouns are words that replace a noun to avoid repetition and make sentences easy to understand. If we use a single noun for every sentence, it doesn’t look good. For example, James goes to meet with his friends, and James is enjoying the party, and James recollects his old memories.

Here we use a single noun (James) for every sentence, and that’s why it looks weird. But if we use the pronoun ‘he’ for the last two sentences instead of ‘James,’ it seems pretty good.

That’s why we need to use a pronoun instead of a noun. Let us see examples of pronouns; he, himself, she, they, I, we, it, etc. Pronouns are marked as bold in the below sentences for easy identification:

  • He is going to the market to buy a T-shirt.
  • The task is done by himself.
  • She plays with her classmates.
  • I am the only man who understands the matter.
  • We are going to arrange a free campaign.
  • It was considered that he would win the trophy.
  • Those are my favorite books.

There are nine types of pronouns. They are:

  1. Personal pronouns
  2. Possessive pronouns
  3. Reflexive pronouns
  4. Demonstrative pronouns
  5. Indefinite pronouns
  6. Relative pronouns
  7. Interrogative pronouns
  8. Distributive pronouns
  9. Reciprocal pronouns

3. Adjectives

A word used to describe a noun or pronoun is called an Adjective. In other words, an adjective usually modifies a noun or a pronoun to add extra information. Just imagine if you have a pet how do you describe it to others? You might describe your pet as beautiful, charming, attractive, awesome, splendid, etc. right? If you use these words that means you use adjectives.

Let us see some other examples of adjectives and use them in sentences. Happy, good, clever, intelligent, lazy, large, etc. Adjectives are marked as bold in the below sentences for easy identification:

  • He looks like he is happy now.
  • They had been playing good cricket at the time.
  • Don’t try to be more clever.
  • Undoubtedly he is an intelligent person.
  • This animal is so lazy.
  • I saw a large building.

There are nine types of adjectives. They are:

  1. Proper Adjectives
  2. Adjectives of Quality
  3. Adjectives of Quantity
  4. Numeral Adjectives
  5. Demonstrative Adjectives
  6. Distributive Adjectives
  7. Interrogative Adjectives
  8. Possessive Adjectives
  9. Articles

4. Verbs

A word that expresses an action or doing something is called a Verb. Verbs are words that describe what the subject of the sentence is doing. A verb is the backbone of a meaningful sentence because without a verb a sentence is meaningless. For example, I ____ a smartphone. Does the sentence make any sense? Instead, if we include a verb in the blank then the sentence becomes meaningful as “I bought a smartphone”.

Let us see some examples of verbs and use them in sentences. Am, is, are, was, were, have, has had, can, could, should, will, go, play, read, want, sing, etc.

Verbs are marked as bold in the below sentences for easy identification:

  • am good at English.
  • He is a good boy.
  • They are playing on the field.
  • She was suffering from a fever.
  • These two boys were going to catch fish.
  • have a beautiful doll.
  • They have gone to this place.
  • He has done his job successfully.
  • My sister had a sweet dog.
  • He can do this work.
  • You could attend this meeting.
  • His father shall go to the field.
  • You should be attentive to your study.
  • She will go to meet her friends.
  • He would claim a better job.
  • Read the book carefully.
  • The boy wants to sing a song.

There are four types of verbs. They are:

  1. Auxiliary verbs
  2. Principal verbs
  3. Transitive verbs
  4. Intransitive verbs

5. Adverbs

A word that is used to add something to the meaning or modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb is called an Adverb. Adverbs are words that modify every part of speech except nouns or pronouns. They often describe how, when, where, or to what extent something happens.

Look at the sentence: I had a ___ handsome cat. If we fill the blank with the word “very” then it adds an extra meaning and modifies the adjective (handsome) as well. So the word “very” is an adverb.

Let’s see some examples of adverbs and use them in sentences. About, after, before, quickly, fast, slow, etc. Adverbs are marked as bold in the below sentences for easy identification:

  • I hardly meet with my friend.
  • Did you see him yesterday?
  • He has done his task boy quickly.
  • They want to run fast.
  • The tortoise walks slowly.

There are six types of Adverbs. They are:

  1. Adverbs of manner
  2. Adverbs of time
  3. Adverbs of place
  4. Adverbs of degree
  5. Adverbs of frequency
  6. Conjunctive adverbs

6. Prepositions

A word that is placed before a noun or a pronoun or a noun-equivalent to show its relation to any other term of the sentence is called a Preposition. Prepositions show the relationship between other words in a sentence. They often indicate time, place, and direction.

Here is an example: “I have recently visited the place and sat beside the lake.” In the sentence beside is a preposition because it shows that in which place I sat.

Let’s see some other examples of prepositions and use them in sentences. On, in, to, for, with, within, above over, etc. Prepositions are marked as bold in the below sentences for easy identification:

  • He stores his books on his bookshelf.
  • They have been playing football on the field since morning.
  • He goes to the market to buy some clothes.
  • She is dancing with her mates.
  • The plane was flying above my head.
  • He couldn’t succeed in this plan over the years.

There are three types of prepositions. They are:

  1. Simple prepositions
  2. Double prepositions
  3. Compound prepositions

7. Conjunctions

A word that is usually used to join one word to another, one word to a clause, or one sentence to another is called a Conjunction. Conjunctions help us to build complex sentences and express our thoughts more elaborately. To get the idea more clear, let’s look at the below sentences:

  • He is a poor man.
  • He is very honest.

These two are simple sentences, right? If we combine the two sentences together with a conjunction then we can express the thing more clearly as, Though he is a poor man, he is honest.

Let’s see some other examples of conjunctions and use them in sentences. And, but, or, if, though, than, since, so–that, as soon as, either–or, neither–nor, etc. Conjunctions are marked as bold in the below sentences for easy identification:

  • Janny and Jammy are good friends.
  • He is rich but cheap-minded.
  • Please read more, or you will fail the exam.
  • They will be good doctors if they work hard.
  • He could attend the meeting though he had enough time.
  • The boy is taller than the girl.
  • It has been raining since morning.
  • The older man is so poor that he can’t buy enough food.
  • He left the place as soon as they came.
  • Either Jack or John will do the task.
  • She will neither come here nor her friend.

Conjunctions are of three types. They are:

  1. Coordinating Conjunctions
  2. Subordinating Conjunctions
  3. Correlative Conjunctions

8. Interjections

An Interjection is a word used to express a short sudden emotion or excitement. Interjections are words or phrases that express strong emotions or feelings For example, hurrah! alas! oops! Etc. Interjections are marked as bold in the below sentences for easy identification:

  • Hurrah! We won the match.
  • Alas! She is no more.
  • Oops! They can’t do this job correctly.
  • Wow! I get my desired laptop.
  • Oh! The villagers have failed to catch the thief.

There are three kinds of Interjections. They are:

  1. Volitive Interjections
  2. Emotive Interjections
  3. Cognitive Interjections

Final Thoughts

These eight parts of speech— nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjects are the fundamental parts of English grammar. We can make meaningful and attractive sentences by using these parts of speech.

Please share this article with your friends to get a helpful guideline about these eight parts of speech with definitions and examples.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are parts of speech?

Parts of speech are words that are assigned in a sentence to play different roles to make meaningful sentences. Every word in a sentence is a part of speech.

What are the types of parts of speech?

There are 8 parts of speech in English. They are— nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjects.

What is the difference between a noun and a pronoun?

A noun names a person, place, thing, or idea, while a pronoun replaces a noun to avoid repetition.

How can I identify verbs in a sentence?

Verbs typically describe actions, occurrences, or states of being. Look for words that show what the subject is doing or experiencing.

What part of speech is “which” in English?

The word “which” is a pronoun when it introduces a relative clause (e.g., “The book which I read was interesting”) and an adjective when it is used to specify a noun (e.g., “Which book do you want?”).

Your Turn

Welcome to your Parts Of Speech Quiz

1. Which of the following parts of speech is used to name a person, place, thing, or idea?

2. Identify the part of speech for the word “quickly” in the sentence: “She ran quickly to catch the bus.”

3. What part of speech is “underneath” in the sentence: “The cat hid underneath the table”?

4. Which of the following is a conjunction?

5. In the sentence “The big, red apple fell from the tree,” what parts of speech are “big” and “red”?

6. Choose the correct sentence with a plural noun

7. Identify the type of pronoun in the sentence: “She loves to read mystery novels.”

8. Which of the following is a proper noun?

9. Select the sentence with a possessive pronoun

10. In the sentence “Both of the girls are coming to the party,” “Both” is an example of

11. Identify the main verb in the sentence: “I have been studying for hours.”

12. What is the verb tense in the sentence: “She will be watching a movie tonight”?

13. Choose the correct verb form to complete the sentence: “He ____ to the store yesterday.”

14. Which of the following is an irregular verb?

15. In the sentence “The students are laughing,” what is the verb tense?

16. Select the sentence with an adjective

17. What is the comparative form of the adjective “tall”?

18. Identify the adjective in the sentence: “The cake was delicious and moist.

19. Which of the following sentences uses the superlative form of an adjective correctly?

20. In the phrase “three little kittens,” what are the adjectives?

21. What part of speech do adverbs usually modify?

22. Choose the adverb that correctly completes the sentence: “She sings __________.”

23. Identify the adverb in the sentence: “He speaks softly.”

24. What does the adverb “never” indicate in a sentence?

25. In the sentence “They played happily in the park,” what is the adverb?

26. Choose the correct preposition to complete the sentence: “The book is __________ the table.”

27. Identify the prepositional phrase in the sentence: “She walked through the park to reach the museum.”

28. What is the preposition in the sentence: “The cat jumped over the fence”?

29. Select the sentence with the correct use of the preposition

30. Choose the appropriate preposition: “I’ll see you _______ the party.”

31. Identify the coordinating conjunction in the sentence: “I like both tea and coffee.

32. What type of conjunction is used in the sentence: “She will go to the store if she needs groceries.”

33. Choose the correct conjunction to complete the sentence: “I wanted to play outside; _______ it started raining.”

34. In the sentence “He neither likes nor dislikes broccoli,” what type of conjunction is used?

35. Select the sentence that uses subordinating conjunction

36. Identify the interjection in the sentence: “Wow! that was an amazing performance.”

37. What is the purpose of an interjection in a sentence?

38. Choose the interjection that expresses surprise.

39. Which of the following sentences contains an interjection?

40. In the sentence “Alas! the show is canceled,” what does “alas” represent?

Parts of Speech Quiz

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Unknown
4 years ago

Their functions

ZADOK
4 years ago

i love this

Vitarana victor
Vitarana victor
4 years ago

GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!

Nd
Nd
3 years ago
Reply to  Azizul Hakim

I appreciate

Ishaq khabir muhd
Ishaq khabir muhd
3 years ago

Hello

Tsemu Afaryu
Tsemu Afaryu
3 years ago

Okay, I joint

......
......
3 years ago

Hi

I like this grammar even my teacher also like this

A bizzare boy
A bizzare boy
3 years ago

Helped me thanks!

Daniel
Daniel
2 years ago
Reply to  Azizul Hakim

U are really a good tutor I wsh to see u

Praisy hadasha
Praisy hadasha
3 years ago

Thank you so much

Hasan Ali Khan
Hasan Ali Khan
2 years ago

Types should be discussed

Natale Ungua Juathi
Natale Ungua Juathi
2 years ago

Define all types of noun

S. Pranaya Raga
S. Pranaya Raga
2 years ago

Very helpful! with this info, I can complete my school project. thank you so much for this!

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