8 Parts Of Speech | Definitions, Types, And Examples

8 Parts of Speech Definitions and Examples

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This lesson will analyze the ‘8 Parts of Speech’ in English with definitions, types, and examples. Parts of Speech are part and parcel of English grammar. We can’t think of a sentence without using Parts of Speech. There are 8 Parts of Speech in English.

However, if you want to learn English, 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. Just follow the below sentence.

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

This sentence will get a clear picture of the 8 Parts of Speech in English.

Every word underlined in the sentence is called Parts of Speech.

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:

1. Noun

Any naming word (person, place, thing, or idea) is called 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, etc.

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

John is a good boy.
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 human life.
Honesty is a good virtue.

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

Proper noun
Common noun
Collective
Material noun
Abstract noun

2. Pronoun

A word that is placed instead of a noun is called a Pronoun. 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 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, she, they, I, we, it, etc. Pronouns are underlined in the below sentences for easy identification:

He is going to the market to buy a t-shirt.
She plays with her classmate.
I am the only man who understands the matter.
We are going to arrange a free campaign.
It was considered that he would be won the trophy.

There are nine types of pronouns. They are:

Personal pronoun
Possessive pronoun
Reflexive pronoun
Demonstrative pronoun
Indefinite pronoun
Relative pronoun
Interrogative pronoun
Distributive pronoun
Reciprocal pronoun.

3. Adjective

A word used to describe a noun or pronoun is called an Adjective. In other words, we can say an adjective usually modifies a noun or a pronoun.

For example, happy, good, clever, intelligent, lazy, large, etc. Adjectives are underlined in the below sentences for easy identification:

He looks like he is happy now.
They had been playing good cricket at a 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:

Proper Adjectives
Adjectives of Quality
Adjectives of Quantity
Numeral Adjectives
Demonstrative Adjectives
Distributive Adjectives
Interrogative Adjectives
Possessive Adjectives
Articles

4. Verb

A word that expresses an action or doing something is called a Verb. For example, am, is, are, was, were, have, has had, can, could, should, will, go, play, read, want, sing, etc.

Verbs are underlined in the below sentences for easy identification:

I am good at English.
He is a good boy.
They are playing in the field.
She was suffering from a fever.
These two boys were going to catch fish.
I 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:

Auxiliary verb
Principal verb
Transitive verb
Intransitive verb

5. Adverb

A word that is used to add something to the meaning or modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb is called an Adverb.

For example, about, after, before, fast, slow, etc. Adverbs are underlined in the below sentences for easy identification:

Tell me something about you.
Pass the book after him.
He has done his task before the boy.
They want to run fast.
The tortoise walks slowly.

There are three types of Adverbs. They are:

Simple adverb
Relative adverb
Interrogative adverb

6. Preposition

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.

For example, on, in, to, for, with, within, above over, etc. Prepositions are underlined 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:

Simple preposition
Double preposition
Compound preposition

7. Conjunction

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 are of three types. They are:

Coordinating Conjunctions
Subordinating Conjunctions
Correlative Conjunctions

For example; and, but, or, if, though, than, since, so–that, as soon as, either–or, neither–nor, etc. Conjunctions are underlined 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 tall 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.

8. Interjection

A word used to express a short sudden emotion or excitement is called an Interjection. For example, hurrah! alas! oops! Etc. Interjections are underlined 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.

There are three kinds of Interjections. They are:

Volitive Interjection
Emotive Interjection
Cognitive Interjection.

Conclusion

To sum up, we may say without parts of speech; we can’t make a sentence. These eight parts of speech are the fundamental parts of English grammar.

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

Parts of Speech Quiz

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Azizul Hakim

Azizul Hakim is the founder & CEO of englishfinders.com. He is a passionate writer, English instructor, and content creator. He has completed his graduation and post-graduation in English language and literature.