The 8 Parts of Speech
When people think of grammar they often associate it with having to learn a long list of boring and complex rules that are difficult to understand. Whilst some of the rules will need to be memorised, it is important to master the basics because grammar enables us to analyse language in detail and understand the true meaning and intention of words, phrases, sentences, clauses and passages of speech used in everyday conversation. It is a tool that helps us to explain how language works, so that like our ancestors we can keep the English language alive and encourage its constant evolution, as words and phrases from other dialects begin to merge into our everyday conversations.
Being able to memorise technical definitions of grammar will not be enough if you want to truly master the English language, because in order to truly understand how it is used by native speakers to communicate both socially and culturally, it is essential to understand the basics of grammar and how it is used to communicate effectively.
We all know that when joined together single words create phrases and sentences, which can be further expanded to create longer forms of speech or text.
But for now let’s take a moment to think about a sentence and how it's structured.
In simple terms a sentence is no more than a series of words joined together to create something that we can all relate to by decoding its meaning and purpose.
In order to communicate effectively we need to be able to form sentences which others understand.
We do this by developing an understanding of the meaning of individual words, developing our range of vocabulary and by understanding word groups, also known as parts of speech.
When learning grammar a great place to start is the 8 parts of speech.
We use thousands of words every day and each of these can be separated and categorised into eight different groups.
Although there are eight parts of speech it's important to remember that some words can fit into different word categories depending on the sentence they are in and function as multiple parts of speech. However every word only performs one specific job in each sentence.
Before we find out more about each of the individual parts of speech it's important to think about how a sentence is constructed and to be aware of the basics that every sentence needs in order to be complete and create meaning, or to express a thought.
Every sentence must contain a subject (noun) and a verb (also known as a predicate), or verb phrase.
For example: The dog barked or I run.
Let's take a look at each one of the 8 parts of speech in more detail.
Nouns
Nouns are words that we use to define, identify and name: an idea, a person, things or a place.
For example: dog, girl, book, shop, flower, sadness
The girl was walking quickly.
He had experienced great sadness.
What a pretty cardigan.
Pronouns
Pronouns are words which are used instead of nouns and take their place to avoid any unnecessary repetition.
For example: we, it, I, you, he, she, they, me
They ran down the road.
She is always right.
Verbs
Verbs are words that are used to show or describe an action, or doing something. They tell us what is happening.
For example: talk, sing, go, do, have, be, build, cook, agree, arrive, dance, exist, make, laugh
He cared about her very much
Isabella laughed out loud.
Adverbs
Adverbs are words which are used to describe and modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs. They do this by describing how something is done, or by explaining where or when something is taking place. They give definition to the verb and help to clarify the intention and often end in '-ly'.
For example: quickly, today, thoughtfully, then, therefore, loudly, carefully
She answered the questions carefully.
He ran quickly to catch the bus.
Molly broke her arm and was therefore unable to play tennis.
Adjectives
Adjectives are words that describe nouns and pronouns in more detail, or modify nouns and pronouns by telling us something about them. They help us to get to know more about a subject, place, idea or thing by making it more interesting and memorable.
For example: big, small, wise, beautiful, delicious, blue, jealous
A jealous man is never happy.
The cat had green eyes.
Prepositions
Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a pronoun and noun and also join the noun to another part of the sentence. They tell us when something is in relation to something else, or where it is in relation to it. Prepositions usually go before a noun or pronoun and help to balance the sentence.
For example: in, on, after, before, by, near, with, under, inside, at, through, for
I live in a house.
He walked under the bridge.
Conjunctions
Conjunctions are words which connect clauses, two or more words, phrases or sentences together. Think of them as the glue which joins two ideas in a sentence together or as a bridge that connects one part of a sentence to another.
For example: because, and, for, so, but, or, if, yet
She is always late and never apologises.
Sophie went to visit her Aunt because it was her birthday.
Interjections
Interjections are words or short phrases which are used to show or express surprise or emotions. They are generally followed by an exclamation mark to emphasise them and aren't grammatically linked to the rest of the sentence.
For example: Phew!, Ah!, Hurrah!, Wow!, Oops!, Ouch!, Oh!
Wow! that was amazing.
Phew! I'm so happy that's over.
Although articles and determiners are not listed in the 8 parts of speech they do play an important role in the structure of a sentence, which is why I wanted to share some information about them with you.
Articles / Determiners
Articles are words that are used to determine which noun the writer or speaker is referring to.
For example: the (definite article), an, a (indefinite articles), that, these, this, those (demonstratives)
The dog is barking.
Gordon is a goldfish.
Mary is an accountant.
By gaining a greater understanding of the different parts of speech and familiarising yourself with the individual roles they play in each sentence, you will be able to develop a greater knowledge about the true meaning of every sentence you hear or read, by understanding how to decode and interpret them accurately.
Some final examples:
Here are some final examples to test your knowledge of the 8 parts of speech and to see how they are used in context to create sentences with meaning.
Dean laughed.
subject (noun) + verbLucy cut her finger.
noun + verb + pronoun + nounHe shouted loudly.
noun (because the man or boy has not been previously mentioned, if they had 'he' would be a pronoun)+ verb + adverbHolly painted her shed pink.
noun + verb + pronoun + noun + adjectiveWow! I never knew that.
interjection + pronoun (because the writer/speaker is referring to himself) + adverb + verb + determiner.Grandma diligently knitted me a woollen hat in 2 days.
noun + adverb + verb + pronoun + determiner + adjective + noun + preposition + number + noun
Can you remember the names of the eight parts of speech? Try to write them down in the comments below.
Here is a quick reminder for you.
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