Parts of speech

Parts of speech

    Reference book:  Brighter Grammar    ⇨ C.E. Eckersley,

                          Margaret Macaulay Revised by D.K. Swan.

There are eight parts of speech:

1. Nouns: names of anything in the sentence.

2. Pronoun: words standing instead of nouns in the sentence.

3. Adjective: words limiting the meaning of nouns or pronouns

    in the sentence.

4. Verbs: expressing an action or state of being in the sentence.

5. Adverbs: words limiting the meaning of verbs, adverbs,

    adjectives, almost all parts of speech, even the sentences.

6. Prepositions: words used with nouns or pronouns

   (sometimes with other parts of speech) to make phrase.

7. Conjunctions: words used to join words, phrases, clauses,

    sentences, etc.

8. Interjection: words used to express a sudden feeling for

   events, occurrence, activities, etc.

What are parts of speech?

‘Part’ means fraction and ‘speech’ is what is spoken or

 sentence. The meaning of phrase ‘part of speech’ is the

 fraction or part of a sentence.

Again ‘parts of speech’ is the plural of ‘part of speech’

** Sometimes, we forget the difference between word

    and parts of speech.

A word can’t be part of speech without taking part in

a sentence.

If someone ask you what parts of speech the following

words are -

  pen, watch, spring, etc.

Your answer will be that they aren’t parts of speech. They are only words. 

If you put them in sentences, I can say what part of speech is each word according to their role in the sentences. 

e.g.

         a) It is my pen.

         b) Pen through the word.

         c) Karim is my pen friend.

In the sentence,  a) the word ‘pen’ says the name of a thing.

So, it is a noun.          

In the sentence,  b) the word ‘pen’ expresses an action.

 So, it is a verb. 

In the sentence,  c) the word ‘pen’ limits the noun ‘friend’.

 So, it is an adjective. 

Again,  a) My father gave me a new watch for my birthday.

             b) We are going to watch a football match.

             c) No thieves can come to our house because we have a

                 good watch dog.

In the sentence, a) the word ‘watch’ says the name of a thing. So, it is a noun.          

In the sentence, b) the word ‘watch’ expresses an action.

So, it is a verb. 

In the sentence, c) the word ‘watch’ limits the noun ‘dog’.

So, it is an adjective. 

And,  a) The spring of my watch is broken.

          b) The dog tried to spring over the wall.

          c) I love spring flowers.

In the sentence,  a) the word ‘spring’ says the name of a thing. So, it is a noun.          

In the sentence,  b) the word ‘spring’ expresses an action.

So, it is a verb. 

In the sentence c) the word ‘spring’ limits the noun ‘flowers’. So, it is an adjective. 

What parts of speech are the words in underlined/ Italic?

 And explain.

1. Use a big hammer for this nail.

  Answer:

hammer – noun because it expresses the name of a thing.

nail – noun, it also expresses the name of a thing.           

2. Hammer the nail in well.  

  Answer: Hammer –verb because it expresses an action.

3. Nail the picture on the wall.

   Answer:  Nail – verb because it expresses an action.

4. The water of this pond is polluted. 

   Answer:  water – noun because it tells us the name of a thing.

         polluted – adjective, because it qualifies the noun ‘water’.   

5. Water the plants because they need water.

 Answer:  The 1st water is a verb because it expresses an action

           and 2nd water is a noun that tells us the name of a thing.                  

6. That iron gate is made of iron.

     Answer: The 1st ‘iron’ is an adjective because it qualifies

     the noun ‘gate’

     and 2nd iron is a noun that expresses the name of a metal.

7. Give me the answer to the question.

  Answer: 

 answer – noun because it tells us the name of an action.                   

 8. Can you answer that question?  

    Answer:  answer – verb, it expresses an action.

9. We are going to stay in Athens. 

    Answer: stay – verb, it expresses an action.

10. Our stay there will be for only a week.

      Answer:  stay – noun, it tells us the name of an action.

11. I am going to plant some water lilies in our pond.

     Answer:  plant – verb, it expresses an action.

                     water – adjective, it tells us the kind of lilies.  

Exercise-1

What parts of speech are the words in underlined/Italic

  in the following sentences?

First one is done.

1. Bath the baby in the small bath and dry him with

    a bath towel.

    Answer:

 1st bath is verb, 2nd bath is noun and 3rd one is adjective.

2. We drink tea from tea cup.

3. Will you come and have a drink?

4. My father likes to smoke a pipe.

5. The smoke is going up the chimney.

6. These plants need water. You must water them everyday

     in dry weather.

7. I want you to colour my room any colour you like.

8. I watched a film on television yesterday.

9. Do you film any scene here?

10. Do you cage the chicken every evening?

11.We saw a tiger in a cage.

Answer :

2. drink – verb,        3. drink – noun        4. smoke –verb       5. smoke – noun          

6. 1st water – noun & 2nd water – verb     7. 1st colour – verb & 2nd colour – noun

8.film – noun                                              9. film – verb  

10. cage – verb                                           11. cage – noun

-----------------0----------------