This document defines and provides examples of different parts of speech in English including nouns, articles, adjectives, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, infinitives, gerunds, prepositions, and conjunctions. Nouns can be proper or common and articles include definite (the) and indefinite (a/an). Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns take the place of nouns. Verbs describe actions or states and can be modified by auxiliary verbs. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Infinitives can function as verbs, nouns, or adjectives. Gerunds are verb forms used as nouns. Prepositions connect words to
This document defines and provides examples of different parts of speech in English including nouns, articles, adjectives, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, infinitives, gerunds, prepositions, and conjunctions. Nouns can be proper or common and articles include definite (the) and indefinite (a/an). Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns take the place of nouns. Verbs describe actions or states and can be modified by auxiliary verbs. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Infinitives can function as verbs, nouns, or adjectives. Gerunds are verb forms used as nouns. Prepositions connect words to
This document defines and provides examples of different parts of speech in English including nouns, articles, adjectives, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, infinitives, gerunds, prepositions, and conjunctions. Nouns can be proper or common and articles include definite (the) and indefinite (a/an). Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns take the place of nouns. Verbs describe actions or states and can be modified by auxiliary verbs. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Infinitives can function as verbs, nouns, or adjectives. Gerunds are verb forms used as nouns. Prepositions connect words to
This document defines and provides examples of different parts of speech in English including nouns, articles, adjectives, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, infinitives, gerunds, prepositions, and conjunctions. Nouns can be proper or common and articles include definite (the) and indefinite (a/an). Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns take the place of nouns. Verbs describe actions or states and can be modified by auxiliary verbs. Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Infinitives can function as verbs, nouns, or adjectives. Gerunds are verb forms used as nouns. Prepositions connect words to
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Parts of Speech
Nouns can be either proper or common.
Proper nouns are those that refer to a particular person, place, thing, or idea. Such nouns are capitalized: America, George Washington, Mr. Neruda, October.
Nouns that do not refer to a particular person, place, thing, or idea are common nouns. They are not capitalized: land, girls, money, test.
The English definite article is the. It is used to identify a particular
person or thing. If you are speaking about someone or something you are already familiar with, you use the with the noun. Look at these examples:
I already know the man.
She met the women who won the lottery. This is the book that I told you about.
The indefinite article is used to describe someone or something
that is unfamiliar to you or about which you are speaking in general. There are two forms: a and an. Use a before a word beginning with a consonant. Use an before a word beginning with a vowel. Look at these examples:
He sees a stranger on the corner.
Did you buy an apple or an orange? Is the woman a good lawyer? She has an idea.
Adjectives are words that describe nouns. They tell the size, color, or quality of something: a big room, the red car, four interesting books.
Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns. The English personal pronouns are: I we , you, he, she, it they
Verbs are the words in a sentence that describe the action of a sentence or that introduce the condition or state of someone or something in the sentence.
Action: Anna throws the ball.
Introduction of a condition: Trent is very sick.
You have already encountered three auxiliary (or helping) verbs: be, do, and have. They are conjugated and used with another verb to change that verbs meaning or tense: I go I am going (changed to in progress or incomplete) you sing do you sing? (changed to a question) she makes she has made (changed to the present perfect tense)
Adverbs are also modifiers, but they modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. You can easily identify adverbs because most end in -ly: happily, quickly, slowly, beautifully.
You have already discovered infinitives and how they are used as verbs. But infinitives can be used in other ways as well. They can be used as nouns: To run would be cowardly. (subject of the sentence) They can be used as adverbs: We came here to thank you. (why wecame) They can be used as adjectives: He is the man to trust. (modifies man)
Gerunds look like present participles: a verb plus an -ing ending
(running, looking, buying, etc.). But gerunds are different from present participles. Present participles are used to form an action in progress or incomplete: I was running, she is speaking, they are helping. And as a participle they can be used as adjectives. But a gerund is used as a noun. Look at these examples:
A preposition connects a certain word in a sentence to a noun or
pronoun. But the meaning of prepositional phrases (preposition followed by a noun or pronoun) is varied. They tell where, when, why, how, or whose. Look at these examples:
Where: in the garden
When: until Monday Why: because of the bad weather How: by train Whose: of the bride
Conjunctions join words, phrases, and sentences together. First, lets
look at some of the commonly used coordinating conjunctions: and, but, or, nor, for, so, and yet. Notice how they can combine words, phrases, or complete sentences:
