Parts of
Speech
Why Learn Parts of Speech?
Why Learn Parts of Speech?
They are the
building blocks of
English grammar.
It is a foundation to
improve your
writing.
The Eight Parts of Speech:
NAPVCAPI
Nouns
Adjectives
Pronouns
Verbs
Conjunctions
Adverbs
Prepositions
Interjections
Nouns
Names of persons, places, things,
feelings, or ideas.
Example:
John has a new car, and he parks on the
street under a big tree in Filer.
Nouns
Often indicated by “noun markers” -- a,
an, and the.
Example:
The boy on the red bike hit a bird with a rock
at the end of the long road.
Nouns
Names of persons, places, things, feelings, or ideas.
“Noun markers” -- a, an, and the.
Noun endings: -ness, -ment, -ance, -
ence, -ancy, -ency, -ity, -ion, -ure.
Example:
Happiness is the preference of every action
and is the tendency toward kindness and
contentment.
Adjectives
Describe or modify only nouns.
Example:
A big, red dump truck hit a parked little car
and the worried driver ran to the other side
of the busy street.
Adjectives
Answer questions, “what kind?” or “how
many?”
Example:
The three tired teens tried to eat a large pie
at two pizza parlors.
How many teens? three
What kind of teens? tired
Adjectives
Usually “piled up” before nouns.
Example:
The long, shiny black limousine pulled in front
of the huge old mansion, and a tall, well-
dressed older gentleman got out.
Pronouns
Specialized words to take the place of
nouns.
Example:
Paul gave Emily stationery because he
wanted her to write to him when she
could.
Pronouns
Often refer to people and have several
forms.
Memorize:
I he she they we
me him her them us
Other common pronouns:
• you, it, this, that, who, what, someone,
everything, anyone, and many other similar
words.
Pronouns
May be possessive, showing ownership and
working like an adjective.
Example:
Her red car is faster than my old Ford, but
their new Honda cost more than ours.
Note the form:
I he we she they
me him us her them
my his our hers theirs
Others: yours, its, whose
Verbs
The action or “doing” words in a
sentence.
The horse ran, jumped and
kicked until it threw the rider.
Verbs
The action or Example:
“doing” words in a She is a nice
sentence. person, and we are
“Linking verbs” show her friends.
being. Memorize the linking
verbs:
Be, am, is, are, was,
were, been, being.
Verbs
Change to show time (tense)
Example:
Today I am on a bus, and it goes past
my house.
Yesterday I was on a bus, and it went
past my house.
The words that change are verbs.
Conjunctions
Words which “hook” Example:
words, phrases, or She and I left, but they
sentences. stayed, for Joe or Ted
Memory clue: FAN BOYS.
was coming on the
For But
And Or bus, yet not on time.
Nor Yet
So
Conjunctions
Some conjunctions only hook clauses.
They include:
when, as, if, since, because, while, after,
although, before
Example:
I ran when I saw her
because I was happy
since she was home.
Adverbs
Describe verbs, adjectives, or
other adverbs.
Example:
She quickly ran to her extremely
tired friend and gave him a very
big hug.
Adverbs
Answer the adverb Soon the very able
questions: How? pilot confidently flew
When? Where? west, and thus he
Why? Under what almost crashed.
conditions? When? soon
Where? west
How? very,confidently
Why? thus
What conditions? almost
Adverbs
Often end in -ly Example:
The extremely hungry
animal howled eerily in
the especially dark
night.
Prepositions
Specialized words to Memorize:
start prepositional at, from, to, on, in,
phrases. into, onto, between,
Most prepositions under, over, against,
are small, common
words indicating around, through
time, place or
position.
Prepositions
Some prepositions simply must be
memorized.
Example:
The problem is that he sleeps during the day
and spends most of the night with his
friends.
Memorize:
of, with, for, during
Interjections
Words which show emotion or are “fillers”
with no other function.
Example:
Oh, I am surprised, but please don’t do it
again. Ouch, you hurt me.
