Parts of speech overview

1. Parts of speech overview English 096

2. Parts of speech • Words can be divided into eight categories, or “parts of speech.” • Nouns • Pronouns • Verbs • Prepositions • Adjectives • Adverbs • Conjunctions • Interjections

3. nouns • A noun is a word that is used to name something: a person, place, object or idea. • Most nouns begin with a lowercase letter & are called common nouns (e.g. book, woman, college, possibility) • Some nouns begin with an uppercase letter & names a specific person, place or thing; these are called proper nouns (e.g. Benjamin Franklin, Carneys Point, Salem Community College) • A singular noun names one person, place, object or idea. A plural noun refers to two or more people, places, objects or ideas. Most singular nouns can be made plural by adding the letter “s.” (e.g. friend – friends; truth – truths)

4. Pronouns • A pronoun is a word that stands for a noun. Pronouns eliminate the need for constant repetition. • Lisa met Lisa’s friends in the music store at the mall. Lisa meets Lisa’s friends at the music store in the mall every Saturday. • Lisa met her friends in the music store at the mall. She meets themthere every Saturday.

5. Types of pronouns • Personal pronouns: *Generally, the 2nd person pronoun “you” is not formal enough for academic papers. This semester, we’ll work on eliminating “you” from a lot of your writing!

6. Types of pronouns • Relative pronouns refer to someone or something already mentioned in the sentence (who, whose, whom, which, that) • Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions (who, whose, whom, which, what) • Demonstrative pronouns are used to point out particular persons or things (this, that, these, those) • Reflexive pronouns are those that end in –self or –selves (herself, ourselves) • Indefinite pronouns do not refer to a particular person or thing (each, either, everyone, nothing, both, several, all, any, most, none) • Reciprocal pronouns express shared actions or feelings (each other, one another)

7. Verbs • There are three types of verbs: Action verbs, linking verbs and helping verbs: • Action verbs tell what is being done in a sentence. • Rainwater poured into the storm sewer. • Linking verbs link a noun to something that is said about it. • The clouds are steel grey. Common linking verbs: am, are, is, was, were, look, feel, sound, appear, seem, become Helping verbs (auxiliary verbs) help the main verb convey when the action occurred • The teacher had graded the tests. Common helping verbs: am, are, is, was, were, been, did, do, does, had, has, have

8. prepositions • A preposition is a word that connects a noun or pronoun to another word in the sentence. • A man in the bus was snoring loudly. • A group of words beginning with a preposition is called a prepositional phrase. The subject of a sentence cannot be within a prepositional phrase. • An ant was crawling up the teacher’s leg. • Common Prepositions • about among behind between except into on to • above around below by for like over toward • across at beneath down from of since under • after before beside during inoff through up

9. adjectives • An adjective is a word that describes a noun (the name of a person, place or thing). Including adjectives helps your writing become more vivid and specific. • The dog lay down on a mat in front of the fireplace. • The shaggy dog lay down on a wornmat in front of the cozyfireplace. • Adjectives can come right before the words they are describing (e.g. damp night) or may come after a linking verb (e.g. he isfurious)

10. What are some adjectives that describe you?

11. adverbs • An adverb is a word that describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Most adverbs end in the letters –ly. • The chef yelled angrily at the young waiter. • I have an extremely busy schedule on Mondays and Wednesdays.

12. Conjunctions • A conjunction is a word that connects. There are two types of conjunctions: coordinating and subordinating. • Coordinating conjunctions join two equal ideas (and, but, so, or, nor, for, yet) • Kevin interviewed for the job, but his friend got it instead. * A comma usually comes before a coordinating conjunction. • When a subordinating conjunction is added to a group of words, the word group can longer stand as an independent sentence. Subordinating conjunctions are also called dependent words. • Karen fainted in class. • When Karen fainted in class • When Karen fainted in class, we propped her feet up on some books. Common subordinating conjunctions After, although, as, because, before, even if, even though, if, since, though, unless, until, when, whenever, where, wherever, whether, while

13. Interjections • An interjection is a word that can stand independently and is used to express emotion. • Oh, • Wow! • Hey! • Oops. • Ouch!

14. review • Words can be divided into eight categories, or “parts of speech.” • Nouns: person, place, object idea • Pronouns: word that replaces noun • Verbs: action or linking • Prepositions: connects a noun to another part of the sentence • Adjectives: describe nouns • Adverbs: describe verbs • Conjunctions: words that connect • Interjections: independent; express emotion

15. Practice: identify the parts of speech • The lostdoghasfleasand a brokenleg. • Have you gotten used to working at night? • Ilove Mexican and Italian foods. • Paul’sfavoritepastime is going to rock concerts. • Even though Elena doesn’t like Stephanie, sheshould have invited her to the party. • Words—the building blocks of sentences—can be divided into eight parts of speech. • Twobatsswoopedover the heads of the frightened children.