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Parts of Speech Help (Eng 1)


In the final analysis a word's part of speech depends on how the word is used in a sentence.

part of speech definition questions answered by the part of speech
noun
names a person, place, or thing (feelings & ideas are "things")
roles in the sentence
  • what?
  • who?
pronoun
takes the place of a noun
  • what?
  • who?
adjective
modifies (describes) a noun or pronoun
  • which one?
  • what kind?
  • how many?
article (noun marker)
modifies (describes, indicates the presence of) a noun  
verb
states action or being (action verbs state action; linking verbs state being)
  • what's happening?
  • what is the subject doing? (action)
adverb
modifies (describes) a verb (or verbal), adjective, or other adverb
  • when?
  • where?
  • how?
  • under what conditions?
  • to what extent?
  • why? (adverb phrases can answer why questions while single-word adverbs seldom do)

part of speech

definition
further description
conjunction
joins words, phrases, and clauses

coordinating conjunctions are single words (x and y)

correlative conjunctions occur in split pairs (both x and y)

subordinating conjuntions join dependent (subordinate) adverb clauses to independent or other subordinate clauses

preposition
begins a prepositional phrase, which links a noun or pronoun (the object of the preposition) as an adjective or adverb to a word outside the phrase

prepositions always begin the prepositional phrase and are frequently words associated with relative position (explicitely or figuratively)

many words that act as prepositions when they have an object will act as adverbs when they appear without an object

interjection
a word used to express emotion and which has no grammatical role in a sentence  

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© 1997 J. Adrian Verkouteren