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 |
|
|
pronoun |
takes the place of a noun |
|
adjective |
modifies (describes) a noun or pronoun |
|
article (noun marker) |
modifies (describes, indicates the presence of) a noun | |
verb |
states action or being (action verbs state action; linking verbs state being) |
|
adverb |
modifies (describes) a verb (or verbal), adjective, or other adverb |
|
| 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 |