In the English language, words can be considered as the smallest elements
that have distinctive meanings. Based on their use and functions, words are
categorized into several types or parts of speech. This article will offer
definitions and examples for the 8 major parts of speech in English
grammar: noun, pronoun, verb, adverb, adjective,conjunction, preposition, and interjection.
1. Noun
This part of a speech refers to words that are used to name persons,
things, animals, places, ideas, or events. Nouns are the simplest among the 8
parts of speech, which is why they are the first ones taught to students in
primary school.
Examples:
- Tom Hanks is very
versatile.
The
italicized noun refers to a name of a person.
- Dogs can be extremely cute.
In this
example, the italicized word is considered a noun because it names an animal.
- It is
my birthday.
The word
“birthday” is a noun which refers to an event.
There are different types of nouns namely:
- Proper– proper nouns always
start with a capital letter and refers to specific names of persons,
places, or things.
Examples: Volkswagen
Beetle, Shakey’s Pizza, Game of Thrones
- Common–
common nouns are the opposite of proper nouns. These are just generic names
of persons, things, or places.
Examples: car, pizza
parlor, TV series
- Concrete– this kind refers to
nouns which you can perceive through your five senses.
Examples: folder, sand,
board
- Abstract- unlike concrete
nouns, abstract nouns are those which you can’t perceive through your five
senses.
Examples: happiness,
grudge, bravery
- Count–
it refers to anything that is countable, and has a singular and plural
form.
Examples: kitten,
video, ball
- Mass–
this is the opposite of count nouns. Mass nouns are also called
non-countable nouns, and they need to have “counters” to quantify them.
Examples of Counters:
kilo, cup, meter
Examples of Mass Nouns:
rice, flour, garter
Example: faculty (group
of teachers), class (group of students), pride (group of lions)
2. Pronoun
A pronoun is a part of a speech which functions as a replacement for a
noun. Some examples of pronouns are: I, it, he, she, mine, his, hers,
we, they, theirs, and ours.
Sample Sentences:
- Janice
is a very stubborn child. She just stared at me and when I told
her to stop.
- The
largest slice is mine.
- We are
number one.
The italicized words in the sentences above are the pronouns in the
sentence.
3. Adjective
This part of a speech is used to describe a noun or a pronoun.
Adjectives can specify the quality, the size, and the number of nouns or
pronouns.
Sample Sentences
- The
carvings are intricate.
The italicized word
describes the appearance of the noun “carvings.”
- I have two hamsters
The italicized word
“two,” is an adjective which describes the number of the noun “hamsters.”
- Wow!
That doughnut is huge!
The italicized word is
an adjective which describes the size of the noun “doughnut.”
4. Verb
This is the most important part of a speech, for without a verb, a sentence
would not exist. Simply put, this is a word that shows an action (physical or
mental) or state of being of the subject in a sentence.
Examples of “State of Being Verbs” : am, is, was, are,
and were
Sample Sentences:
- As
usual, the Stormtroopers missed their shot.
The italicized word
expresses the action of the subject “Stormtroopers.”
- They
are always prepared in emergencies.
The verb “are” refers to
the state of being of the pronoun “they,” which is the subject in the sentence.
5. Adverb
Just like adjectives, adverbs are also used to describe words, but the
difference is that adverbs describe adjectives, verbs, or another adverb.
The different types of adverbs are:
- Adverb
of Manner– this refers to how something happens or how an action is done.
Example:
Annie danced gracefully.
The word “gracefully”
tells how Annie danced.
- Adverb
of Time- this states “when” something happens or “when” it is done.
Example: She
came yesterday.
The italicized word
tells when she “came.”
- Adverb
of Place– this tells something about “where” something happens or ”where”
something is done.
Example: Of
course, I looked everywhere!
The adverb “everywhere”
tells where I “looked.”
- Adverb
of Degree– this states the intensity or the degree to which a specific
thing happens or is done.
Example: The child
is very talented.
The italicized adverb
answers the question, “To what degree is the child talented?”
This part of a speech basically refers to words that specify location or a
location in time.
Examples of Prepositions: above, below, throughout, outside, before,
near, and since
Sample Sentences:
- Micah
is hiding under the bed.
The italicized
preposition introduces the prepositional phrase “under the bed,” and
tells where Micah is hiding.
- During the
game, the audience never stopped cheering for their team.
The italicized
preposition introduces the prepositional phrase “during the game,” and tells when the
audience cheered.
7. Conjunction
The conjunction is a part of a speech which joins words, phrases, or
clauses together.
Examples of Conjunctions: and, yet, but, for, nor,
or, and so
Sample Sentences:
- This
cup of tea is delicious and very soothing.
- Kiyoko
has to start all over again because she didn’t follow the
professor’s instructions.
- Homer
always wanted to join the play, but he didn’t have the guts to
audition.
The italicized words in the sentences above are some examples of
conjunctions.
8. Interjection
This part of a speech refers to words which express emotions. Since
interjections are commonly used to convey strong emotions, they are usually
followed by an exclamation point.
Sample Sentences:
- Ouch! That
must have hurt.
- Hurray,
we won!
- Hey! I said enough!
Source : http://partofspeech.org/
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar