Identifying Parts of Speech


Parts of speech are categories which the words in a sentence are assigned in accordance with its functions. Combining each part of speech creates a sentence. 

See below the words that form the parts of a speech:

  • Verbword that describes existence, action, or occurrence. All sentences mostly have a verb.
E.g. feel, look, say, score, be, are, is, was, have, am, were, think
         The book is on the table
TIP: There are some tests that can help you to identify a verb: (1) The word probably is a verb if you can use modals (will, shall, can, could, may, might, must, should, or wouldin front of it (You should go home); (2) Try to put the word in past tense (I am a student; I was a student); (3) Try to conjugate the word in the first, second, and third person (I am a student; I am, you are, she is.)
  • Noun: name of a person, place, idea, animal, quality, action, or thing. Nouns function as the subject of the sentence. All sentences mostly have a noun.
E.g. Joice, San Diego, pizza, music, love, generosity, book, dog
          The book is on the table.
TIP: The word probably is a noun if you can make it plural or singular (one book, two books); or you can make it possessive (book's page); or you can place a determiner in front of it (the book, a book); or it can follow a prepositional phrase such as to the, from the, with (This information I took from the book), or you can substitute the word for a personal pronoun (I, you, she, he, etc).

  • Pronoun: word used in place of a noun. 
E.g. he, she, it, everybody, nobody, me, theirs, ours, you
         This is an English book. It is on the table. 
TIP: The word probably is a pronoun if you can substitute the word for a noun (it, he, she, it, mine.) 

  • Adjective: word that describes, modifies, or qualifies a noun and pronoun. Generally, it appears before the words they modify.
E.g. pretty girl, English book, red dress  
                 This is an English book.
TIP: The word probably is an adjective if you can add 'er' or 'eat' (happy, happier, happiest), or you can use 'most' or 'more' in front of it (beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful), or you can use the words 'very' and 'quite' in front of it (it is a very interesting book).

  • Adverb: word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. 

E.g. actually, clearly, surely, possibly, maybe, perhaps 
                 The book is clearly on the table.
TIP: The word probably is an adverb if there is a 'ly' suffix (happily); or the word or phrase can be moved to another place in the sentence, and still makes sense. (The books is clearly on the table; Clearly, the book's on the table; The book is on the table, clearly)  

  • Preposition: word that indicates relationship between objects. The relationship can be one of time, space, directions, place accompaniment, cause, or manner.

E.g. between, down, on, of, to, off, below, over, by, between, among, as
                  The book is on the table.
TIP: The word must be followed by a noun object. Prepositions only occur in prepositional phrases. 

  • Conjunctions: word that joins other words, clauses, or phrases. There are coordinating, correlating, or subordination conjunctions.

E.g. for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so (FANBOYS - coordinating) 
                  This is an English book, and it is on the table.
TIP: The word is probably a conjunction if the word serves as a connector between words, phrases, or clauses. 

E.g. Wow! Ouch! Oops! Help!
                    Wow! The book is on the table. 

  • Article: word used before a noun.

E.g. The articles are: a, an (indefinite articles), and the (definite article)
                   The book is on the table.

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