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Parts of Speech

Grammar – that dreaded ‘g’ word, but if we break things down into the different parts of speech, everything becomes a lot more manageable.  

In English there are eight categories of words, known as parts of speech, which together form the basis of English grammar.

By understanding the functions and behaviours of these different parts of speech, the language becomes demystified and much easier to learn and master. 

The 8 Parts of Speech

NOUNS

naming words used to identify a type of person, place, thing, idea or state, or to identify a particular one of these

ADVERBS

modify verbs, adjectives or other adverbs to express how, where, when and how often something is being done

PRONOUNS

stand in place of nouns to help us avoid having to repeat the noun word again and again when we refer to it

PREPOSITIONS

express relationships of location and time between people, things and places (nouns) to tell where or when something happened

ADJECTIVES

describe nouns, giving  information on the qualities, characteristics and quantities of a noun, and come before the noun in English

CONJUNCTIONS

join together sentences, clauses, phrases, nouns or other words to allow for more complex and varied language structures

VERBS

express actions and states, and different tenses tell if something is happening now, has already happened or will happen

INTERJECTIONS

are exclamations expressing a spontaneous feeling of a strong emotion or reaction, such as surprise, relief, joy, disgust

Of course that’s not all there is to any language, but by grasping these basics and how parts of speech interact with each other, it will form a great foundation to build on.