Each word in the English language is referred to as a component of speech. A word’s function in a sentence indicates the portion of speech to which it belongs. Examine this article’s definition, examples, and classification of the many parts of speech.
What Is a Part of Speech?
One of the first grammatical concepts we study in school or when we first begin learning English is parts of speech. Words that have various purposes in a sentence are referred to as parts of speech. Certain speech components can also serve the purposes of other speech components.
Definition of Parts of Speech
Parts of speech are “one of the classes into which words are divided according to their grammar, such as noun, verb, adjective, etc.” according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary.
A comparable definition is provided by the Cambridge Dictionary: “One of the grammatical groups into which words are divided, such as noun, verb, and adjective.”
Different Parts of Speech with Examples
Nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections are all considered parts of speech.
Definitions and Examples of the Eight Parts of Speech:
Nouns are words used to name objects, people, places, animals, and concepts. There are two primary groups of nouns: proper nouns and common nouns. Proper nouns are more specific, such as Charles, The White House, The Sun, etc., while common nouns are more general, such as ball, car, stick, etc.
Examples of nouns used in sentences:
- She purchased a set of shoes. (item)
- I own a pet. (Animal)
- Is this book yours? (Item)
- A lot of people are afraid of the dark. (abstract nouns and ideas)
- He’s my brother. (individual)
- I attend this school. (location)
Investigate singular and plural nouns as well.
2. In a phrase, pronouns are words that are used in place of nouns. Different kinds of pronouns exist. Among these are indefinite pronouns, reflexive pronouns, possessive pronouns, and relative pronouns. Among the pronouns are I, he, she, it, them, his, yours, anybody, nobody, and who.
Pronoun usage examples in sentences include:
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- At six o’clock in the evening, I arrived home. (1 pronoun in the first person singular)
- Was there a red bag on the counter that someone noticed? (Pronoun indeterminate)
- Is this the boy who took home the top honor? (Pronoun relative)
- My mother is that. (Pronoun of possession)
- Yesterday, while we were playing cricket, I injured myself. (Pronoun that is reflexive)
3. In a sentence, verbs are words that indicate an activity being carried out by the noun or the subject. Another name for them is action words. Verbs include things like read, sit, run, pick, garnish, come, pitch, and so on.
Verb usage examples in phrases include:
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- She plays badminton every evening.
- Ravi and Sneha are going to the park.
- My cousins visited me last month.
- Did you complete your homework?
- My name is Ananya Sharma..
4. Adverbs are words that give more details about the verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs that are employed in a sentence. Adverbs can be classified into five primary categories: manner, degree, frequency, time, and location adverbs. Adverbs include things like “today,” “quickly,” “randomly,” “early,” “ten a.m.,” and so forth.
Examples of adverbs used in sentences:
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- Did you go there to buy a book?(Adverb of place)
- I did not visit my grandparents last week as I was busy.(Adverb of time)
- She checks her emails daily.(Adverb of frequency)
- Can you please write neatly?(Adverb of manner)
- Mark was so tired that he could barely finish his assignment.(Adverb of manner: )
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5. In a sentence, adjectives are words that describe or add extra details about the noun or topic. Adjectives include things like “good,” “ugly,” “quick,” “beautiful,” “late,” and so on.
Examples of adjectives used in sentences:
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- The place we visited yesterday was serene.
- Did you see how big that dog was?
- The weather is pleasant today.
- The red dress you wore on your birthday was lovely.
- My brother had only one chapati for breakfast.
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6. Prepositions are words that connect one sentence element to another. Prepositions indicate where the subject or object is in a sentence. Prepositions include things like in, out, besides, in front of, below, opposing, and so on.
Examples of prepositions used in sentences:
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- The teacher asked the students to draw margins on the paper so that they could write neatly.
- The child hid his favorite toys under the couch.
- Dad asked me to buy some groceries from the shop beside my house.
- The cat jumped over the fence and ran into the garden.
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7. Conjunctions are a speech component that joins two distinct sentence, phrase, or clause elements. Conjunctions include, but are not limited to, and, or, for, yet, although, and so on.
Examples of conjunctions used in sentences:
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- Meera and Jasmine had come to my birthday party.
- Jane did not go to work as she was sick.
- Unless you work hard, you cannot score good marks.
- I have not finished my project, yet I went out with my friends.
8. Interjections are words that express intense sensations or emotions. Interjections include things like “oh,” “wow,” “alas,” “yippee,” and so forth. There is usually an exclamation point after it.
Examples of interjections used in sentences:
- Bravo! You did an amazing job on your presentation.
- Oh no! I lost my phone again.
- Hooray! We are going on a vacation!
Sentence Examples for the 8 Parts of Speech
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- Noun – Sarah loves Paris.
- Pronoun – Have they completed their project?
- Verb – He wrote a letter.
- Adverb – She speaks very softly.
- Adjective – The cake looks delicious.
- Preposition – The keys are inside the drawer.
- Conjunction – He was hungry, so he ate an apple.
- Interjection – Wow! That view is breathtaking.
A Small Exercise to Check Your Understanding of Parts of Speech
Let us find out if you have understood the different parts of speech and their functions. Try identifying which part of speech the highlighted words belong to.
- She went outside to play.
- We are happy today.
- This is the house we were talking about.
- Oh! That was incredible.
- The weather in Shimla is extremely cold.
- Can you please drop Sara and me at the station?
Answers:
- She – Pronoun, Outside – Adverb
- Are – Verb, Happy – Adjective
- We – Pronoun, Were talking – Verb
- Oh – Interjection, Incredible – Adjective
- Weather – Noun, In – Preposition, Shimla – Noun, Extremely – Adverb
- And – Conjunction, At – Preposition, Me – Pronoun
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