8 Parts of Speech Definitions and Examples

8 Parts of Speech Definitions and Examples

There are a total of 8 parts of speech in English: each presents certain information within a sentence. Let’s get into a little detail on all these.

1. Noun

• Definition: A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea.
• Types of Nouns:
  • Proper Nouns: Specific names of people, places, or things (e.g., London, Sarah).
  • Common Nouns: General names for people, places, or things (e.g., city, dog).
  • Abstract Nouns: Names of ideas, feelings, or qualities (e.g., happiness, freedom).
  • Concrete Nouns: Names of things that can be touched or seen (e.g., table, car).
  • Collective Nouns: Names of groups or collections of things (e.g., family, team).
  • Countable Nouns: Nouns that can be counted (e.g., book/books).
  • Uncountable Nouns: Nouns that cannot be counted (e.g., water, information).

Example Sentence:

• The dog ran to the park.

2. Pronoun

• Definition: A pronoun is a word that replaces a noun to avoid repetition.
• Types of Pronouns:
  • Personal Pronouns: Refers to specific persons or things (e.g., he, she, it, they).
  • Possessive Pronouns: Show ownership (e.g., his, her, their).
  • Demonstrative Pronouns: Point to specific things (e.g., this, that, these, those).
  • Relative Pronouns: Introduce relative clauses (e.g., who, which, that).
  • Interrogative Pronouns: Used for asking questions (e.g., who, what, which).
  • Indefinite Pronouns: Refer to non-specific things (e.g., anyone, everyone, someone).

Example Sentence:

• She is going to the store.

3. Verb

• Definition: A verb expresses action, occurrence, or state of being.
• Types of Verbs:
  • Action Verbs: Describe actions (e.g., run, eat, write).
  • Linking Verbs: Connect the subject with additional information (e.g., is, seem, appear).
  • Auxiliary Verbs: Helping verbs that add meaning to the main verb (e.g., am, have, will).
  • Modal Verbs: Express necessity, possibility, or ability (e.g., can, must, should).

Example Sentence:

• She sang a beautiful song.

4. Adjective

• Definition: An adjective describes or modifies a noun or pronoun by giving more information about it.
• Types of Adjectives:
  • Descriptive Adjectives: Describe qualities (e.g., beautiful, tall).
  • Quantitative Adjectives: Indicate quantity (e.g., many, few).
  • Demonstrative Adjectives: Show which thing (e.g., this, those).
  • Possessive Adjectives: Indicate ownership (e.g., my, her).
  • Interrogative Adjectives: Used for asking questions (e.g., which, what).
  • Comparative and Superlative Adjectives: Compare two or more things (e.g., taller, most beautiful).

Example Sentence:

• The blue sky is beautiful.

5. Adverb

• Definition: An adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb, providing more details like how, when, where, or to what extent something happens.
• Types of Adverbs:
  • Adverbs of Manner: Describe how something is done (e.g., quickly, carefully).
  • Adverbs of Time: Indicate when something happens (e.g., now, yesterday).
  • Adverbs of Place: Indicate where something happens (e.g., here, everywhere).
  • Adverbs of Frequency: Indicate how often something happens (e.g., always, never).
  • Adverbs of Degree: Modify the intensity or degree of an adjective, verb, or other adverb (e.g., very, too).

Example Sentence:

• She runs quickly.

6. Preposition

• Definition: A preposition shows the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and another word in the sentence, usually indicating location, direction, or time.
• Examples: in, on, at, under, over, between.

Example Sentence:

• The cat is on the table.

7. Conjunction

• Definition: A conjunction connects words, phrases, or clauses.
• Types of Conjunctions:
  • Coordinating Conjunctions: Join elements of equal importance (e.g., and, but, or).
  • Subordinating Conjunctions: Join a dependent clause to an independent clause (e.g., because, although, if).
  • Correlative Conjunctions: Work in pairs (e.g., either…or, neither…nor).

Example Sentence:

• I wanted to go, but I was tired.

8. Interjection

• Definition: An interjection is a word or phrase that expresses strong emotion or sudden exclamation.
• Examples: wow, oh, ouch, hey.

Example Sentence: 

• Wow, that’s amazing!