Parts of Speech

beginner22 min read

The eight word classes, what job each does in a sentence, and the key idea that a word's class depends on how it is used, not on the word itself - the foundation for error detection and sentence improvement.

Introduction

Why word classes matter

Every English word does one of a small number of jobs in a sentence. Grouping words by that job gives the eight parts of speech: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction and interjection.

Bank exams do not ask you to recite this list. They rely on it. Error detection, sentence improvement, fillers and word-usage questions are all easier once you can say what job a word is doing, because a wrong word is usually the wrong class for its slot.

Concept

The eight classes

  • Noun: names a person, place, thing or idea. The manager approved the transfer.
  • Pronoun: stands in for a noun. She approved it.
  • Verb: states an action or a state. The branch reopened. The report seems accurate.
  • Adjective: describes a noun. a pending application
  • Adverb: modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb, often answering how, when or where. processed quickly, almost certain
  • Preposition: links a noun to the rest of the sentence, showing relation. in the queue, before noon
  • Conjunction: joins words or clauses. and, but, because, although
  • Interjection: a stand-alone exclamation. Oh, the form is out of date.
Comparison

Adjective or adverb?

An adjective describes a noun; an adverb describes almost anything else.

  • a quick decision (adjective, describes decision) versus decided quickly (adverb, describes decided).
  • After a linking verb such as be, seem, appear, feel, use an adjective: The statement is accurate, not accurately.
  • Some words are both: fast, hard, early, daily. a daily report (adjective) versus reports daily (adverb).
  • Watch good and well: good is the adjective, well is the adverb, except when well means "in good health".
Comparison

Preposition or conjunction?

Both connect, but a preposition is followed by a noun or pronoun, while a conjunction is followed by a clause (a subject and a verb).

  • because of the delay (preposition phrase, followed by the noun delay) versus because the file was delayed (conjunction, followed by a clause).
  • despite the notice versus although the notice was clear.
  • before noon (preposition) versus before the auditor arrived (conjunction).

Exam items often swap one for the other: Despite of the rain is wrong; despite is already a preposition, so of has no place.

Method

The same word, different classes

A word's part of speech is decided by its role in the sentence, not fixed to the word.

  • round: a round figure (adjective), the next round (noun), turn round (adverb), round the corner (preposition), round up the totals (verb).
  • book: read the book (noun), book a slot (verb).
  • that: that branch (determiner), the branch that closed (relative pronoun), she said that it closed (conjunction).

When a question asks for the part of speech of an underlined word, read the whole sentence and ask what job the word is doing there.

Worked example

Worked example: labelling the words

Sentence: The newly appointed officer quickly cleared the long queue outside the branch.

  • The - determiner (article)
  • newly - adverb (modifies the adjective appointed)
  • appointed - adjective (describes officer; here it is a participle used as an adjective)
  • officer - noun (subject)
  • quickly - adverb (modifies cleared)
  • cleared - verb (past tense)
  • the - determiner
  • long - adjective (describes queue)
  • queue - noun (object)
  • outside - preposition (relates queue to branch)
  • the branch - determiner plus noun

The only real decision is newly: it ends in -ly and sits before an adjective, so it is an adverb, not an adjective.

Common mistake

Common mistakes

  • Adjective for adverb after an action verb. He answered honest should be honestly. But keep the adjective after be, seem, feel.
  • *Adding of after despite, or writing inspite as one word. Despite takes a noun directly; the phrase is in spite of (three words) or despite (no of*).
  • *Treating however as a conjunction that joins two clauses with a comma.* It is a conjunctive adverb; use a semicolon or a full stop before it.
  • Calling every -ly word an adverb. friendly, lonely, lively, costly are adjectives.
  • *Mixing up its and it's. its is a possessive pronoun; it's is it is*.
Quick revision

Quick revision

  • Eight classes: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, interjection.
  • Adjective describes a noun; adverb modifies a verb, adjective or adverb. After be/seem/feel, use the adjective.
  • Preposition is followed by a noun or pronoun; a conjunction is followed by a clause.
  • despite and in spite of mean the same; never despite of.
  • A word's class comes from its job in the sentence, so read the whole sentence first.
  • Not every -ly word is an adverb: friendly, costly, lively are adjectives.
Practice

Practice

Name the part of speech of the italicised word; give a one-line reason.

  1. The manager approved the loan. — manager
  2. She quickly signed the form. — quickly
  3. The report is on your desk. — your
  4. He works at the branch. — at
  5. The queue was long, but it moved fast. — but
  6. Wow, the system is finally back. — Wow
  7. The team audited the accounts. — audited
  8. It was rejected without a reason. — It
Sentence Structure →