While speaking or writing, we are using so many different words. Words are defined as a letter or group of letters that have meaning when spoken or written, or a word is the smallest thing that can be said with meaning. Even if the words sound different from each other, they still have similarities between them, which gives us the opportunity to group them into categories based on their use and functions. The words are divided into different categories of words. The categories of words that have similar grammatical properties are called parts of speech.
In this lesson, we are going to:
***Take note that in different languages exist different parts of speech, but the classification below, or with slight differences, is present in most of the languages.
Nouns are naming words. A noun is a word that identifies a person (teacher, Angela), place (school, Africa), animal (frog, giraffe, monkey), or thing (pen, chair, door). Nouns can be classified into five broad categories: Proper nouns, Common nouns, Collective nouns, Concrete nouns, and Abstract nouns.
Verbs are the words that we use to describe what we are doing, or show states of being can express ability, obligation, possibility, and many more. Jump, play, dance, drink are examples of verbs. Verbs in a sentence will look like:
Adjectives are describing words. They describe nouns. They can tell if the sky is blue; if the cat is white; if some person is nice; and so much more.
Adverbs are words that describe (modify) verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. They describe how (fast, well, quietly), when (now, later, already), where (behind, indoors, downstairs), how often (never, sometimes, often), and how much (very, deeply, completely). Below are some examples of how we use the adverbs in a sentence.
Pronouns are the words that take the place of a noun. Pronouns are usually small words that stand in place of a noun, often to avoid repeating the noun. They include words such as I, you, he, she, we, hers, they, it.
Prepositions are words that relate words to each other. They usually come before nouns or pronouns and usually show a connection. Prepositions include words such as: on, at, above, beyond, inside, under, next, via.
Conjunctions are words that link other words, phrases, or clauses together. And, but, for, nor, or, so, and yet are examples of conjunctions.
Interjections are words used to express sudden emotion or strong feeling. They are included in a sentence (usually at the start) to express a sentiment such as joy, excitement, surprise, disgust, or enthusiasm. Some of the interjections are: Wow, Oh, Aha, Hurrah, Hey, Ah. An interjection is not grammatically related to any other part of the sentence.
Articles "a," "an," ( indefinite articles), and "the" (definite article) are determiners or noun markers that function to specify if the noun is general or specific in its reference. Many languages do not use articles "a," "an," and "the". If they do exist, the way they are used is usually different than in English.
Below is a table that can help you better understand the use of parts of speech in a sentence.
| Part of speech | Example in a sentence |
| Nouns | Marko has a dog. |
| Verbs | I will go to the cinema. |
| Adjectives | The water is so clear. |
| Adverbs | Will you come later? |
| Pronouns | She is planning a birthday party. |
| Prepositions | The cat is hiding under the bed. |
| Conjunctions | The weather is cold and windy. |
| Interjections | Wow! That's wonderful! |
| Articles | Can you give me the pen on the table? |
Recognizing parts of speech is very important. It helps us to understand the sentences, to analyze them, and helps us to construct correct and good sentences. It will make us a better speaker or writer and will improve our communication in general.
