Parts of speech are categories into which words are classified based on their functions in a sentence. They are the building blocks of grammar, helping us understand how words relate to each other.
1. Nouns
Nouns are words that name a person, place, thing, or idea.
They are one of the most important parts of speech because almost every sentence contains a noun.
Types of Nouns
(A) Common Nouns
These are general names for people, places, or things. They are not capitalized unless they begin a sentence.
Examples:
city, dog, teacher, mountain, river, building
Sentences:
- The players gathered on the basketball court.
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A dog was barking loudly outside.
(B) Proper Nouns
These are specific names given to people, places, days, months, or organizations.
They always begin with a capital letter.
Examples:
London, Ram, San Francisco, India, Monday, Amazon
Sentences:
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San Francisco is known for its Golden Gate Bridge.
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Ram visited India last summer.
(C) Countable Nouns
These nouns can be counted. They have singular and plural forms.
Examples:
book → books
apple → apples
chair → chairs
Sentences:
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I bought three books.
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There are two apples on the table.
(D) Uncountable Nouns
These nouns cannot be counted individually.
They usually do not have plural forms and are used with much, a little, some, less.
Examples:
water, sugar, information, rice, knowledge, air
Sentences:
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She has some knowledge about physics.
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There is little sugar left in the jar.
2. Pronouns
Pronouns replace nouns so we do not repeat the same words again and again.
Types of Pronouns
(A) Personal Pronouns
Used for people or objects.
Examples:
I, you, he, she, it, we, they
Sentences:
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She is reading a book.
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They are watching a movie.
(B) Possessive Pronouns
Show possession or ownership.
Examples:
mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs
Sentences:
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This pen is mine.
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The blue bag is yours.
(C) Reflexive Pronouns
Reflect the action back to the subject.
Examples:
myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, themselves
Sentences:
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He taught himself to play guitar.
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They finished the project by themselves.
3. Verbs
A verb is a word that shows action, state, or condition.
Every sentence needs a verb.
Types of Verbs
(A) Action Verbs
Show what the subject does.
Examples:
run, write, jump, eat
Sentences:
-
She runs every morning.
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The baby laughs loudly.
(B) Helping (Auxiliary) Verbs
These verbs help the main verb to form tenses, questions, or negatives.
Examples:
is, am, are, was, were, have, has, do, does, will, can, should
Sentences:
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She is running fast.
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They have completed their work.
(C) Linking Verbs
Link the subject to a word that describes or renames it.
Examples:
be, seem, appear, become, look, feel
Sentences:
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He seems happy.
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The soup smells delicious.
Transitive vs. Intransitive Verbs
Transitive Verbs
Need an object to complete the meaning.
Sentence:
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She closed the door.
(door = object)
Intransitive Verbs
Do not need an object.
Sentence:
-
He sleeps.
-
They laughed.
4. Adjectives and Adverbs
Adjectives
Adjectives describe nouns.
They tell us more about a person or thing.
Examples:
red, beautiful, tall, small, intelligent
Sentences:
-
She bought a red dress.
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He is an intelligent boy.
Types of Adjectives
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Descriptive: beautiful, tall, strong
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Quantitative: some, many, few
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Comparative: bigger, taller, smarter
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Superlative: biggest, tallest, smartest
Adverbs
Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
They tell us how, when, where, or to what extent an action happens.
Examples:
quickly, very, well, slowly, outside
Sentences:
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She runs quickly.
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He speaks very softly.
Types of Adverbs
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Manner: quickly, slowly, carefully
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Time: yesterday, today, soon
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Place: here, there, outside
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Degree: very, quite, almost
Tips
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Many adverbs end in -ly: quickly, slowly, wisely
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Some do not end in -ly: fast, well, soon, hard