Parts of speech

1. Read the text and answer the questions that follow.

Words are classified into eight parts of speech: the verb, the noun, the pronoun, the adjective, the adverb, the preposition, the conjunction, and the interjection. Each part of speech explains not what the word is, but how the word is used.

A verb or compound verb tells something about the subject of the sentence and express actions, events, or states of being. The word is probably a verb if you can use will, shall, can, could, may, might etc. in front of the word.

A noun is a word used to name a person, animal, place, thing, and abstract idea. The word is probably a noun if you can make it plural or singular; you can make it possessive; it can follow a prepositional phrase such as to the, with the, etc.; you can place the word a, an, or the in front of it.

A pronoun can replace a noun or another pronoun. You use pronouns to make your sentences less repetitive. The word is probably a pronoun if it can be used in place of a noun or a noun phrase.

An adjective modifies a noun or a pronoun by describing, identifying, or quantifying words. An adjective usually precedes the noun or the pronoun which it modifies. The word is probably an adjective if you can add er or est to the word; you can use more or most in front of it; you can use the words very or quite in front of it.

An adverb can modify a verb, an adjective etc. An adverb indicates manner, time, place, cause, or degree. The word is probably an adverb if there is an ly suffix

A preposition links nouns, pronouns and phrases to other words in a sentence. A preposition usually indicates the temporal, spatial or logical relationship of its object to the rest of the sentence. It only occurs in prepositional phrases.

You can use a conjunction to link words, phrases, and clauses. The word is probably a conjunction if it serves as a connector between words, phrases or clauses.

An interjection is a word added to a sentence to convey emotion. It is not grammatically related to any other part of the sentence.

To make meaningful sentences words need to be arranged in a particular order. The following is the usual order of words in an English sentence:

(Adverbial Modifier)+Subject+Predicate+Object+Adverbial Modifier

Indirect Direct

(whom?) (what?)

2. In pairs/groups discuss the following questions:

· What parts of speech did you come to know?

· What does each part of speech explain?

· What is the purpose of each part of speech?

· What are the ways of distinguishing them from each other?

· What is the word order of an English sentence?

3. In pairs/groups give examples for each part of speech. Use the words in sentences of your own. Mind the word order.

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