Parts of Speech Overview

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The Eight Parts of Speech

Every English word belongs to at least one part of speech. Understanding these categories is fundamental to grammar mastery.

Nouns

Name people, places, things, or ideas. Types include common (dog), proper (London), abstract (freedom), collective (team), and compound (toothbrush).

Verbs

Express actions (run, write) or states of being (is, seem). Verbs have tense (past, present, future), voice (active, passive), and mood (indicative, imperative, subjunctive).

Adjectives and Adverbs

Adjectives modify nouns (the red car). Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs (she runs quickly). A common error is using adjectives where adverbs are needed: "She did good" should be "She did well."

Pronouns, Prepositions, Conjunctions, Interjections

Pronouns replace nouns (he, she, they). Prepositions show relationships (in, on, between). Conjunctions connect words or clauses (and, but, because). Interjections express emotion (wow, ouch).

Grammar Essentials