Parts of speech
Name the part of speech a word plays in a sentence.
Phrases and clauses are built from single words. Every word in English belongs to a word class, and knowing these eight parts of speech helps you understand every later lesson.
A part of speech is the name for the job a word does in a sentence, such as naming, describing, acting or joining.
Examples
- Neha bought a new phone. (noun)
- The soup is hot. (adjective)
- The baby laughed happily. (adverb)
- I like tea but not coffee. (conjunction)
- Oh, I forgot my wallet! (interjection)
How it works
Naming words
A noun names a person, place, thing or idea. A pronoun stands in place of a noun so we do not repeat it.
Arun lost his pen, so he borrowed one.
Action and describing words
A verb shows an action or a state. An adjective describes a noun, and an adverb describes a verb, an adjective or another adverb.
The young dancer moved very gracefully.
Linking words
A preposition shows how a noun relates to something else, often in place or time. A conjunction joins words or clauses. An interjection shows sudden feeling.
We waited at the gate and chatted.
Use decides the label
One word can be different parts of speech. Always check how it works in that sentence.
I walk daily. (verb) / It was a long walk. (noun)
Quick reference
| Part of speech | Job | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | names | Delhi, table, kindness |
| Pronoun | replaces a noun | she, they, it |
| Verb | shows action or state | run, is, seem |
| Adjective | describes a noun | tall, blue, three |
| Adverb | describes a verb, adjective or adverb | quickly, very, often |
| Preposition | shows relation | in, on, under, since |
| Conjunction | joins | and, or, because |
| Interjection | shows sudden feeling | Oh, Hurray, Alas |
Common mistakes
✕She sings beautiful.
✓She sings beautifully.
To describe how she sings, use an adverb.
✕He is a very hardly worker.
✓He is a very hard worker.
Hard is the adjective here; hardly means almost not.
✕I feel badly about the delay.
✓I feel bad about the delay.
After feel, use an adjective to describe your state.
Worked example
Exercise 1
Tap the adjective.
Anu wore a red saree.
✓red
Red describes the noun saree.
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