The 8 Parts of Speech: Examples and Rules
Every word is a part of speech. The term “ part of speech ” refers to the role a word plays in a sentence. And like any workplace or TV show with an ensemble cast, these roles were designed to work together.
Read on to learn about the different parts of speech that the words we use every day fall into, and how we use them together to communicate ideas clearly.
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The 8 parts of speech
A noun is a word that names person , place , concept , or object . Basically, anything that names a “thing” is a noun, whether you’re talking about a basketball court, San Francisco, Cleopatra, or self-preservation.
Nouns fall into two categories: common nouns and proper nouns. Common nouns are general names for things, like planet and game show . Proper nouns are specific names for individual things, like Jupiter and Jeopardy!
>> Read more about nouns
Pronouns are the words you substitute for specific nouns when the reader or listener knows which specific noun you’re referring to.
You might say “Jennifer was supposed to be here at eight,” then follow it with “ she’s always late; next time I’ll tell her to be here a half-hour earlier.”
Instead of saying Jennifer’s name three times in a row, you substituted she and her and your sentences remained grammatically correct. Pronouns are divided into a range of categories, and we cover them all in our guide to pronouns:
>> Read more about pronouns
3 Adjectives
Adjectives are the words that describe nouns. Think about your favorite movie. How would you describe it to a friend who’s never seen it?
You might say the movie was funny , engaging , well-written , or suspenseful . When you’re describing the movie with these words, you’re using adjectives. An adjective can go right before the noun it’s describing (I have a black dog), but it doesn’t have to. Sometimes, adjectives are at the end of a sentence (my dog is black ).
>> Read more about adjectives
Go ! Be amazing! Run as fast as you can! Win the race! Congratulate every participant who put in the work and competed !
These bolded words are verbs. Verbs are words that describe specific actions, like running , winning , and being amazing.
Not all verbs refer to literal actions, though. Verbs that refer to feelings or states of being, like to love and to be , are known as nonaction verbs . Conversely, the verbs that do refer to literal actions are known as action verbs .
>> Read more about verbs
An adverb is a word that describes an adjective, a verb, or another adverb. Take a look at these examples:
Here’s an example: I entered the room quietly . Quietly is describing how you entered (verb) the room.
Here’s another example: A cheetah is always faster than a lion. Always is describing how frequently a cheetah is faster (adjective) than a lion.
>> Read more about adverbs
6 Prepositions
Prepositions tell you the relationship between the other words in a sentence.
Here’s an example: I left my bike leaning against the garage. In this sentence, against is the preposition because it tells us where I left my bike.
Here’s another example: She put the pizza in the oven. Without the preposition in , we don’t know where the pizza is.
>> Read more about prepositions
7 Conjunctions
Conjunctions make it possible to build complex sentences that express multiple ideas.
I like marinara sauce. I like alfredo sauce. I don’t like puttanesca sauce. Each of these three sentences expresses a clear idea. There’s nothing wrong with listing your preferences like this, but it’s not the most efficient way to do it.
Consider instead: I like marinara sauce and alfredo sauce, but I don’t like puttanesca sauce.
In this sentence, and and but are the two conjunctions that link your ideas together.
>> Read more about conjunctions
A pear. The brick house. An exciting experience. These bolded words are known as articles.
Like nouns, articles come in two flavors: definite articles and indefinite articles. And just like the two types of nouns, the type of article you use depends on how specific you need to be about the thing you’re discussing.
A definite article describes one specific noun, like the and this . Example: Did you buy the car?
Now swap in an indefinite article: Did you buy a car?
See how the implication is gone and you’re asking a much more general question?
>> Read more about articles
Figuring out parts of speech
Sometimes, it’s not easy to tell which part of speech a word is. Here are a few easy “hacks” to quickly figure out what part of speech you’re dealing with:
- If it’s an adjective plus the ending “-ly,” it’s an adverb . Examples: commonly, quickly.
- If you can swap it out for a noun and the sentence still makes sense, it’s a pronoun . Example: We played basketball. / Steve and I played basketball.
- If it’s something you do , and you can modify the sentence to include the word do , it’s a verb . Examples: I have an umbrella. / I do have an umbrella.
- If you can remove the word and the sentence still makes sense, but you lose a detail, the word is most likely an adjective . Example: She drives a red van. / She drives a van.
- If you can remove the word and the sentence doesn’t make sense, it’s likely a preposition. Example: I left my notebook on the desk. / I left my notebook the desk.
And if you’re ever really stumped, just look the word up. Dictionaries typically list the part of speech a word fits in its entry, and if it fits more than one part of speech, both are listed with examples.
That brings us to another common issue that can confuse writers and language learners:
When a word is two different kinds of speech
Just like y is sometimes a vowel but sometimes a consonant, there are words that are sometimes one part of speech and other times another. Here are a few examples:
- I went to work (noun).
- I work in the garden (verb).
- She paints very well (adverb).
- He’s well -liked in his community (adjective).
- I dropped a penny in the well (noun).
- I cooked breakfast and lunch, but Steve cooked dinner (conjunction).
- I brought everything but the pens you asked for (preposition).
And sometimes, words evolve to fit into new parts of speech. One recent example is the word “adult.” Before the 2010s, adult was primarily a noun that referred to a fully grown person. It could also be used as an adjective to refer to specific types of media, like adult contemporary music. But then, at right about the turn of the 2010s, the word adulting , a brand-new verb, appeared in the internet lexicon. As a verb, adulting is the act of doing tasks like paying bills and grocery shopping.
Open and closed word classes
The parts of speech fall into two word classes: open and closed.
Open word classes are parts of speech that regularly acquire new words. Language evolves, and usually, evolution happens in these parts of speech: nouns , adjectives , adverbs , and verbs . In 2020, new words added to the Merriam-Webster dictionary included deepfake, truthiness , and contactless.
Closed word classes are the parts of speech that don’t regularly add new words. These parts of speech are more “set in stone” and include pronouns , conjunctions , articles , and prepositions .
Are you using the parts of speech correctly? Check your grammar and find out!
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Grammar: Main Parts of Speech
Definitions and examples, common endings, placement and position of adjectives and adverbs, main parts of speech video playlist, writing tools: dictionary and thesaurus refresher video, related resources, knowledge check: main parts of speech.
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The name of something, like a person, animal, place, thing, or concept. Nouns are typically used as subjects, objects, objects of prepositions, and modifiers of other nouns.
- I = subject
- the dissertation = object
- in Chapter 4 = object of a preposition
- research = modifier
This expresses what the person, animal, place, thing, or concept does. In English, verbs follow the noun.
- It takes a good deal of dedication to complete a doctoral degree.
- She studied hard for the test.
- Writing a dissertation is difficult. (The "be" verb is also sometimes referred to as a copula or a linking verb. It links the subject, in this case "writing a dissertation," to the complement or the predicate of the sentence, in this case, "hard.")
This describes a noun or pronoun. Adjectives typically come before a noun or after a stative verb, like the verb "to be."
- Diligent describes the student and appears before the noun student .
- Difficult is placed after the to be verb and describes what it is like to balance time.
Remember that adjectives in English have no plural form. The same form of the adjective is used for both singular and plural nouns.
- A different idea
- Some different ideas
- INCORRECT: some differents ideas
This gives more information about the verb and about how the action was done. Adverbs tells how, where, when, why, etc. Depending on the context, the adverb can come before or after the verb or at the beginning or end of a sentence.
- Enthusiastically describes how he completed the course and answers the how question.
- Recently modifies the verb enroll and answers the when question.
- Then describes and modifies the entire sentence. See this link on transitions for more examples of conjunctive adverbs (adverbs that join one idea to another to improve the cohesion of the writing).
This word substitutes for a noun or a noun phrase (e.g. it, she, he, they, that, those,…).
- they = applicants
- He = Smith; that = ideas; those = those ideas
This word makes the reference of the noun more specific (e.g. his, her, my, their, the, a, an, this, these, … ).
- Jones published her book in 2015.
- The book was very popular.
Preposition
This comes before a noun or a noun phrase and links it to other parts of the sentence. These are usually single words (e.g., on, at, by ,… ) but can be up to four words (e.g., as far as, in addition to, as a result of, …).
- I chose to interview teachers in the district closest to me.
- The recorder was placed next to the interviewee.
- I stopped the recording in the middle of the interview due to a low battery.
Conjunction
A word that joins two clauses. These can be coordinating (an easy way to remember this is memorizing FANBOYS = for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) or subordinating (e.g., because, although, when, …).
- The results were not significant, so the alternative hypothesis was accepted.
- Although the results seem promising, more research must be conducted in this area.
Auxiliary Verbs
Helping verbs. They are used to build up complete verbs.
- Primary auxiliary verbs (be, have, do) show the progressive, passive, perfect, and negative verb tenses .
- Modal auxiliary verbs (can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would) show a variety of meanings. They represent ability, permission, necessity, and degree of certainty. These are always followed by the simple form of the verb.
- Semimodal auxiliary verbs (e.g., be going to, ought to, have to, had better, used to, be able to,…). These are always followed by the simple form of the verb.
- primary: have investigated = present perfect tense; has not been determined = passive, perfect, negative form
- The modal could shows ability, and the verb conduct stays in its simple form; the modal may shows degree of certainty, and the verb lead stays in its simple form.
- These semimodals are followed by the simple form of the verb.
Nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs often have unique word endings, called suffixes . Looking at the suffix can help to distinguish the word from other parts of speech and help identify the function of the word in the sentence. It is important to use the correct word form in written sentences so that readers can clearly follow the intended meaning.
Here are some common endings for the basic parts of speech. If ever in doubt, consult the dictionary for the correct word form.
Common Noun Endings
Common verb endings, common adjective endings, common adverb endings, order of adjectives.
If more than one adjective is used in a sentence, they tend to occur in a certain order. In English, two or three adjectives modifying a noun tend to be the limit. However, when writing in APA, not many adjectives should be used (since APA is objective, scientific writing). If adjectives are used, the framework below can be used as guidance in adjective placement.
- Determiner (e.g., this, that, these, those, my, mine, your, yours, him, his, hers they, their, some, our, several,…) or article (a, an, the)
- Opinion, quality, or observation adjective (e.g., lovely, useful, cute, difficult, comfortable)
- Physical description
- (a) size (big, little, tall, short)
- (b) shape (circular, irregular, triangular)
- (c) age (old, new, young, adolescent)
- (d) color (red, green, yellow)
- Origin (e.g., English, Mexican, Japanese)
- Material (e.g., cotton, metal, plastic)
- Qualifier (noun used as an adjective to modify the noun that follows; i.e., campus activities, rocking chair, business suit)
- Head noun that the adjectives are describing (e.g., activities, chair, suit)
For example:
- This (1) lovely (2) new (3) wooden (4) Italian (5) rocking (6) chair (7) is in my office.
- Your (1) beautiful (2) green (3) French (4) silk (5) business (6) suit (7) has a hole in it.
Commas With Multiple Adjectives
A comma is used between two adjectives only if the adjectives belong to the same category (for example, if there are two adjectives describing color or two adjectives describing material). To test this, ask these two questions:
- Does the sentence make sense if the adjectives are written in reverse order?
- Does the sentence make sense if the word “and” is written between them?
If the answer is yes to the above questions, the adjectives are separated with a comma. Also keep in mind a comma is never used before the noun that it modifies.
- This useful big round old green English leather rocking chair is comfortable . (Note that there are no commas here because there is only one adjective from each category.)
- A lovely large yellow, red, and green oil painting was hung on the wall. (Note the commas between yellow, red, and green since these are all in the same category of color.)
Position of Adverbs
Adverbs can appear in different positions in a sentence.
- At the beginning of a sentence: Generally , teachers work more than 40 hours a week.
- After the subject, before the verb: Teachers generally work more than 40 hours a week.
- At the end of a sentence: Teachers work more than 40 hours a week, generally .
- However, an adverb is not placed between a verb and a direct object. INCORRECT: Teachers work generally more than 40 hours a week.
More Detailed Rules for the Position of Adverbs
- Adverbs that modify the whole sentence can move to different positions, such as certainly, recently, fortunately, actually, and obviously.
- Recently , I started a new job.
- I recently started a new job.
- I started a new job recently .
- Many adverbs of frequency modify the entire sentence and not just the verb, such as frequently, usually, always, sometimes, often , and seldom . These adverbs appear in the middle of the sentence, after the subject.
- INCORRECT: Frequently she gets time to herself.
- INCORRECT: She gets time to herself frequently .
- She has frequently exercised during her lunch hour. (The adverb appears after the first auxiliary verb.)
- She is frequently hanging out with old friends. (The adverb appears after the to be verb.)
- Adverbial phrases work best at the end of a sentence.
- He greeted us in a very friendly way .
- I collected data for 2 months .
Note that these videos were created while APA 6 was the style guide edition in use. There may be some examples of writing that have not been updated to APA 7 guidelines.
- Mastering the Mechanics: Nouns (video transcript)
- Mastering the Mechanics: Introduction to Verbs (video transcript)
- Mastering the Mechanics: Articles (video transcript)
- Mastering the Mechanics: Introduction to Pronouns (video transcript)
- Mastering the Mechanics: Modifiers (video transcript)
Note that this video was created while APA 6 was the style guide edition in use. There may be some examples of writing that have not been updated to APA 7 guidelines.
- Writing Tools: Dictionary and Thesaurus Refresher (video transcript)
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Purdue Online Writing Lab College of Liberal Arts
Parts of Speech Overview
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This handout defines the basic parts of speech and provides examples of their uses in sentences. Links to more handouts and exercises on particular parts of speech are also provided. If you are learning English as a Second Language (ESL), you may also want to browse through a complete listing of our ESL resources.
A noun is a word that denotes a person, place, or thing. In a sentence, nouns answer the questions who and what.
In the sentence above, there are two nouns, dog and ball . A noun may be concrete (something you can touch, see, etc.), like the nouns in the example above, or a noun may be abstract, as in the sentences below.
The abstract concepts of integrity and love in the sentences above are both nouns. Nouns may also be proper.
Chicago , Thanksgiving , and November are all proper nouns, and they should be capitalized. (For more information on proper nouns and when to capitalize words, see our handout on Capital Letters .)
You may also visit our handout on Count and Noncount Nouns .
Learn how to spot verbs that act as nouns. Visit our handout on Verbals: Gerunds, Participles, and Infinitives .
A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun in a sentence.
In the sentence above, she is the pronoun. Like nouns, pronouns may be used either as subjects or as objects in a sentence.
In the example above, both she and him are pronouns; she is the subject of the sentence while him is the object. Every subject pronoun has a corresponding object form, as shown in the table below.
For more information on pronouns, go to our handout on Pronouns .
To find out what part of speech are that , which , and whom ? Visit our handout on Relative Pronouns .
Articles include a , an , and the . They precede a noun or a noun phrase in a sentence.
In example 1, the article a precedes the noun house , and a also precedes the noun phrase big porch , which consists of an adjective (big) and the noun it describes (porch). In example 2, the article the precedes the noun phrase blue sweater , in which sweater is the noun and blue, the adjective.
For more information, go to our handouts on Articles: A vs. An and How to Use Articles (a/an/the) .
An adjective is a word that modifies, or describes, a noun or pronoun. Adjectives may precede nouns, or they may appear after a form of the reflexive verb to be (am, are, is, was, etc.).
In example 1, two consecutive adjectives, red and brick , both describe the noun house. In example 2, the adjective tall appears after the reflexive verb is and describes the subject, she .
For more on adjectives, go to our handouts Adjective or Adverb and How to Use Adjectives and Adverbs .
A verb is a word that denotes action, or a state of being, in a sentence.
In example 1, rides is the verb; it describes what the subject, Beth, does. In example 2, was describes Paul’s state of being and is therefore the verb.
There may be multiple verbs in a sentence, or there may be a verb phrase consisting of a verb plus a helping verb.
In example 1, the subject she performs two actions in the sentence, turned and opened . In example 2, the verb phrase is was studying .
Some words in a sentence may look like verbs but act as something else, like a noun; these are called verbals. For more information on verbs that masquerade as other parts of speech, go to our handout on Verbals: Gerunds, Participles, and Infinitives .
To learn more about conjugating verbs, visit our handouts on Verb Tenses , Irregular Verbs , and Two-Part (Phrasal) Verbs (Idioms) .
Just as adjectives modify nouns, adverbs modify, or further describe, verbs. Adverbs may also modify adjectives. (Many, though not all, adverbs end in - ly .)
In the first example, the adverb wildly modifies the verb waved . In the second example, the adverb extremely modifies the adjective bright , which describes the noun shirt . While nouns answer the questions who and what , adverbs answer the questions how , when , why , and where .
For a more detailed discussion of adverbs, visit our handout Adjective or Adverb and become an expert.
Conjunctions
A conjunction is a word that joins two independent clauses, or sentences, together.
In the examples above, both but and so are conjunctions. They join two complete sentences with the help of a comma. And, but, for, or, nor, so, and yet can all act as conjunctions.
Prepositions
Prepositions work in combination with a noun or pronoun to create phrases that modify verbs, nouns/pronouns, or adjectives. Prepositional phrases convey a spatial, temporal, or directional meaning.
There are two prepositional phrases in the example above: up the brick wall and of the house . The first prepositional phrase is an adverbial phrase, since it modifies the verb by describing where the ivy climbed. The second phrase further modifies the noun wall (the object of the first prepositional phrase) and describes which wall the ivy climbs.
For a more detailed discussion on this part of speech and its functions, click on Prepositions .
Below is a list of prepositions in the English language:
Aboard, about, above, across, after, against, along, amid, among, around, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, by, down, during, except, for, from, in, into, like, near, of, off, on, onto, out, over, past, since, through, throughout, to, toward, under, underneath, until, unto, up, upon, with, within, without.
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8 Parts of Speech
Parts of speech are an important aspect of the language taught in English Language Arts and English as a New Language classrooms. Not only do the parts of speech help in formulating correct sentences, they also help the reader to understand what is taking place. As a staple of clear communication and analysis, mastery of the parts of speech is essential for students. The eight parts of speech chart on the right is a great visual for displaying the 8 categories of words that are included.
Teachers use a variety of different approaches to engage students in their parts of speech lesson plans. One popular idea for a "bodily kinesthetic" activity for parts of speech is to conduct a scavenger hunt to have students identify the 8 different parts of speech existing around the classroom. There is also the classic lesson on parts of speech that instructs students to diagram and label sentences provided by the teacher.
A parts of speech writing activity could begin with students first writing about a simple topic like what they are going to do after school. After they have their sentences down, they could work individually or with a partner to label each of the 8 parts of speech. Another fun part of speech activity is to have students play "Grammar Bingo". They can fill in a bingo card that includes all 8 parts of speech!
These are all effective activities for part of speech where students can see the language in action or on paper and identify these important grammatical elements. However, the reality is that this particular part of language learning and development can be boring and dry for students. Teachers can liven up their parts of speech lesson plans for elementary, middle and high school students with Storyboard That!
Storyboard That can help teachers use more creative ways to teach parts of speech!
The 8 Parts of Speech Lessons Help You
- Understand clearly what is being said in a sentence.
- Know how and when to use words correctly.
- Reflect more accurately on the English language.
What are the Parts of Speech?
Do you know each part of speech, 8 parts of speech activity.
The parts of speech activity below shows how you can use the Storyboard That Creator to make storyboards depicting the different parts of speech, in this case three different verbs. Teachers can quickly create a parts of speech lesson plan using the "create an assignment" wizard where they can input directions and even a template to help students get started. The template could include the titles of the parts of speech for students to depict such as:
8 Parts of Speech Lesson Plans
In reading and writing, it is important to make clear for your audience who or what is most important in a sentence, what is happening, and other important details that enhance the information being conveyed. Using the Storyboard Creator in your parts of speech lesson allows students to make visual depictions of the parts of speech and help them remember these important pieces of writing!
Some General Elementary School Parts of Speech Activity Ideas
- Use Storyboard That’s parts of speech template to create your own storyboard using the 8 parts of speech.
- Provide students with a sentence that has certain underlined or highlighted words by replacing "EXAMPLE SENTENCE".
Note: If you're not a Storyboard That user yet, sign up for a free trial .
- Have students make a visualization of the sentences on the storyboard.
- While creating the storyboards, students will make sure to point out which part of speech they are illustrating by drawing attention to the word using an arrow or other indicator.
- Lesson Extension: Have students come up with their own sentences and use storyboards to depict them!
Example Project for the 8 Parts of Speech
More Parts of Speech Project Ideas
- Make a storyboard that describes and illustrates the most common prepositions.
- Make a T-chart that illustrates examples of action verbs and nonaction verbs.
- Choose at least one prepositional phrase and make a storyboard to illustrate it.
- Make a storyboard that illustrates adjectives that express emotion. Teachers can either give students a list so that students all have the same words, or have students choose their own.
- Research and define the many different speech definitions such as: independent clauses, complex sentences, main verbs, and so much more!
- A fun adverbs project idea is to have students answer a prompt in the storyboard such as the one below. The teacher can include the prompt in the template and have the students write and illustrate their answer using as many other adverbs as they can! To modify this assignment, the template could include the description box on the bottom where students can write more full sentences showing their understanding of how to use adverbs. This project could also be modified to be an activity for any of the 8 parts of speech.
Related Activities
Why Use Storyboard That?
Storyboard That is the perfect tool for novel lesson plans and activities because it's so easy to use and extremely versatile. With Storyboard That, you can create a wide variety of storyboards such as the story from the main character's perspective, or any other character's point of view.
You can also use Storyboard That to create a summary of the book, a movie poster, or analyze themes and events. Plus, our printable worksheets make it easy to take the fun offline.
Why is Storyboarding a Great Method of Teaching?
Storyboarding is an incredibly powerful tool for educators because it helps students process and understand the information in a deep, meaningful way. When students storyboard, they are actively engaged in the learning process and can make connections between the text and their own lives.
Storyboards also promote higher-level thinking by encouraging students to synthesize information and think critically about what they have read. Finally, storyboards are a great way to assess student understanding because they provide a visual representation of student learning.
Frequently Asked Questions about 8 Parts of Speech
What is included in a parts of speech chart.
The 8 parts of speech to include in a parts of speech chart are:
- Noun : Nouns are a person, place, thing, or idea
- Verb : Verbs are actions or states of being
- Adjective : Adjectives describe nouns
- Adverb : Adverbs describe a verb, adjective or another adverb
- Pronoun : Pronouns stand in for a noun
- Preposition : Prepositions link a noun to another word
- Conjunction : Conjunctions join words, clauses, and sentences
- Interjection : Interjections are short exclamations
What are some parts of speech activities to do with students?
There are many 8 parts of speech lesson plans that incorporate the storyboard Creator that will help students visualize and be able to demonstrate their understanding. Some parts of speech activities using the Storyboard That Creator are:
- Create a visual part of speech diagram of a sentence using a storyboard! Many teachers instruct students to diagram parts of speech in their sentences by underlining or circling different parts of speech. However, by illustrating what is occurring in the sentence and how those parts of speech are related, students are more apt to retain the information.
- Create a list of all of the different parts of speech with illustrations and definitions.
- Make a quiz for a fellow classmate!
How can teachers create parts of speech lesson plans in Storyboard That?
Creating assignments in Storyboard That is as easy as 1-2-3! The easiest way to create a lesson is to copy one of our awesome premade lesson plans and customize it how you see fit. To create a lesson from scratch, simply follow the “create an assignment” steps.
What is the difference between proper nouns and common nouns?
The difference between a proper noun and a common noun is that a common noun refers to general things, such as a mountain, river, or lake. A proper noun, however, refers to a specific noun, such as Mt. Everest, Nile River, or Lake Michigan.
Privacy And Security
Each version of Storyboard That has a different privacy and security model that is tailored for the expected usage.
Free Edition
All storyboards are public and can be viewed and copied by anyone. They will also appear in Google search results.
Personal Edition
The author can choose to leave the storyboard public or mark it as Unlisted. Unlisted storyboards can be shared via a link, but otherwise will remain hidden.
Educational Edition
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The 9 Parts of Speech: Definitions and Examples
- Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
- M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
- B.A., English, State University of New York
A part of speech is a term used in traditional grammar for one of the nine main categories into which words are classified according to their functions in sentences , such as nouns or verbs. Also known as word classes , these are the building blocks of grammar.
Parts of Speech
- Word types can be divided into nine parts of speech:
- prepositions
- conjunctions
- articles/determiners
- interjections
- Some words can be considered more than one part of speech, depending on context and usage.
- Interjections can form complete sentences on their own.
Every sentence you write or speak in English includes words that fall into some of the nine parts of speech. These include nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, articles/determiners, and interjections. (Some sources include only eight parts of speech and leave interjections in their own category.)
Learning the names of the parts of speech probably won't make you witty, healthy, wealthy, or wise. In fact, learning just the names of the parts of speech won't even make you a better writer. However, you will gain a basic understanding of sentence structure and the English language by familiarizing yourself with these labels.
Open and Closed Word Classes
The parts of speech are commonly divided into open classes (nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs) and closed classes (pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, articles/determiners, and interjections). The idea is that open classes can be altered and added to as language develops and closed classes are pretty much set in stone. For example, new nouns are created every day, but conjunctions never change.
In contemporary linguistics , the label part of speech has generally been discarded in favor of the term word class or syntactic category . These terms make words easier to qualify objectively based on word construction rather than context. Within word classes, there is the lexical or open class and the function or closed class.
The 9 Parts of Speech
Read about each part of speech below and get started practicing identifying each.
Nouns are a person, place, thing, or idea. They can take on a myriad of roles in a sentence, from the subject of it all to the object of an action. They are capitalized when they're the official name of something or someone, called proper nouns in these cases. Examples: pirate, Caribbean, ship, freedom, Captain Jack Sparrow.
Pronouns stand in for nouns in a sentence. They are more generic versions of nouns that refer only to people. Examples: I, you, he, she, it, ours, them, who, which, anybody, ourselves.
Verbs are action words that tell what happens in a sentence. They can also show a sentence subject's state of being ( is , was ). Verbs change form based on tense (present, past) and count distinction (singular or plural). Examples: sing, dance, believes, seemed, finish, eat, drink, be, became
Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns. They specify which one, how much, what kind, and more. Adjectives allow readers and listeners to use their senses to imagine something more clearly. Examples: hot, lazy, funny, unique, bright, beautiful, poor, smooth.
Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, and even other adverbs. They specify when, where, how, and why something happened and to what extent or how often. Examples: softly, lazily, often, only, hopefully, softly, sometimes.
Preposition
Prepositions show spacial, temporal, and role relations between a noun or pronoun and the other words in a sentence. They come at the start of a prepositional phrase , which contains a preposition and its object. Examples: up, over, against, by, for, into, close to, out of, apart from.
Conjunction
Conjunctions join words, phrases, and clauses in a sentence. There are coordinating, subordinating, and correlative conjunctions. Examples: and, but, or, so, yet, with.
Articles and Determiners
Articles and determiners function like adjectives by modifying nouns, but they are different than adjectives in that they are necessary for a sentence to have proper syntax. Articles and determiners specify and identify nouns, and there are indefinite and definite articles. Examples: articles: a, an, the ; determiners: these, that, those, enough, much, few, which, what.
Some traditional grammars have treated articles as a distinct part of speech. Modern grammars, however, more often include articles in the category of determiners , which identify or quantify a noun. Even though they modify nouns like adjectives, articles are different in that they are essential to the proper syntax of a sentence, just as determiners are necessary to convey the meaning of a sentence, while adjectives are optional.
Interjection
Interjections are expressions that can stand on their own or be contained within sentences. These words and phrases often carry strong emotions and convey reactions. Examples: ah, whoops, ouch, yabba dabba do!
How to Determine the Part of Speech
Only interjections ( Hooray! ) have a habit of standing alone; every other part of speech must be contained within a sentence and some are even required in sentences (nouns and verbs). Other parts of speech come in many varieties and may appear just about anywhere in a sentence.
To know for sure what part of speech a word falls into, look not only at the word itself but also at its meaning, position, and use in a sentence.
For example, in the first sentence below, work functions as a noun; in the second sentence, a verb; and in the third sentence, an adjective:
- The noun work is the thing Bosco shows up for.
- The verb work is the action he must perform.
- The attributive noun [or converted adjective] work modifies the noun permit .
Learning the names and uses of the basic parts of speech is just one way to understand how sentences are constructed.
Dissecting Basic Sentences
To form a basic complete sentence, you only need two elements: a noun (or pronoun standing in for a noun) and a verb. The noun acts as a subject and the verb, by telling what action the subject is taking, acts as the predicate.
In the short sentence above, birds is the noun and fly is the verb. The sentence makes sense and gets the point across.
You can have a sentence with just one word without breaking any sentence formation rules. The short sentence below is complete because it's a command to an understood "you".
Here, the pronoun, standing in for a noun, is implied and acts as the subject. The sentence is really saying, "(You) go!"
Constructing More Complex Sentences
Use more parts of speech to add additional information about what's happening in a sentence to make it more complex. Take the first sentence from above, for example, and incorporate more information about how and why birds fly.
- Birds fly when migrating before winter.
Birds and fly remain the noun and the verb, but now there is more description.
When is an adverb that modifies the verb fly. The word before is a little tricky because it can be either a conjunction, preposition, or adverb depending on the context. In this case, it's a preposition because it's followed by a noun. This preposition begins an adverbial phrase of time ( before winter ) that answers the question of when the birds migrate . Before is not a conjunction because it does not connect two clauses.
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Parts of Speech Assignment
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Parts of Speech & Word Forms (ELL)
Wr 111: essential lesson 1.
Our Essential Lessons are a sequence of lessons that form the backbone of the Writing Program curriculum, illustrating what we want all students to learn across our program’s diverse course topics. Multilingual students often need intensive work on word forms (affixes, parts of speech, and word families) to help them both in their reading and writing. This lesson focuses on high-frequency academic vocabulary and takes a strategic, metacognitive approach.
Students will be able to use effective vocabulary acquisition strategies to avoid word form errors and employ various parts of speech in their writing.
parts of speech, word forms, vocabulary, word families, diction, register
This lesson should occur in a single period (with homework before and follow-up after) within the first few weeks of the WR 111 semester, ideally in response to the in-class writing diagnostic or other early written work. It is recommended to use excerpts from students’ writing samples to create the lesson, which would also allow the difficulty to match students’ level. As the semester progresses and the language of the content becomes more challenging, and/or students continue to struggle with such types of errors, repeating a shorter version of this lesson once or twice later in the semester would be beneficial.
Conceptual Framework
Genre awareness.
An enhanced morphological awareness will enable students to be more discerning regarding variations in word meanings that occur across different genres and fields of writing. For example, a student in the sciences will benefit from being able to quickly identify how key terminology relates to parts of speech, but also how affixes/suffixes shape the roots of those terms and how semantics may change across contexts (see the EAP Foundation Academic Word List ).
Metacognition
Reading journals and Vocabulary Logs provide an excellent medium for students to reflect on and ask questions about relevant vocabulary from their readings. When discussing these terms, consider presenting questions regarding how certain roots may relate to other previously discussed words as well as how affixes play a role in changing meanings. Encourage students to reflect on their morphological awareness with regards to their own writing; focusing on vocabulary acquisition strategies seem to help or hinder this awareness.
PART I: BEFORE CLASS
Students should first read Tutorial #1 (Parts of Speech) in Language Power: Tutorials for Writers, by Dana Ferris, and also Tutorial #14 (Word Forms). Most WR 111 students will have a fair amount of knowledge on these subjects, but the Ferris chapters provide a cohesive review of rules and common errors that is easy for students to understand. Depending on identified student needs, one or two of the practice assignments from these chapters may be assigned and reviewed in class.
PART II: IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES
- Review key concepts from the Ferris chapters, and briefly discuss the significance of parts of speech and word forms.
- observed student word form errors, and
- vocabulary from recent or upcoming materials that could prove morphologically enlightening.
- Discuss the completed charts as a class, asking groups to give their suggestions for each row’s paradigm in a rotation, so each group shares their response at least once. Take time to discuss variations in answers and whether they fit within a particular word family and why.
- Distribute a printout of the Common Affixes Chart (adapted from the Academic Word List resources ) and have students individually create as many viable word form variations as possible for an assigned word (or words). Students should then cross-check their answers against the Oxford English Dictionary , while also learning more about a given word’s history.
Variations and Follow-Ups
- If there is time in class, have student groups write a response to a critical thinking question related to a recent course reading. Unlike a typical response, however, the students should be required to integrate four words from the Word Relatives Chart in their response; each of the four parts of speech columns should be represented using a different word family row. If there is no time for this activity in class, assign it as an individual assignment that should be electronically submitted so responses can be reviewed before class. Take time at the beginning of the following class to discuss any observed errors that emerged during the follow-up activity and/or any relevant insights that deserve attention.
- Re-contextualize the previously used terms into sentences that the students have to fix. The Word Form Editorial Exercise is one such example, but instructors should ideally compose their own with examples from student writing. Take time to discuss the students’ answers as a class; encourage students to explain specific contextual clues, which directed them to the accurate word forms.
Suggested flipped learning modules
- Expanding Your Vocabulary
Further Reading
For students.
- Smith, Sheldon. English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Foundation, 2013. You may want to have students refer to, and analyze, the English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Foundation’s Academic Word List; Common Roots List; Common Prefixes List; and Common Suffixes List.
For instructors
- Hacker, Diana, and Nancy Sommers. Rules for Writers . 9th ed., Macmillan, 2019. Chapter 46a, “Parts of Speech,” from Hacker and Sommers’s Rules for Writers provides a deeper review of the subject that is still relatively concise.
- Kraut, Rachel. “The relationship between morphological awareness and morphological decomposition among English language learners.” Reading & Writing , vol. 28, no. 6, 2015, pp. 873-890. This piece provides some carefully researched insight into how awareness of morphology directly translates into successful semantic deconstruction.
- Apel, Kenn, and Krystal Werfel. “Using morphological awareness instruction to improve written language skills.” Language, Speech and Hearing Services in Schools , vol. 45, no. 4, 2014, pp. 251-260. This piece critically reviews key research in the area of morphological awareness instruction, and contains references to many relevant sources highlighting practical tasks that can be implemented to increase these skills in an ELL classroom.
- Nation, Paul. Learning Vocabulary in Another Language . Cambridge University Press, 2001. This piece is another useful source for faculty.
See all Writing Program Essential Lessons Remote Implementation of Essential Lesson Activities
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Writing Center | Parts of Speech
A noun is a word that denotes a person, place, or thing. In a sentence, nouns answer the questions who and what.
Example: The dog ran after the ball .
In the sentence above, there are two nouns, dog and ball .
A noun may be concrete (something you can touch, see, etc.), like the nouns in the example above, or a noun may be abstract, as in the sentences below.
Example 1: She possesses integrity .
Example 2: He was searching for love .
The abstract concepts of integrity and love in the sentences above are both nouns.
Nouns may also be proper.
Example 1: She visited Chicago every year.
Example 2: Thanksgiving is in November .
Chicago , Thanksgiving , and November are all proper nouns, and they should be capitalized.
A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun in a sentence.
Example: She decided to go to a movie.
In the sentence above, she is the pronoun.
Like nouns, pronouns may be used either as subjects or as objects in a sentence.
Example: She planned to ask him for an interview.
In the example above, both she and him are pronouns; she is the subject of the sentence while him is the object.
Every subject pronoun has a corresponding object form, as shown in the table below.
Articles include a , an , and the .
They precede a noun or a noun phrase in a sentence.
Example 1: They wanted a house with a big porch.
Example 2: He bought the blue sweater on sale.
In example 1, the article a precedes the noun house , and a also precedes the noun phrase big porch , which consists of an adjective (big) and the noun it describes (porch).
In example 2, the article the precedes the noun phrase blue sweater , in which sweater is the noun and blue, the adjective.
An adjective is a word that modifies, or describes, a noun or pronoun.
Adjectives may precede nouns, or they may appear after a form of the reflexive verb to be (am, are, is, was, etc.).
Example 1: We live in the red brick house.
Example 2: She is tall for her age.
In example 1, two consecutive adjectives, red and brick , both describe the noun house.
In example 2, the adjective tall appears after the reflexive verb is and describes the subject, she .
A verb is a word that denotes action, or a state of being, in a sentence.
Example 1: Beth rides the bus every day.
Example 2: Paul was an avid reader.
In example 1, rides is the verb; it describes what the subject, Beth, does.
In example 2, was describes Paul ’ s state of being and is therefore the verb.
There may be multiple verbs in a sentence, or there may be a verb phrase consisting of a verb plus a helping verb.
Example 1: She turned the key and opened the door.
Example 2: Jackson was studying when I saw him last.
In example 1, the subject she performs two actions in the sentence, turned and opened .
In example 2, the verb phrase is was studying .
Some words in a sentence may look like verbs but act as something else, like a noun; these are called verbals. Verbals can be Gerunds , Participles , and Infinitives .
Just as adjectives modify nouns, adverbs modify, or further describe, verbs.
Adverbs may also modify adjectives. (Many, though not all, adverbs end in - ly .)
Example 1: He waved wildly to get her attention.
Example 2: The shirt he wore to the party was extremely bright.
In the first example, the adverb wildly modifies the verb waved .
In the second example, the adverb extremely modifies the adjective bright , which describes the noun shirt .
While nouns answer the questions who and what , adverbs answer the questions how , when , why , and where .
Conjunctions
A conjunction is a word that joins two independent clauses, or sentences, together.
Example 1: Ellen wanted to take a drive into the city, but the cost of gasoline was too high.
Example 2: Richard planned to study abroad in Japan, so he decided to learn the language.
In the examples above, both but and so are conjunctions.
They join two complete sentences with the help of a comma. And, but, for, or, nor, so, and yet can all act as conjunctions. These are also called coordinating conjunctions .
Prepositions
Prepositions work in combination with a noun or pronoun to create phrases that modify verbs, nouns/pronouns, or adjectives.
Prepositional phrases convey a spatial, temporal, or directional meaning.
Example 1: Ivy climbed up the brick wall of the house.
There are two prepositional phrases in the example above: up the brick wall and of the house .
The first prepositional phrase is an adverbial phrase, since it modifies the verb by describing where the ivy climbed.
The second phrase further modifies the noun wall (the object of the first prepositional phrase) and describes which wall the ivy climbs.
Here is a list of prepositions:
Aboard, about, above, across, after, against, along, amid, among, around, at, before, behind, below, beneath, beside, between, beyond, by, down, during, except, for, from, in, into, like, near, of, off, on, onto, out, over, past, since, through, throughout, to, toward, under, underneath, until, unto, up, upon, with, within, without.
A gerund is a verbal that ends in -ing and functions as a noun.
The term verbal indicates that a gerund, like the other two kinds of verbals, is based on a verb and therefore expresses action or a state of being.
However, since a gerund functions as a noun, it occupies some positions in a sentence that a noun ordinarily would, for example: subject, direct object, subject complement, and object of preposition.
Gerund as subject:
- Traveling might satisfy your desire for new experiences. ( Traveling is the gerund.)
- The study abroad program might satisfy your desire for new experiences. (The gerund has been removed.)
Gerund as direct object:
- They do not appreciate my singing. (The gerund is singing .)
- They do not appreciate my assistance. (The gerund has been removed)
Gerund as subject complement:
- My cat's favorite activity is sleeping. (The gerund is sleeping .)
- My cat's favorite food is salmon. (The gerund has been removed.)
Gerund as object of preposition:
- The police arrested him for speeding. (The gerund is speeding .)
- The police arrested him for criminal activity. (The gerund has been removed.)
A gerund phrase is a group of words consisting of a gerund and the modifier(s) and/or (pro)noun(s) or noun phrase(s) that function as the direct object(s), indirect object(s), or complement(s) of the action or state expressed in the gerund, such as:
The gerund phrase functions as the subject of the sentence.
Finding a needle in a haystack would be easier than what we're trying to do.
Finding (gerund)
a needle (direct object of action expressed in gerund)
in a haystack (prepositional phrase as adverb)
The gerund phrase functions as the direct object of the verb appreciate.
I hope that you appreciate my offering you this opportunity .
my (possessive pronoun adjective form, modifying the gerund)
offering (gerund)
you (indirect object of action expressed in gerund)
this opportunity (direct object of action expressed in gerund)
The gerund phrase functions as the subject complement.
Tom's favorite tactic has been jabbering away to his constituents .
jabbering away to (gerund)
his constituents (direct object of action expressed in gerund)
The gerund phrase functions as the object of the preposition for.
You might get in trouble for faking an illness to avoid work .
faking (gerund)
an illness (direct object of action expressed in gerund)
to avoid work (infinitive phrase as adverb)
Being the boss made Jeff feel uneasy.
Being (gerund)
the boss (subject complement for Jeff, via state of being expressed in gerund)
PUNCTUATION
A gerund virtually never requires any punctuation with it.
POINTS TO REMEMBER:
- A gerund is a verbal ending in -ing that is used as a noun.
- A gerund phrase consists of a gerund plus modifier(s), object(s), and/or complement(s).
- Gerunds and gerund phrases virtually never require punctuation.
Participles
A participle is a verbal that is used as an adjective and most often ends in -ing or -ed .
The term verbal indicates that a participle, like the other two kinds of verbals, is based on a verb and therefore expresses action or a state of being.
However, since they function as adjectives, participles modify nouns or pronouns.
There are two types of participles: present participles and past participles.
Present participles end in -ing .
Past participles end in -ed , -en , -d , -t , -n , or -ne as in the words asked , eaten , saved , dealt , seen , and gone .
- The crying baby had a wet diaper.
- Shaken , he walked away from the wrecked car.
- The burning log fell off the fire.
- Smiling , she hugged the panting dog.
A participial phrase is a group of words consisting of a participle and the modifier(s) and/or (pro)noun(s) or noun phrase(s) that function as the direct object(s), indirect object(s), or complement(s) of the action or state expressed in the participle, such as:
Removing his coat , Jack rushed to the river.
The participial phrase functions as an adjective modifying Jack .
Removing (participle)
his coat (direct object of action expressed in participle)
Delores noticed her cousin walking along the shoreline .
The participial phrase functions as an adjective modifying cousin .
walking (participle)
along the shoreline (prepositional phrase as adverb)
Children interested in music early develop strong intellectual skills.
The participial phrase functions as an adjective modifying children .
interested (in) (participle)
music (direct object of action expressed in participle)
early (adverb)
Having been a gymnast , Lynn knew the importance of exercise.
The participial phrase functions as an adjective modifying Lynn .
Having been (participle)
a gymnast (subject complement for Lynn, via state of being expressed in participle)
Placement: In order to prevent confusion, a participial phrase must be placed as close to the noun it modifies as possible, and the noun must be clearly stated.
- Carrying a heavy pile of books , his foot caught on a step. *
- Carrying a heavy pile of books , he caught his foot on a step.
In the first sentence, there is no clear indication of who or what is performing the action expressed in the participle carrying.
Certainly, foot can't be logically understood to function in this way. This situation is an example of a dangling modifier error, since the modifier (the participial phrase) is not modifying any specific noun in the sentence and is thus left "dangling." Since a person must be doing the carrying for the sentence to make sense, a noun or pronoun that refers to a person must be in the place immediately after the participial phrase, as in the second sentence.
Punctuation: When a participial phrase begins a sentence, a comma should be placed after the phrase.
- Arriving at the store , I found that it was closed.
- Washing and polishing the car , Frank developed sore muscles.
If the participle or participial phrase comes in the middle of a sentence, it should be set off with commas only if the information is not essential to the meaning of the sentence.
- Sid, watching an old movie , drifted in and out of sleep.
- The church, destroyed by a fire , was never rebuilt.
Note that if the participial phrase is essential to the meaning of the sentence, no commas should be used:
- The student earning the highest grade point average will receive a special award.
- The guy wearing the chicken costume is my cousin.
If a participial phrase comes at the end of a sentence, a comma usually precedes the phrase if it modifies an earlier word in the sentence but not if the phrase directly follows the word it modifies.
- The local residents often saw Ken wandering through the streets. (The phrase modifies Ken , not residents .)
- Tom nervously watched the woman, alarmed by her silence. (The phrase modifies Tom , not woman .)
POINTS TO REMEMBER
- A participle is a verbal ending in -ing (present) or -ed , -en , -d , -t , -n , or -ne (past) that functions as an adjective, modifying a noun or pronoun.
- A participial phrase consists of a participle plus modifier(s), object(s), and/or complement(s).
- Participles and participial phrases must be placed as close to the nouns or pronouns they modify as possible, and those nouns or pronouns must be clearly stated.
- A participial phrase is set off with commas when it:
- a) comes at the beginning of a sentence
- b) interrupts a sentence as a nonessential element
- c) comes at the end of a sentence and is separated from the word it modifies.
Infinitives
An infinitive is a verbal consisting of the word to plus a verb (in its simplest "stem" form) and functioning as a noun, adjective, or adverb.
The term verbal indicates that an infinitive, like the other two kinds of verbals, is based on a verb and therefore expresses action or a state of being.
However, the infinitive may function as a subject, direct object, subject complement, adjective, or adverb in a sentence.
Although an infinitive is easy to locate because of the to + verb form, deciding what function it has in a sentence can sometimes be confusing.
- To wait seemed foolish when decisive action was required. (subject)
- Everyone wanted to go . (direct object)
- His ambition is to fly . (subject complement)
- He lacked the strength to resist . (adjective)
- We must study to learn . (adverb)
Be sure not to confuse an infinitive—a verbal consisting of to plus a verb—with a prepositional phrase beginning with to, which consists of to plus a noun or pronoun and any modifiers.
- Infinitives: to fly, to draw, to become, to enter, to stand, to catch, to belong
- Prepositional Phrases: to him, to the committee, to my house, to the mountains, to us, to this address
An Infinitive Phrase is a group of words consisting of an infinitive and the modifier(s) and/or (pro)noun(s) or noun phrase(s) that function as the actor(s), direct object(s), or complement(s) of the action or state expressed in the infinitive, such as:
We intended to leave early .
The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of the verb intended .
to leave (infinitive)
I have a paper to write before class .
The infinitive phrase functions as an adjective modifying paper .
to write (infinitive)
before class (prepositional phrase as adverb)
Phil agreed to give me a ride .
The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of the verb agreed .
to give (infinitive)
me (indirect object of action expressed in infinitive)
a ride (direct object of action expressed in infinitive)
They asked me to bring some food .
The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of the verb asked .
me (actor or "subject" of infinitive phrase) to bring (infinitive)
some food (direct object of action expressed in infinitive)
Everyone wanted Carol to be the captain of the team.
The infinitive phrase functions as the direct object of the verb wanted .
Carol (actor or "subject" of infinitive phrase)
to be (infinitive)
the captain (subject complement for Carol, via state of being expressed in infinitive)
of the team (prepositional phrase as adjective)
Actors: In these last two examples the actor of the infinitive phrase could be roughly characterized as the "subject" of the action or state expressed in the infinitive.
It is somewhat misleading to use the word subject , however, since an infinitive phrase is not a full clause with a subject and a finite verb. Also notice that when it is a pronoun, the actor appears in the objective case ( me , not I , in the fourth example).
Certain verbs, when they take an infinitive direct object, require an actor for the infinitive phrase; others can't have an actor. Still other verbs can go either way, as the charts below illustrate.
VERBS THAT TAKE INFINITIVE OBJECTS WITHOUT ACTORS:
- Most students plan to study.
- We began to learn.
- They offered to pay.
- They neglected to pay.
- She promised to return.
In all of these examples no actor can come between the italicized main (finite) verb and the infinitive direct-object phrase.
VERBS THAT TAKE INFINITIVE OBJECTS WITH ACTORS:
- He reminded me to buy milk.
- Their fathers advise them to study.
- She forced the defendant to admit the truth.
- You've convinced the director of the program to change her position.
- I invite you to consider the evidence.
In all of these examples an actor is required after the italicized main (finite) verb and before the infinitive direct-object phrase.
VERBS THAT USE EITHER PATTERN:
- I asked to see the records.
- I asked him to show me the records.
- Trent expected his group to win.
- Trent expected to win.
- Brenda likes to drive fast.
- Brenda likes her friend to drive fast.
In all of these examples the italicized main verb can take an infinitive object with or without an actor.
Punctuation: If the infinitive is used as an adverb and is the beginning phrase in a sentence, it should be set off with a comma; otherwise, no punctuation is needed for an infinitive phrase.
- To buy a basket of flowers, John had to spend his last dollar.
- To improve your writing, you must consider your purpose and audience.
- An infinitive is a verbal consisting of the word to plus a verb; it may be used as a noun, adjective, or adverb.
- An infinitive phrase consists of an infinitive plus modifier(s), object(s), complement(s), and/or actor(s).
- An infinitive phrase requires a comma only if it is used as an adverb at the beginning of a sentence.
SPLIT INFINITIVES
Split infinitives occur when additional words are included between to and the verb in an infinitive. Many readers find a single adverb splitting the infinitive to be acceptable, but this practice should be avoided in formal writing.
- I like to on a nice day walk in the woods. * (unacceptable) On a nice day, I like to walk in the woods. (revised)
- I needed to quickly gather my personal possessions. (acceptable in informal contexts) I needed to gather my personal possessions quickly. (revised for formal contexts)
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23 Parts of Speech Activities for Students of All Ages
April 1, 2022 // by Kit Berry
When students get poor marks on writing assignments, it is often because they don't have a solid grasp of the parts of speech and how they function. Parts of speech is a topic that needs to be revisited regularly in order for it to stick, but maybe you're a busy teacher who doesn't have time to rework every activity you know! Not to worry: here are 23 parts of speech activities, grammar games, and creative lessons to help students of all ages learn this tough topic once and for all!
Elementary Grade Levels
1. ping pong toss.
All you need are some ping pong balls and some plastic cups. Label the cups with the parts of speech and write vocabulary words on the ping pong balls. Have students toss the words into their corresponding parts of speech. You can have students guess which part of speech will fill up first, or challenge them to fill all the cups as quickly as they can!
2. Reading Scavenger Hunt
For this listening game, say, "raise your hands when you hear a verb" before you start reading. This activity will allow students to practice parts of speech as well as listening carefully.
3. Word Ball
Arrange your students in a circle, or a few small group circles of 4-5 students each, and give them a ball. Give each group a part of speech and instruct them to say a word that corresponds with that part of speech whenever they have the ball. After they say their word aloud, they roll the ball to someone else in the circle. This is a great activity for young students who are learning basic vocabulary and developing hand-eye coordination.
4. Worksheets
If you don't have the space for physical, outdoor activity, worksheets are a good way to engage your students from their desks. Worksheets are also great for some quiet work time.
Learn more: Scholastic
5. Visual Webs
Create a visual web with your classroom and put it up on the wall for students to see. A visual reference during grammar lessons is essential in solidifying the concepts. Let the web grow with example vocabulary words attached to their respective parts of speech. Use colorful paper, designs, and images to go with the vocabulary words.
Learn more: Braun 107
6. Flipbooks
Let your students create their own flipbooks to keep for reference. Let students personalize their flipbooks with sketches, colorful ink, and colored paper. This is a good activity for 3rd grade students and above who might find some of the other elementary school activities too simple.
Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers
Who doesn't love a sing-a-long? These fun parts of speech songs are set to familiar tunes like the "Spongebob Squarepants" theme song! You can put the lyrics up on the projector and have the whole class sing along.
Learn more: The Classroom Key
8. Picture Books
These books are all about the parts of speech and are geared toward very young students. Get a few of these for your classroom and you can have students read them on their own or in small groups.
Learn more: Learn In Color
9. Label the Room
Label everything in the classroom with parts of speech. You might think everything is going to be a "noun," but with a little creativity, you can add a variety of labels to each object. A chair could have labels like, "chair = noun" and "sit = verb," or even "comfy = adjective."
Middle Grade Levels
10. parts of speech jeopardy.
Make the parts of speech your top-row categories and write sentences under each points square. When a student selects "verbs for 200," read the sentence and the student will respond with the verbs as their answer.
11. Colorful Copywork
Have students copy sentences from their favorite book. Then, ask them to use a few different colors to highlight the different parts of speech in each sentence. You can make this activity even more fun by having students make colorful mini-posters in their sentences.
12. Cinquain Poems
Cinquain poems, like haikus, follow a very specific, strict structure. Cinquain poem rules don't just restrict your syllables, but also what part of speech to use on each line.
Learn more: Poetry Tea Time
13. Tally Parts of Speech
Ask students to read a few passages from a book and tally up how many times each part of speech is used. This is a great activity for all levels of students because you can adjust the reading level of the material being tallied. This is also a good independent online activity for students who are still virtual and are unable to participate in an interactive game.
Learn more: The School Run
14. Substitution Game
Write a sentence on the board and ask students to change the sentence by substituting given words with other words that match the respective part of speech. Go through each part of speech until the sentence is completely changed! "How now, said the brown cow," becomes "When then, ran a cozy table!"
15. Cheat Speech Card
See how much information about parts of speech the students can fit on one single index card. Let them get creative with shorthand clues and different colored pens.
16. Sentence Diagrams
Sentence diagrams are a great way to make parts of speech concrete for middle school students and there are a variety of ways to diagram parts of speech.
Learn more: English Grammar Revolution
17. Parts of Speech Bingo
With this printable bingo game, students can practice parts of speech while relaxing and having fun!
Learn more: Bingo Baker
High School Grade Levels
18. partner match game with post-it notes.
Give each student a post-it note with a word or phrase written on it. Tell them to stick the post-it to their forehead without looking at it. Students can go around the classroom asking questions about the word on their post-its. Once they know what part of speech it fits into, they can partner up to make full, silly sentences!
19. Mini Zines
Zines are a fun activity and a great way to get creative. Have your students make zines about the parts of speech.
Learn more: Wiki How
20. Charades
The classic game of charades can also help students identify parts of speech. Break into teams and have students act out basic sentences by focusing on the parts of speech.
21. Group Skits
Have students break into groups and write short skits based on parts of speech. One group could have proper nouns, while another has interjections, and so forth. Each group will write and perform a skit focused on the use of their assigned part of speech.
22. Creative Writing and Review
Have students write a paragraph or two, then pass their work to the left for review. The reviewer will then suggest alternative nouns before passing the paper to the left again. The second reviewer will suggest alternative verbs before passing the paper to the left again.
23. Baseball Grammar Game
To play this grammar-based classroom baseball game, you'll set up "bases" and ask students who are "up to bat" to identify parts of speech in a basic sentence on the board. Alternatively, you could ask students to correct sentences instead. This is an exciting game and is sure to get students up and moving around!
Learn more: Teachers Pay Teachers
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August 1, 2019 CG Lessons CCSS 6-8 , CG Lessons 9-12 , CG Lessons CCSS 9-12 , CG Lessons 6-8 , ELA 6-8 , ELA Resources - Activities , ELA 9-12 , ELA PD - Grammar Writing , ELA Focus - Grammar , Core Grammar
Creative ways to teach parts of speech in middle school and high school, by: tiffany rehbein.
In this article, you'll find tips for reviewing or teaching parts of speech in middle school and high school. Plus, download five creative printables for your classroom.
Keep scrolling to download free activities, worksheets, and games!
Memories of my middle and early high-school English class might be similar to your own: desks in rows, quiet work time, and sentence diagramming. Remember sentence diagramming? That tedious puzzle of using one line under the subject, two lines under the verb, a backslash to separate the subject from the predicate that led to the more complicated algorithm of circles, squares, and arrows. All of which was meant to do what? Improve writing? Increase identification of sentences? Keep students quiet?
Fortunately, research has led teachers toward practices that improve writing, namely, spending time to write. The National Council of Teachers of English released a position statement in 1998 stating the following: "Decades of research and practice have shown that teaching of grammar in isolation does not improve composition skills, nor does it help students to acquire Standard English usage." How might teachers of middle and high school students provide students with relevant instruction around basic parts of speech?
Students need to be able to construct quality sentences that communicate information accurately and clearly. Understanding basic parts of speech is the first step to this effective communication.
The 8 Parts of Speech Students Should Know
A noun is a word used to refer to people, animals, objects, substances, states, events, ideas and feelings. A noun functions as a subject or object of a verb and can be modified by an adjective.
Types and Examples of Nouns
Nouns can be people as in the dancers , or a name: John.
Nouns can be things as in a lion , a table , or places as in Paris .
Example Sentences
A pronoun is used in the place of a noun or phrase.
Examples of Pronouns
I, you, he, she, it
#3 Adjective
Adjectives are used to describe or specify a noun or pronoun
Examples of Adjectives
good, beautiful, nice, my
A verb is used to show an action or a state of being
Examples of Verbs
am, is was, are, go, write, exist, be
An adverb is used to modify a verb, adjective, and other adverbs.
Examples of Adverbs
completely, never, there
#6 Prepositions
A preposition is a word that relates a noun or pronoun to some other word in the sentence and often forms a phrase that shows where, when, how, or why
Examples of Prepositions
in, above, to, for, at
#7 Conjunctions
Conjunctions connect words, phrases, or clauses
Examples of Conjunctions
for, and, nor, but, or, yet,
#8 Interjections
Interjections are used to show surprise or emotion.
Examples of Interjections
Oh!, Wow!, Ah-ha!
Teaching Parts of Speech in the Middle School Grades
One way to avoid the traditional grammar instruction done in isolation, teachers can get students up and moving. For grades 6-8, most state standards convey that students should know everything from proper case pronouns (subjective, objective, possessive), to intensive pronouns ( myself, ourselves ), to correcting vague pronouns. By including pronouns in student practice, teachers will ensure these elements are taught.
In addition, students need to use commas to set off nonrestrictive elements – we will do this when we use interjections! Students must also explain the function of clauses, know how to use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives, and how to form and use verbs in a variety of ways.
Creative Ways To Teach Parts Of Speech In Middle School
RESOURCE: Pin the Part of Speech on the Pig Game
When you download the Pin the Part of Speech on the Pig Game , your students will get much more practice than is deemed important in state standards! This game is not only a creative way to teach parts of speech, but it gets students up and moving while they learn.
The Pin the Part of Speech on the Pig Game combines learning/practicing the parts of speech and a modified version of the game Pin the Tail on the Donkey . Although this game was originally created for elementary grade levels, its a great activity for parts of speech practice in the middle grades.
Objective of Game: Pin the part of speech on the pig! With a grammatical twist on the classic game, students will choose the part of speech that is the focus of the day. Monday = nouns, Tuesday = verbs, Wednesday = adjectives, Thursday = adverbs, Friday = prepositions.
Materials : Pig Game, Parts of Speech cards, blindfold, tape.
How to play in the classroom : Middle school students love a competition! Form groups of 3-5, depending on your class size, and, start tallest to shortest. The first student will choose a Part of Speech card from the card pile. The person behind them will put the blindfold on them then slowly spin them three times and set them off to pin the part of speech on the pig. Use a small piece of tape to adhere the card to the pig. The blindfolded student will return to their team, exchange the blindfold and repeat the process. The game can end at any time: when the first pin on the tail happens, when everyone has gone once, or when all the cards are gone.
Download one or multiple copies of the game, depending on your class size and start playing today.
RESOURCE: Shamrock Parts of Speech Game
Sometimes teachers tend to overthink things when trying to come up with creative ways to teach parts of speech...especially in the middle and upper grade levels! The Shamrock Memory Card Game is a simple activity that will engage students in learning or reviewing parts of speech.
Despite being created a couple years ago for the month of March, I use this game year round! Download the Shamrock Memory Card Game now.
Objective: Match parts of speech with an example of that part of speech. Like all memory games, the goal is to have paired the most cards when the round ends.
How to use in the classroom: Decide whether you want students to play individually or in two small groups. Display the 48 cards face down. Choose who will go first. The first person or group will turn one card face-up. They will either see the part of speech or a word. Then turn over a second card. The card must match the first card with the correct part of speech or a word. For example, if a student turns over a card with "noun" on it and then turns over a second card with the word "leprechaun", the cards match! If the cards match, the student(s) gets to go again. The student or group with the most pair of cards at the end wins the round.
RESOURCE: Identifying Parts of Speech in a Complex Text Lesson
This next activity is not the most creative way to teach parts of speech, but it is effective! The Identifying Parts of Speech in a Complex Text Lesson has students read a complex text and then identify various parts of speech.
Students need to be able to construct quality sentences that communicate information accurately and clearly. Understanding basic parts of speech is the first step to build effective communication. Reading complex texts to practice identifying parts of speech is a great way for students to see how quality sentences are constructed.
Objective: Students will read a text to identify appropriate nouns, pronouns, and interjections by answering the question: What do you notice about the nouns, pronouns, and interjection in this text?
How to use in the classroom: Handout the text excerpt to each students. Tell them their purpose for reading the text is to identify and circle the nouns that act as subjects in each sentence. Also, ask students to underline all pronouns and put a box around all interjections.
Teaching Parts of Speech in the High School Grades
By the time students enter high school, the focus shifts from isolated parts to speech to more complete understanding about the way sentences work. For grades 9-10, state standards require students use various types of phrases, including noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial, prepositional, and absolute. Students should also use clauses such as independent or dependent; and noun, relative, and adverbial to convey specific meanings and add variety and interest to their writing.
Teachers can use a combination of hands-on activities and individual work to assess students’ knowledge of language. Students will build on the basic parts of speech they learned in the middle grades by understanding irregular verb forms, verb tenses, plural forms of words, reflexive pronouns, and dependent clauses.
Creative Ways to Teach Parts of Speech In High School
RESOURCE: Baseball Interactive Writing & Parts of Speech Grammar Game
The use of sports in the classroom is a creative way to teach parts of speech and engage young people! With the Baseball Grammar Game students will get students moving, writing, and identifying parts of speech.
Objective: Teams of students will participate in a classroom baseball game that requires they complete a writing prompt and correctly identify parts of speech.
Materials: Plastic bat (optional), Baseball Grammar Game Downloads
How to use in the classroom: Prior to playing the game, students will write short essays based on a writing prompt provided by you, the teacher. Some examples of a writing prompt are: Describe your favorite outdoor activity or What is the best part of going to a baseball game? The essay should be short, perhaps 5-10 sentences. Have students write each sentence of their essay on the Baseball Writing Activity Sheet provided in the Baseball Grammar Game download. These papers will be wadded up and become your "baseballs."
The teacher will divide the class into two teams and assign each person a position. Each team needs the following position players: pitcher, catcher, first baseman, second baseman, shortstop, third baseman, left fielder, center fielder, and right fielder. All position players will play the field and have a turn at bat. If you have extra students, use a rotation system after each batter or each strike-out. Students can also be “bat boys or girls”, scorekeepers, or baseball handlers.
The defensive team will take the field and the offensive team will line-up to bat.
The baseball handler tosses the first baseball to the pitcher who pitches it to the batter.
The teacher will ask the student a question about the sentence. To get a “hit” and advance to first base, the batter answers the question correctly. (It is not important that the batter catches the ball, only that their answer is stated correctly). If the batter gets the question incorrect, it is an out.
The rotation continues until there are three outs for the team. After three outs, the teams switch sides. Have the scorekeeper keep track of runs and outs.
RESOURCE: Hopscotch Parts of Speech Activity
Hopscotch is a game whose origins date back to Roman times. If you give the traditional game of hopscotch a grammar twist you end up with a creative way to teach parts of speech. For the parts of speech key with definitions and examples, download the Hopscotch Parts of Speech Activity !
Objective : Give an example of the part of speech.
Materials : Sidewalk chalk or hopscotch board, marker, parts of speech key.
How to use in the classroom : If the weather is nice, head outside with some sidewalk chalk and create the hopscotch board. If the weather is not nice, teachers could use tape to create the boards on the classroom floor. Use a small stone to use as a marker.
To begin, write the parts of speech into each square. Students will toss the marker onto a square, then the student should give the example word, phrase, or sentence If correct, the student should hop onto the board. If incorrect, the student goes to the back of the line. The stone is left on the square where the student last got the correct answer. Depending on the size of your class, there might need to be several hopscotch boards so 4-5 students can play at once.
If correct, the student who tossed the marker will complete the hops on the board. The person who answered correctly will toss next. This process will be repeated until the game ends.
If the person answers incorrectly, the person who answered will go to the back of the line and the next person will answer. This process will continue until the answer is correct.
If the weather is not nice, the hopscotch board can be designed on the classroom floor with duct tape.
These creative ways to teach parts of speech are sure to engage middle school and high school students! These printable resources allow students to move while learning and reinforce their understanding of different parts of speech.
In addition, I outlined eight parts of speech that every middle and high school student should know and understand. Students need to be able to construct quality sentences that communicate information accurately and clearly. Understanding basic parts of speech is the first step to build effective communication.
Writing Prompt ~ 8 Parts Of Speech
Writing Prompt: A useful thing for English learners to learn is the parts of speech. Learn the basic parts of speech . (Note: Your teacher or textbook may include “determiners” as another part of speech rather than classifying them as adjectives.) Then try to write one or two sentences using all eight parts of speech. Can you identify the part of speech for each word in your sentence? Practise this writing exercise regularly. It will help you when you are ready to learn more advanced grammar.
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- English Grammar
- Parts of Speech
Parts of Speech - Definition, 8 Types and Examples
In the English language , every word is called a part of speech. The role a word plays in a sentence denotes what part of speech it belongs to. Explore the definition of parts of speech, the different parts of speech and examples in this article.
Table of Contents
Parts of speech definition, different parts of speech with examples.
- Sentences Examples for the 8 Parts of Speech
A Small Exercise to Check Your Understanding of Parts of Speech
Frequently asked questions on parts of speech, what is a part of speech.
Parts of speech are among the first grammar topics we learn when we are in school or when we start our English language learning process. Parts of speech can be defined as words that perform different roles in a sentence. Some parts of speech can perform the functions of other parts of speech too.
- The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary defines parts of speech as “one of the classes into which words are divided according to their grammar, such as noun, verb, adjective, etc.”
- The Cambridge Dictionary also gives a similar definition – “One of the grammatical groups into which words are divided, such as noun, verb, and adjective”.
Parts of speech include nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions and interjections.
8 Parts of Speech Definitions and Examples:
1. Nouns are words that are used to name people, places, animals, ideas and things. Nouns can be classified into two main categories: Common nouns and Proper nouns . Common nouns are generic like ball, car, stick, etc., and proper nouns are more specific like Charles, The White House, The Sun, etc.
Examples of nouns used in sentences:
- She bought a pair of shoes . (thing)
- I have a pet. (animal)
- Is this your book ? (object)
- Many people have a fear of darkness . (ideas/abstract nouns)
- He is my brother . (person)
- This is my school . (place)
Also, explore Singular Nouns and Plural Nouns .
2. Pronouns are words that are used to substitute a noun in a sentence. There are different types of pronouns. Some of them are reflexive pronouns, possessive pronouns , relative pronouns and indefinite pronouns . I, he, she, it, them, his, yours, anyone, nobody, who, etc., are some of the pronouns.
Examples of pronouns used in sentences:
- I reached home at six in the evening. (1st person singular pronoun)
- Did someone see a red bag on the counter? (Indefinite pronoun)
- Is this the boy who won the first prize? (Relative pronoun)
- That is my mom. (Possessive pronoun)
- I hurt myself yesterday when we were playing cricket. (Reflexive pronoun)
3. Verbs are words that denote an action that is being performed by the noun or the subject in a sentence. They are also called action words. Some examples of verbs are read, sit, run, pick, garnish, come, pitch, etc.
Examples of verbs used in sentences:
- She plays cricket every day.
- Darshana and Arul are going to the movies.
- My friends visited me last week.
- Did you have your breakfast?
- My name is Meenakshi Kishore.
4. Adverbs are words that are used to provide more information about verbs, adjectives and other adverbs used in a sentence. There are five main types of adverbs namely, adverbs of manner , adverbs of degree , adverbs of frequency , adverbs of time and adverbs of place . Some examples of adverbs are today, quickly, randomly, early, 10 a.m. etc.
Examples of adverbs used in sentences:
- Did you come here to buy an umbrella? (Adverb of place)
- I did not go to school yesterday as I was sick. (Adverb of time)
- Savio reads the newspaper everyday . (Adverb of frequency)
- Can you please come quickly ? (Adverb of manner)
- Tony was so sleepy that he could hardly keep his eyes open during the meeting. (Adverb of degree)
5. Adjectives are words that are used to describe or provide more information about the noun or the subject in a sentence. Some examples of adjectives include good, ugly, quick, beautiful, late, etc.
Examples of adjectives used in sentences:
- The place we visited yesterday was serene .
- Did you see how big that dog was?
- The weather is pleasant today.
- The red dress you wore on your birthday was lovely.
- My brother had only one chapati for breakfast.
6. Prepositions are words that are used to link one part of the sentence to another. Prepositions show the position of the object or subject in a sentence. Some examples of prepositions are in, out, besides, in front of, below, opposite, etc.
Examples of prepositions used in sentences:
- The teacher asked the students to draw lines on the paper so that they could write in straight lines.
- The child hid his birthday presents under his bed.
- Mom asked me to go to the store near my school.
- The thieves jumped over the wall and escaped before we could reach home.
7. Conjunctions are a part of speech that is used to connect two different parts of a sentence, phrases and clauses . Some examples of conjunctions are and, or, for, yet, although, because, not only, etc.
Examples of conjunctions used in sentences:
- Meera and Jasmine had come to my birthday party.
- Jane did not go to work as she was sick.
- Unless you work hard, you cannot score good marks.
- I have not finished my project, yet I went out with my friends.
8. Interjections are words that are used to convey strong emotions or feelings. Some examples of interjections are oh, wow, alas, yippee, etc. It is always followed by an exclamation mark.
Examples of interjections used in sentences:
- Wow ! What a wonderful work of art.
- Alas ! That is really sad.
- Yippee ! We won the match.
Sentence Examples for the 8 Parts of Speech
- Noun – Tom lives in New York .
- Pronoun – Did she find the book she was looking for?
- Verb – I reached home.
- Adverb – The tea is too hot.
- Adjective – The movie was amazing .
- Preposition – The candle was kept under the table.
- Conjunction – I was at home all day, but I am feeling very tired.
- Interjection – Oh ! I forgot to turn off the stove.
Let us find out if you have understood the different parts of speech and their functions. Try identifying which part of speech the highlighted words belong to.
- My brother came home late .
- I am a good girl.
- This is the book I was looking for.
- Whoa ! This is amazing .
- The climate in Kodaikanal is very pleasant.
- Can you please pick up Dan and me on your way home?
Now, let us see if you got it right. Check your answers.
- My – Pronoun, Home – Noun, Late – Adverb
- Am – Verb, Good – Adjective
- I – Pronoun, Was looking – Verb
- Whoa – Interjection, Amazing – Adjective
- Climate – Noun, In – Preposition, Kodaikanal – Noun, Very – Adverb
- And – Conjunction, On – Preposition, Your – Pronoun
What are parts of speech?
The term ‘parts of speech’ refers to words that perform different functions in a sentence in order to give the sentence a proper meaning and structure.
How many parts of speech are there?
There are 8 parts of speech in total.
What are the 8 parts of speech?
Nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions and interjections are the 8 parts of speech.
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Learn How To Write A Persuasive Speech Following 8 Easy Steps in 2023
So, students, the day has come when you are assigned a speech. We know it’s fun, but it takes time and lots of work to form the outline. Wait, do you know how to write a persuasive speech? We bet you don’t have a clue about this. But who cares when you can hire an essay writer to solve your academic queries? We will prepare the best and most compelling perfect persuasive speech in one go. Let’s start the work then.
8 Steps To Write A Persuasive Speech For Influencing Your Audience
Finally, we are here, students. We will let you have access to our professional writers ; they will show you how to write a persuasive speech without much fuss and effort.
So let’s move to the central part of this blog. Yes, guys, we will unfold the secret today with all of you. Here are the 8 steps you must follow when you don’t know how to write a persuasive speech.
Select The Topic For a Persuasive Speech
It would be best if you had a topic in your mind for writing a persuasive speech. Usually, students are assigned persuasive topics by their professors. Some colleges transfer the job of selecting a topic to the participating student. Either way, a topic already chosen or selected by students should invoke persuasiveness in your audience. The selection of the subject helps you to know how to write a persuasive speech.
It’s also vital that your topic should be debatable and introduce your audience to new findings. Topic resonance with its audience makes it worthy of the time they will spend listening to your persuasive speech. So make every second count.
Research Appropriately
The second step is to go through appropriate research. Since your persuasive speech is about persuasion, you can only achieve it with valid arguments and analysis. There are two steps to doing such work. You can read plenty of books or use a research paper writing service to ease your way of getting credible information.
Research ensures the credibility of your speech. It also keeps your audience on their feet and eyes hooked to your presentation. Gather both-sided arguments, against and in favor ones. This way, you can research your persuasive topic unbiasedly and on neutral grounds.
Make Sure To Add Goals To Satisfy the Audience’s Curiosity
Do you know how to write a persuasive speech with specified goals? Here is the third step of defining the goals of your persuasive speech. Goals help you determine the parameters of your thesis statement. You can set and distribute your goals accordingly for the different sections of your persuasive presentation.
For example, you can determine how to use an introduction to entertain the audience, such as with jokes or motivational quotes. These goals will help you achieve your mission of persuading your audience to take any specific action.
Let’s say you want to convince your audience about endangered species and their protection; then you can use strong emotional quotes from any good writer that promotes love and a sense of care.
Students’ goals can also help you establish the success of your presentation and its content. Many speakers use surveys or sign-up after delivering a persuasive speech. This is the best way to determine whether your presentation met the expected results.
Use Pathos, Ethos, and Logos To Make Appealing Speech
Students, a successful persuasive speech has three essential parts. These parts build an emotional connection with your audience. Pathos, ethos, and logos are the primary motivators for your supporting points.
Ethos caters to your arguments as being ethical or based on honesty and taps into the audience’s ethics. Pathos induces emotional appeal, and logos presents logic or solid reasons for the main points.
Writing a persuasive speech is only effective when all these essential qualities are added to your final speech. These three emotional appeals are necessary for your speech to be persuasive.
Define Who Are Your Audience Members
The last step in writing a persuasive speech is defining or categorizing your audience members. If you’re presenting your personal story in a persuasive speech in your college, your audience must be students and teachers. Therefore your speech should encompass their expectations.
We know public speaking is difficult, but having exact information about your audience helps you segment your speech. This way, you can write the best persuasive speech effortlessly and successfully.
Start With The Best Introduction
We know you guys are eager to start your persuasive speech, so always start with a good introduction. In public speaking, an opening is the most substantial part of persuading the audience. It serves as a hook that captures your audience’s attention and intrigues them throughout the speech.
Furthermore, the intro has three parts, a hook sentence, thesis statement, and background information. Together all these parts form a solid introduction that builds an emotional connection.
Example on How To Write A Persuasive Speech Introduction
“Swiss watches are expensive and cost a fortune to own one. Swiss brands such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, Tag Heuer, and Richard Mille are as costly as a brand-new car or a Beverly Hills Mansion. Why are these watches so expensive? Because of the expertise required to make one, these companies acquired over a hundred years of perfection.
Each part is tailor-made for customers with perfect details to satisfy their needs. A low-cost swiss watch costs as much as $ 20,000, while premium ones cost as much as $ 5 million. Owning a swiss watch is not just buying a luxury watch but owning centuries of expertise in a time-piece.”
Add Your Arguments in the Body Paragraph of Your Speech
By now, you can quickly write an introduction to your college speech. The second step is to write the body paragraph of your speech. Since you already entice your audience’s attention with a stellar intro, adding real life examples enhances the credibility of the speech.
After the strong opening, divert your arguments to the speech’s main points. Your counterargument from the opposing narrative should also be added to support this step.
Your research or evidence can be used as a first-person narrative like “I” or “We” to find the following evidence supporting this speech. If you see this as difficult to understand, read the blog “ can you use I in a persuasive essay .” Using a first-person narrative helps you offer your findings with more confidence.
Example of Persuasive Speech Body Paragraph Part
“Crude oil had played a pivotal role in global warming since 1859 when it was discovered. Almost two third of global CO2 emissions are generated by incomplete combustion from gasoline and diesel engines. Oil spills caused 90% of marine biology damages and resulted in countless extinctions of sea species.”
An example like the above can connect with your audience’s emotions and help you get their buy-in quickly.
Conclude Your Speech With Mutual Agreement on the Findings
The last part of the speech concludes your speech with supporting evidence and counterargument. At this point, your speech serves as a closing stage for the entire discussion.
Conclude the subject of your persuasive speech on high notes. Consider this an eye-opening step for your public speaking skills and induce emotional appeals from the conclusion. Your arguments should be valid and based on facts that will be a game changer for the audience.
Example of Persuasive Speech Conclusion
“So, according to the discussion we have today on crude oil and its devastating effects on human lives and nature, we can safely conclude we need to immediately stop its use.
Furthermore, we already have substitutes such as electric cars, bikes, etc. Governments and the United Nations can push for subsidizing the pricing and pushing for more eco-friendly options.”
Students, we finally uncover the 8 steps on how to write a persuasive speech quickly and in less time. We hope you find the entire discussion mind-blowing and valuable details. We know by now writing a persuasive speech is a piece of cake for you. So take notes and start your presentation to snatch your A grades from your teacher.
Table of Contents
- 8 Steps To Write A Persuasive Speech
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The 8 parts of speech 1 Nouns A noun is a word that names person, place, concept, or object. Basically, anything that names a "thing" is a noun, whether you're talking about a basketball court, San Francisco, Cleopatra, or self-preservation. Nouns fall into two categories: common nouns and proper nouns.
This is a comprehensive set of 100 worksheets with hands-on activities to practice writing complete simple sentences with a focus on parts of speech. Students cut and arrange words to build each simple sentence, then write, illustrate, self-edit and peer-edit the sentence.
Knowledge Check: Main Parts of Speech Webpage Feedback Relative, Restrictive, and Nonrestrictive Clauses Modifiers Prepositions Definitions and Examples Noun The name of something, like a person, animal, place, thing, or concept. Nouns are typically used as subjects, objects, objects of prepositions, and modifiers of other nouns.
Parts of Speech Overview Nouns A noun is a word that denotes a person, place, or thing. In a sentence, nouns answer the questions who and what. Example: The dog ran after the ball. In the sentence above, there are two nouns, dog and ball.
UVU Writing Center's handouts on these specific topics. Nouns. A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, or idea. ... Parts of Speech. Note: This document should only be used as a reference and should not replace assignment guidelines. Utah Valley University (UVU) does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national ...
The 8 parts of speech to include in a parts of speech chart are: Noun: Nouns are a person, place, thing, or idea Verb: Verbs are actions or states of being Adjective: Adjectives describe nouns Adverb: Adverbs describe a verb, adjective or another adverb Pronoun: Pronouns stand in for a noun Preposition: Prepositions link a noun to another word
writing but are sometimes used in creative ; writing assignments or informal papers.) Parts of speech are categories of words that indicate how the words function grammatically in a sentence. English has eigh t main par ts of speech: nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections.
Parts of Speech Word types can be divided into nine parts of speech: nouns pronouns verbs adjectives adverbs prepositions conjunctions articles/determiners interjections Some words can be considered more than one part of speech, depending on context and usage. Interjections can form complete sentences on their own.
The English parts of speech are: &' Nouns (' pronouns )' adjectives *' verbs +' adverbs ,' prepositions -' conjunctions .' interjections. fNouns A noun is a word that names a person, a place or a thing. Examples: #arah, lady, cat, /ew 0or1, 2anada, room, school, football, reading. Example sentences: People li1e to go to the beach.
Grammar - Parts of Speech: Summer Assignment DUE: AUGUST 16TH -- NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED Identifying all parts of speech and types of sentences is a California State Standard from the seventh grade (Written and Oral Language Conventions 1.3). Therefore, incoming 10th graders should be able to demonstrate mastery of the basic parts of speech.
parts of speech, word forms, vocabulary, word families, diction, register Timing This lesson should occur in a single period (with homework before and follow-up after) within the first few weeks of the WR 111 semester, ideally in response to the in-class writing diagnostic or other early written work.
Verbs. A verb is a word that denotes action, or a state of being, in a sentence. Example 1: Beth rides the bus every day. Example 2: Paul was an avid reader. In example 1, rides is the verb; it describes what the subject, Beth, does. In example 2, was describes Paul ' s state of being and is therefore the verb.
Parts of Speech What is a sentence? A sentence is a group of words that ends in a period. It makes a statement that presents a complete idea. It must have a subject (a noun) that is doing an action (a verb). The rest of the words support those main pieces. Parts of Speech
This activity will allow students to practice parts of speech as well as listening carefully. 3. Word Ball Arrange your students in a circle, or a few small group circles of 4-5 students each, and give them a ball. Give each group a part of speech and instruct them to say a word that corresponds with that part of speech whenever they have the ball.
To begin, write the parts of speech into each square. Students will toss the marker onto a square, then the student should give the example word, phrase, or sentence If correct, the student should hop onto the board. If incorrect, the student goes to the back of the line. The stone is left on the square where the student last got the correct ...
Writing Prompt: A useful thing for English learners to learn is the parts of speech. Learn the eight basic parts of speech. (Note: Your teacher or textbook may include "determiners" as another part of speech rather than classifying them as adjectives.) Then try to write one or two sentences using all eight parts of speech.
vocabulary. formative sentences. background knowledge. When students are writing a draft, they should be encouraged to. leave a blank line after each line of text so that editing will be easier. Steps for process of writing. 9,4,1,6,3,7,2,5,8. A document where students can look and see if each of the listed components are included.
Parts of speech include nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions and interjections. 8 Parts of Speech Definitions and Examples: 1. Nouns are words that are used to name people, places, animals, ideas and things. Nouns can be classified into two main categories: Common nouns and Proper nouns.
Parts of speech. Test about parts os speech in which students will have to categorise the underlined word in each sentence. ID: 210248. Language: English. School subject: writing. Grade/level: First. Age: 10+. Main content: Parts of speech. Other contents: Parts of speech.
Use this Daily Language Review program to help your students master editing and parts of speech, and improve their writing! This resource is an excellent supplement to provide continual, spiral reinforcement throughout the year.Check out the free preview to learn how this system of peer teaching works. The video preview refers to the entire 36 ...
Putting It All Together. You have learned about many different parts of speech and some basic guidelines to correct usage. This is a lot to take in for sure! To help you review, go through the presentation below, which provides a basic overview of what you have learned about the parts of speech. <<.
8 Steps To Write A Persuasive Speech For Influencing Your Audience. Finally, we are here, students. We will let you have access to our professional writers; they will show you how to write a persuasive speech without much fuss and effort. So let's move to the central part of this blog. Yes, guys, we will unfold the secret today with all of you.