TOPIC 1

PARTS OF SPEECH / WORD CLASS

SYNOPSIS
This topic aims to enhance learners knowledge of the formal features of the
English language system. It provides an explanation to a selection of
language structures identified in the English Language Proficiency 11
syllabus for non- TESL learners.
The exercises that follow the explanation should provided some immediate
practice applying the language rules learnt. Leraners are required to practice
much more from publications readily available, should they wish to improve
thier personal proficiency in the English language.
Learning outcomes
By the end of the topic, you will be able to:
1. understand the different types of language structures of word clasess namely,
conjuctions, prepositions and interjections.
2. apply the language structures appropriately through relevant exercises

TOPIC 1

PARTS OF SPEECH / WORD CLASS

1.0 Parts of Speech

Words are divided into nine different classes, traditionally named as Parts of
Speech or word classes. These word classes are categorised according to
their use in a sentence. The main parts of speech in English include nouns,
pronouns,

verbs,

adverbs,

adjectives,

prepositions,

conjunctions

and

interjections.
1.1 Conjunctions
Conjunctions are used to join words, phrases, clauses or sentences to
express a partticular idea or ideas. Study the following examples.
Anne and Kamilla are coming to the The conjunction and joins the words
party.

Anne and Kamilla.

You can write the answer in ink or in The conjunction or joins the phrases
pencil

in ink or in pencil

Although she is a famous and The conjunction although joins she

successful writer, she leads a simple is, a famous and successful writer
and frugal life.

and she leads a simple and frugal

life

Both the girls and their fathers are The conjunction both...and joins the
scientists.

sentences the girls are scientists

and their fathers are scientists

We can further discuss conjunctions in terms of their meanings or functions. A

conjunction usually performs one function, but some conjunctions perform two
different functions.

Conjunctions

Examples

Function shows

as

As he was walking down time

the dark lane, he heard a
strange

noise

behind

him.
I did not want to go to the cause and effect
movies as I did not have
enough money

since

have

not

met

my time

brother since the day I

was born.
cause and effect
Since I studied hard for
the

examination,

passed them with flying

colours.
or

Coffee or tea, sir asked choice

the waiter.
You had better finish the condition
assingment fast, or you
will not be able to submit
it on time.

while

While

was

walking time

home, it started to rian

heavily.
In the movie Beauty and contrast
the Beast, the heroine is
ravishingly

beautiful,

while the hero is just the

opposite.

Conjunctions are analysed from three aspects, which are form, function and
position.
Forms
Conjunctions have three basic forms;

Single word

Example: so, for, while, since

Compound

Example: provided that, as well as, so that

Correlative

Correlative conjunctions always appear in parts. The most common

correlative conjunctions are; both...and, either...or, neither...nor not
only...but also,so...as and whether...or.
Example: Both my husband and my father were born in November.
Functions
Conjunctions have two basic functions
a) Coordinating conjunctions are used to join two parts of a sentence that are
grammatically equal. The two parts may be single or clauses, for example:
1. Amariah and Azham are getting married next month (noun and noun)
2. They ran and laughed together. (verb and verb)
3. The water was warm, but I didnt go swimming. (clause and clause)
b) Subordinating conjunctions are used to join a subordinate dependent clause
to a main clause, for example;
1. I went swimming although it was cold.
Positions
Conjuctions can be placed at the beginning or between words or clauses.
Example;
1. Since he is not there, we should not enter.
2. When I am sick, my father takes me to that clinic.
3. My mother cooked through the night though she was not well.
4. They would not take any action unless the firm does not meet thje
requirement.

Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate conjunctions.

1. _______________he tried hard, he failed to get through the security.

2. Wait here___________ I tell you to move.
3. Take your umbrella___________it is going to rain.
4. Sazali is slow____________ smart.
5. ______________he was ill, he had to stay at home.
6. I shall not ride in his carriage____________invited.
7. Be kind ___________you will be rewarded.
8. ____________Azlan ___________his wife are attending the ceremony.
9. ____________soon __________he is ready, bring down the cake.
10. He is___________here__________there.

Exercise 2
Fill in the blanks with because, since, so and as long as.
1. The house was in need of major repairs______________we decided not to buy it.
2. __________________you are UITM students, you must always abide by its rules
and regulations.
3. We decided not to go out shopping ______________we were tired.
4. You can play with your friends______________you have finished your homework.

5. ______________the weather was bad, we had to cancel the camping trip.

Exercise 3
Join the sentences using before, after or while.
1. The children were sleeping on the second floor. The fire started in the basement.
________________________________________________________________
2. It rained heavily. We arrived at the camping site.
________________________________________________________________
3. The nomads set up the tent. They tied up the camels.
________________________________________________________________
4. The police rushed over the house. They received the emergency call.
________________________________________________________________
5. I withdrew some money from the bank. I went shopping.
________________________________________________________________

1.2 Prepositions

Prepositions are used to show the relationship or connection of a word with other
words. They are used with nouns, pronouns, adjectives and verbs to introduce
phrases which give more information about a thing, quality or action. They are used
to indicate time, direction and other functions.
Eg: We will go to Sabah on Monday. We will go by plane.
Prepositions are usually single words, but there are some prepositions which have
more than one word.
Eg: We walked in between the parked cars.

Types of prepositions
Roles

Prepositions

Place

in , at, around, beyond

Accompaniment

along, with

Manner

in, with, like

Instrument

with, by

Time

before, after, at

Direction/movement

out of, toward, from, across

Agent

by

Stimulus

of, to, by

Purpose

to, for

Cause,reason

by, from, due to

Source

from

There are three types of prepositions, which are prepositions of place, prepositions of
time and preposition of movement.
Preposition of Place
In general, there are some confusion regarding the use of prepositions at, in and
on

at is used when referring to a point.

in is used when referring to an enclosed space.

on is used when referring to a surface.

at (point)

in (enclosed space)

on (surface)

at the park
at N0. 3
at the house
at the junction
Examples:

in Bangsar
In Kuala Lumpur
in the bedroom
in the bookstore

on the swing
on Jalan Bangsar
on the door
on the wall

1. Mariana is waiting for you at the park in Bangsar. She will be on the swing.
2. My house is at No. 3 on Jalan Bangsar in Kuala Lumpur.
3. The boys are reading some books at the English corner in the bookstore on the 3rd
floor.

Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks with suitable prepositions
1. The picture is hanging _____the door _____the bedroom _____the house.
2. You cant find the plate? Maybe it is ____the entrance of the kitchen or ___the
kitchen or hanging ____the wall.
3. A: I see you ____the junction.
B: No, I am ____the building _____the ground floor.
4. Please go and get the leaflet ____ the front desk ___the main office. It is____the
chair.
5. Gwen is studying Accountancy _____England.
Prepositions of Time
The following examples illustrate the use of prepositions in time expressions: at, in,
on

at for a PRECISE TIME

in for MONTHS, YEARS, CENTURIES and LONG PERIODS

on

for

DAYS

and

At / PRECISE TIME

IN/ MONTHS, YEARS etc

ON/ DAYS, DATES

at 4 oclock
at lunchtime
at sunset
at the moment

in December
in spring
in 1963
in the past / future

on Sunday
On 4 December
On my birthday
on New Years Day

DATES

Examples;
1. I am going shopping at 11.00am with a friend.
2. My anniversary falls on 15 December.
3. I forsee a lot of movement in the next month.
Exercise 2
The following sentences have the prepositions at, in or on omitted. Rewrite each
sentence, inserting the preposition at, in or on in the correct position.
1. We can look for car accessories the new hypermarket Ampang Jaya.
________________________________________________________________
2. People Malaysia live peace and harmony.
________________________________________________________________
3. Sandra works as a sales assistant an antique shop Jonker Street.
________________________________________________________________
4. The little child was trapped the bottom of the wall.
________________________________________________________________
5. The parcel that you have been waiting for is your study table.

________________________________________________________________
6. Mosquitoes breed clear stagnant water.
________________________________________________________________
7. Do look the different models available the market before you decide which bicycle
to buy.
________________________________________________________________

Preposition of Movement
to is used to express movement
Examples:
1. They were going to school together.
2. She has gone to the registrar office.
Toward/towards are also used to express movement.
Examples:
1. We are moving toward the future.
2. This is a big step towards the marriage
No preposition is needed for these words:

Home, downtown, uptown, inside, outside, downstairs, upstairs

Eg: My father went upstairs to look for my mother but unfortunately she has gone
home.
1.3 Interjections
Interjections are short exclamations which show excitement and emotion. They do
not carry grammatical value and are normally used in speaking rather than writing;
extremely common in English to express strong emotion and in many situations
where speakers are lost for words.
An interjection is followed by an exclamation mark ( ! )
Interjections are usually one or two words that come at the beginning of a sentence.
Some examples of interjections and their functions
Interjections

Functions

Examples

Ah

to express pleasure

Ah, that sounds better.

to express realization

Ah, now I see the future.

to express regret

Ah, well, this cannot be

avoided.

to express surprise
Alas

Ah! We have arrived!

to express relief, grief Alas, it is over now.

or pity

Dear

to express pity

Oh dear! Is she badly

hurt?

to express surprise

Dear me! I never thought

she would be here!

Eh

to reconfirm

A: The concert starts now.

B: Eh?
A: I said the concert starts
now.

to enquire

What is your opinion on

that, eh?

Er

to express suprise

Eh! Is that so?

to express invitation

Lets move, eh?

to hesitate

She

is

the

wife

of...er...Major Lee.
Hey

to call for attention

Hey! Stop doing that.

to express joy

Hey! Thats a brilliant thing

to do!

Oh

to plead

Oh, please be there for

me!

Ouch

to express pain

Ouch! That hurts!

Well

to reject

Well I wouldnt want that!

to introduce a point

Well, your next point is?

Exercise
Choose a suitable text and identify the use of conjunctions, prepositions and
interjections found in the text. Suggested materials; newspaper clippings, short texts,
excerpts from different text types, comic strips or drama scripts.
You are to present the task to your respective lecturer during your tutorial session.
Further practice
Write a short passage inserting some form of conjunctions, prepositions and
interjections.
Task to be submitted to your lecturer during tutorial session.
Summary
In this topic some basic parts of speech in English especially conjunctions,
prepositions and interjections were presented. It gives you some practice in
identifying the different parts of speech and how they are used in the sentences. This
will help you to be more accurate in using the right parts of speech in your daily
conversations with your pupils and friends.
References;
1. Norhazian Mat Sapian and Yong Lee Choo (2011) Language Description 1. Oxford
Fajar Sdn Bhd. Shah Alam, Selangor.
2. Azar, B and Azar, D (2004). Fundamentals of English Grammar Second Edition.
Prentice Hall Inc. Malaysia.
3. Wren and Martin (2006). High School English: Grammar & Composition, Kuala
Lumpur:S. Chand & Company Ltd.

Suggested Answers
TOPIC 1: Parts of Speech
Exercise 1 Conjunctions
1. Although
2. Until
3. because
4. but
5. As
6. unless
7. and
8. Both...and
9. As...as
10. Niether...nor
Exercise 2
1. so
2. as long as
3. because

4. as long as
5. since
Exercise 3
1. The children were sleeping on the second floor while the fire started in the
basement.
2. It rained heavily before we arrived at the camping site.
3. The nomads set up the tent after they tied up the camels.
4. The police rushed over the house after they received the emergency call.
5. I withdrew some money from the bank before I went shopping.

Exercise 1 prepositions
1. on, in, at
2. at, in, on
3. at, in on
4. at in, on
5. in

Exercise 2
1. We can look for car accesories at the new hypermarket in Ampang Jaya.
2. People in Malaysia live in peace and harmony.
3. Sandra works as a sales assistant in an antique shop on Jonker Street.
4. The little child was trapped at the bottom of the well.
5. The parcel that you have been waiting for is on your study table.
6. Mosquitoes breed in clear stgnant water.
7. Do look at the different models available in the market before you decide which
bicycle to buy.