Parts of Speech Table

The parts of speech explain how a word is used in a sentence. Understanding the different
parts of speech is important in understanding how words can and should be joined together
to make sentences that are both grammatically correct and readable.

part of
speech

function or "job"

example words

Verb

action or state

(to) be, have, do, like, work, EnglishClub is a web site. I likeEnglishClub.
sing, can, must

Noun

thing or person

pen, dog, work, music, town, This is my dog. He lives in my house. We live
London, teacher, John
in London.

Adjective

describes a noun

good, big, red, well,

interesting

My dogs are big. I like big dogs.

Determiner

limits or "determines" a noun

a/an, the, 2, some, many

I have two dogs and some rabbits.

Adverb

describes a verb, adjective or

adverb

quickly, silently, well, badly, My dog eats quickly. When he is veryhungry, he

very, really
eats really quickly.

Pronoun

replaces a noun

I, you, he, she, some

Tara is Indian. She is beautiful.

Preposition

links a noun to another word

to, at, after, on, but

We went to school on Monday.

Conjunction joins clauses or sentences or

words

and, but, when

I like dogs and I like cats. I like cats anddogs. I

like dogs but I don't like cats.

Interjection short exclamation, sometimes

inserted into a sentence

oh!, ouch!, hi!, well

Ouch! That hurts! Hi! How are you?Well, I don't

know.

example sentences

Here are some sentences made with different English parts of speech:

verb

noun

verb

Stop!

John

works.

pronoun

verb

noun

noun

verb

adjective

noun

She

loves

animals.

Animals

like

kind

people.

noun

verb

noun

adverb

noun

verb

adjective

noun

Tara

speaks

English

well.

Tara

speaks

good

English.

pronoun

verb

preposition

determiner

noun

adverb

She

ran

to

the

station

quickly.

pron.

verb

adj.

noun

conjunction

pron.

verb

pron.

She

likes

big

snakes

but

hate

them.

Here is a sentence that contains every part of speech:

interjection

pron.

conj.

det.

adj.

noun

verb

prep.

noun

adverb

Well,

she

and

my

young

John

walk

to

school

slowly.

Definition
Part of speech is a term intraditional grammar for one of the eight* main categories into which
words are classified according to their functions insentences:

Grammar in Rhyme: The Nine Parts of Speech

Three little words you often see

Are articles a, an, and the.

A noun is the name of anything,
As school or garden, hoop or swing.
Adjectives tell the kind of noun,
As great, small, pretty, white, or brown.
Instead of nouns, the pronouns stand,
Her head, his face, your arm, my hand.
Verbs tell of something being done-To read, count, laugh, sing, jump, or run.
How things are done the adverbs tell,
As slowly, quickly, ill, or well.
Conjunctions join the words together-As men and women, wind or weather.
The preposition stands before
A noun, as in or through a door.
The interjection shows surprise,
As Oh! how pretty! Ah! How wise!
The whole are called nine parts of speech,
Which reading, writing, speaking teach.
(The Home Book Of Verse, ed. by Burton Stevenson. Henry Holt, 1915)