Parts of Speech Practice
A. Write the part of speech for each bold, italicized word in the sentences below. Use the
abbreviations: N (noun), V (verb), PRO (pronoun), ADJ (adjective), PREP (preposition),
CONJ (conjunction), ADV (adverb), and INTER (interjection).
____________1.
Pioneer aviator Amelia Earhart was born in Kansas in 1897.
____________2.
____________3.
Amelia graduated from high school in Chicago in 1916.
____________4.
____________5.
She became an army nurse in Canada during World War I and later
____________6.
briefly attended Columbia University.
____________7.
She learned to fly and worked remarkably hard to support her flying.
____________8.
____________9.
In 1928 she was chosen by publisher G. P. Putnam to take part in a
____________10.
transatlantic flight as passenger and standby pilot.
____________11.
In 1931 she married Putnam but continued to use her own name.
____________12.
____________13.
Determined to fly the Atlantic by herself, Earhart took off in a plane
____________14.
that now hangs in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.
____________15.
She flew out over the Atlantic, where she almost immediately experienced
____________16.
bad weather.
____________17.
Ice on the wings forced her to fly at extremely low altitudes.
____________18.
____________19.
Only hours after takeoff, she landed in Ireland and became famous
____________20.
overnight.
Sentence – a group of words with a S and a V that expresses a complete thought
Fragment – a piece of a sentence, an incomplete thought
*Subject – names the person, place, thing, idea, or feeling that the sentence is about.
Simple: the one word
Complete: the one word + all its modifiers
[Coyotes] were howling in the distance.
[The telephone in the lobby] rang.
[The woman in the red blouse] is my aunt.
*Predicate – says something about the S, the V of the sentence.
Simple: the one word
Complete: the one word + all its modifiers
Mr. Morton [walked down the street.]
Coyotes [were howling in the distance.]
The telephone in the lobby [rang.]
The woman in the red blouse [is my aunt.]
*Complements – describe or modify the pieces of the sentence
**There can be more than one complement in a sentence!
**You will NEVER FIND a S, V, or C in a prepositional phrase (preposition…object)
*Subject Complements
Predicate Nominative: N or PRO describing the subject, following a linking verb (no action involved)
Predicate Adjective: ADJ describing the subject, following a linking verb (no action involved)
Quilting is an art form. (PN)
Her house smells wonderful. (PA)
My cats seem fatter this month. (PA)
*Object
Direct Object: thing receiving the action of the verb.
Indirect Object: to/for who/whom the action is being performed (the DO is being V-ed)
I put my books on the floor. (DO; books are the thing being ‘put’)
I brought my mother breakfast in bed. (IO; mother is receiving the DO; breakfast which is being ‘brought’)
My students ask me many questions. (IO; me is receiving the DO; questions which are being ‘asked’)
Grammar – Clauses and Sentence Types
Name
Review – Define each and give your own example (not one from the book):
clause: ___________________________________________________________________________________
Ex: ________________________________________________________________________________
independent clause: _________________________________________________________________________
Ex: ________________________________________________________________________________
dependent (subordinate) clause: _______________________________________________________________
Ex: ________________________________________________________________________________
What question did we ask to determine if a clause is independent or dependent? ____________________?
NOW that we know how to determine if a clause is independent or dependent, we can begin to…
Classify Sentences According to Structure: Define each and write an example from the
book. In the example, underline the clauses.
1. A simple sentence ________________________________________________________________________
Ex: ________________________________________________________________________________.
2. A compound sentence _____________________________________________________________________
Ex: ________________________________________________________________________________.
3. A complex sentence _______________________________________________________________________
Ex: ________________________________________________________________________________.
4. A compound-complex sentence ______________________________________________________________
Ex: ________________________________________________________________________________.
A Visual Representation!
Explanation:
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Sample Exercises – Classify each of the following sentences as simple, compound,
complex, or compound-complex (simple, cd, cx, cd-cx). To help, first find and underline
the independent clause(s).
1. Charles Drew did research on blood plasma and helped develop blood banks. _______
2. Supposedly, if the month of March comes in like a lion, it goes out like a lamb. _______
3. The Malayans believe that sickness will follow the eating of stolen foods. _______
4. When World War I ended in 1918, many people thought that there would be no more wars; but twenty-one
years later, World War II began. _______
5. In his letter to Mrs. Bixby, Abraham Lincoln consoled her for the loss of several sons and hoped that time
would ease her sorrow. _______
6. After the announcement of the final score, all of us fans cheered the team and clapped enthusiastically.
7. In England and Wales, salmon was once king, yet few salmon rivers remain. _______
8. The English philosopher Thomas Hobbes once aspired to be a mathematician, but he never fulfilled this
ambition. _______
9. As an older woman, Queen Elizabeth I always wore a dark-red wig, so no one knew whether her own hair
had grayed or not. _______
10. Tennis star Zina Garrison-Jackson devotes time to training and encouraging young inner-city tennis players.
_______
And a little tougher…. Classify each sentence in the following paragraph as simple,
compound, complex, or compound-complex (simple, cd, cx, cd-cx). To help, first find and
underline the independent clause(s).
[1] Just who is Phoebe Jeter from Sharon, South Carolina? [2] Phoebe Jeter, officially
known as Lieutenant Jeter, led an army platoon during the Persian Gulf Conflict in 1991. [3] Jeter
will always remember the tense January night when she heard the words “Scud alert!” [4] On her
orders, thirteen Patriot missiles were fired, and at least two Scud missiles were destroyed. [5] When
the Conflict was over, Jeter was the only woman who had shot down a Scud! [6] That 40 percent
of the women who served in the Gulf were African Americans may be an understatement. [7]
Figures have not been releases by the Pentagon, but some say the actual number may have been
closer to 50 percent. [8] The Persian Gulf Conflict tested the mettle of all female military
personnel; throughout the conflict, women shared hazardous assignments, primitive living
conditions, and various battle responsibilities with men. [9] Their professionalism and courage
earned the women who served in the Gulf considerable respect. [10] Perhaps now, because of
soldiers like Jeter, people will think differently about he role of women in the United States armed
forces.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Phrase Practice ExerciseInstructions: Identify the underlined phrase or clause.
1. Steven's book, which made Oprah's Book Club this month, is not in any stores.
a. prepositional phrase b. participial phrase c. gerund phrase d. infinitive phrase
2. While preparing for the speech, Joe couldn't help but worry about his
entrance.
a. prepositional phrase b. participial phrase c. gerund phrase d. infinitive phrase
3. Ahmad wants to visit Quebec, but he will need to wait for his next vacation.
a. prepositional phrase b. participial phrase c. gerund phrase d. infinitive phrase
4. Hoping for a miracle, the doctors continued the surgery.
a. prepositional phrase b. participial phrase c. gerund phrase d. infinitive phrase
5. Our boss supports donating time to charity.
a. prepositional phrase b. participial phrase c. gerund phrase d. infinitive phrase
6. Melanie hoped to find a cure for the disease, but she tried to be realistic.
a. prepositional phrase b. participial phrase c. gerund phrase d. infinitive phrase
7. After the banquet, the cooks will take a well-deserved break.
a. prepositional phrase b. participial phrase c. gerund phrase d. infinitive phrase
8. Joey is hoping for a change to play pool with his uncle.
a. prepositional phrase b. participial phrase c. gerund phrase d. infinitive phrase
9. The dog that Sam chose from the litter seems to be healthy.
a. prepositional phrase b. participial phrase c. gerund phrase d. infinitive phrase
10. Sam Smith, who recently spoke to the youth group, excels at motivating
young people.
a. prepositional phrase b. participial phrase c. gerund phrase d. infinitive phrase
Modifiers need to clearly point to the words that they are describing in a sentence; otherwise, sentences
may be illogical. Modifiers should be placed as close as possible to the word that they are describing; if not,
the reader may have difficulty knowing which word in the sentence should be modified.
BASIC DEFINITION
A modifier is a word or group of words that describe other words in a sentence. Modifiers can either be
adjectives or adverbs and can be phrases, dependent clauses, or single words.
COMMON PROBLEMS

Writers have problems using modifiers when they forget to mention the word that the modifier
is supposed to describe. When this happens, it is called a dangling modifier. To avoid making
this mistake, be sure to proofread your paper.
Before leaving for work, the dog should get a bowl of food.
Before leaving for work modifies the dog, which makes the sentence illogical. The dog is not leaving for
work! It is easy to correct this problem.
Before leaving for work, you should get the dog a bowl of food.

Another common error is not placing the modifier near the word that it describes, or misplacing it.
While still a girl, my father and I went to the fair.
While still a girl modifies my father, making it sound as though my father were once a girl! To correct this
problem, clarify that I went to the fair with my father while I was still a girl.
While still a girl, I went to the fair with my father.
PRACTICE
To practice using modifiers correctly, revise the following sentences. Misplaced modifiers are in italics.
1. Racing across the field, I saw the forward kick the ball into the goal to win the game in the last few
seconds.
2. While at the basketball game, my mother did her grocery shopping.
3. Smelling burnt and having a blackened crust, I decided to bake another pie for the party.
4. Receiving an A on her term paper, Lauren's grades were improved.
5. The school now has a late bus for students leaving at 6:00.
For further practice, create your own sentences using the following modifiers:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
when buying your first car,
upon arriving at the train station,
working diligently on the project,
running to catch the baby,
when only seven years old,