PARTS OF SPEECH NOTES
Nouns
Definition: Person, Place, Thing, or Idea
Ways to Recognize Nouns:
1. Ways they function in sentence: Nouns can perform 5

different functions
Subject of a sentence: part of sentence about which something is
said
The boy kicked the ball.

Direct Object of a Verb:
o a noun that follows an action verb and receives the
action of the verb
o Answers the questions what or whom received the
action.
The boy kicked the ball.

Indirect Object of a Verb:
o a noun that comes before a direct object
o tells to whom or for whom the action of the verb is
done.
o Pattern: Action verb indirect object direct object
s
v
io
do
Maxine baked Jeremy a cake.
s
v
io
do
Aaron Rodgers passed Randall Cobb the
football.
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PARTS OF SPEECH NOTES

Predicate Noun:
o a noun that follow a linking verb and identifies or explains
the subject (linking verbs: am, is, are, was, were, be, being,
been, appear, grow, seem, become, look, smell, taste, feel,
remain, sound)
s lv
pn
Jem is my dog.
s lv
pn
Jem is a good pet.

Object of a Preposition: noun at the end of a prepositional phrase
(phrase that begins with a preposition and ends w/ a noun)
The dog was under the couch.
2. Word Structure--the following suffixes are used to form nouns:
er, or ist
ant
ior
eer
ion, tion, sion, ation ism
et, ette, let
ling
ship
dom, hood cian
tude
ance, ence
ment
ity
S (plural)
ness
3. Modified (described) by an adjective or article (a, an,
the, some)
The red car parked by the green house.
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PARTS OF SPEECH NOTES
Car: Noun
 Subject of sentence
 Modified by adj. "red"
 Modified by article "the"
House: noun
 Obj of Prep "by"
 Modified by adj. "green"
 Modified by article "the"
The summer vacation began on Friday.
Vacation: noun
 Subject of sentence
 Modified by adj. "summer"
 Modified by article "the"
 Ends w/ noun suffix "tion"
Nouns do not multi-task. They only perform
1 function at a time in a sentence.
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PARTS OF SPEECH NOTES
Pronouns
Personal Pronouns:
 Personal pronouns represent specific people or things.
 We use personal pronouns in place of nouns--the person or people that we
are talking about.
 Personal pronouns can perform all the functions in a sentence that a noun
can perform: subject, object of preposition, direct object of verb, indirect
object of verb, subject complement (predicate noun)
Here are the personal pronouns:
personal pronouns
subject
object
I
me
you
you
he
him
she
her
it
it
we
us
you
you
they
them
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PARTS OF SPEECH NOTES
Possessive Pronouns:


We use possessive pronouns to refer to a specific person/people or thing/things (the
"antecedent") belonging to a person/people (and sometimes belonging to an
animal/animals or thing/things).
Possessive pronouns act like adjectives—they modify nouns

Below are the possessive pronouns:
possessive pronouns
mine
yours
his
hers
ours
yours
theirs
Relative Pronouns:
 A relative pronoun is a pronoun that introduces a relative clause (a type of
subordinate clause that acts like an adjective).
 A relative pronoun functions as the subject of a relative clause.
 There are five relative pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, that
 Example: The person who phoned me last night is my teacher.
 “who” is the subject of the clause.
 The clause modifies the noun “person”
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PARTS OF SPEECH NOTES
Interrogative Pronouns:
 We use interrogative pronouns to ask questions. The interrogative pronoun
represents the thing that we don't know (what we are asking the question
about).
 There are four main interrogative pronouns: who, whom, what, which
 Notice that the possessive pronoun whose can also be an interrogative pronoun
(an interrogative possessive pronoun).
 Examples:
What is the name of the shampoo that you use?
Who is the owner of that blue pickup truck?
Indefinite Pronouns
An indefinite pronoun refers to a non-specific person or thing.
The most common ones are all, any, anyone, anything, each, everybody, everyone,
everything, few, many, nobody, none, one, several, some, somebody, and someone.
Like all pronouns, an indefinite pronoun is a substitute for a noun.
Examples





A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read. (Mark
Twain, 1835-1910)
Of those who say nothing, few are silent. (Thomas Neill)
Everything is funny as long as it is happening to somebody else. (Will Rogers, 1879-1935)
Everybody likes a kidder, but nobody lends him money. (Arthur Miller, 1915-2005)
I don't know anything about music. In my line, you don't have to. (Elvis Presley, 1935-1977
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PARTS OF SPEECH NOTES
Adjectives
Definition: A word that modifies (describes) a noun or
pronoun
Ways to Recognize Adjectives:
1. Function in Sentence:
o Modifying a noun or pronoun
o Tells which one, how many, what kind about a noun
or pronoun
2. Word Structure: the following suffixes are used to form
adjectives:
able, ible al
ic
y
ous
ly*
ful
er (comparison)
ward
like
less
Est
ish
Example
The child’s uncontrollable behavior worried the grandparents.

Uncontrollable: adjective--modifies noun "behavior", tells what kind
about the noun "behavior", ends with adj. suffix "able"
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PARTS OF SPEECH NOTES
Adverbs
Definition: a word that modifies (describes) verbs, adjectives,
and other adverbs
How to Recognize Adverbs:
1. Function in Sentence
o Modifying a verb
o Modifying an adverb
o Modifying an adjective
o Tells: how, where, when, to what extent about the
word it modifies
2. Word Structure: the following suffixes are used to form
adverbs-o ly (once in a while is an adj. suffix)
o wards
o wise
Example:
The car drove very quickly.
 Very: adverb--modifies the adverb "quickly", tells to what
extent about the adv. "quickly"
 Quickly: adverb--modifies verb "drove", tells how about
the verb "drove", ends w/ adverb suffix "ly"
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PARTS OF SPEECH NOTES
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PARTS OF SPEECH NOTES
Conjunctions
Coordinate Conjunctions:
 For
 And
 Nor
 But
 Or
 Yet
 So
FANBOYS
1. Used to make compound elements in simple sentences
Example: John and Bob are on the football team.
 Compound subjects—proper nouns John & Bob joined
by coordinate conjunction “and”
Example: I went to the store and bought a loaf of bread.
 Compound verb—“went” & “bought” joined by
coordinate conjunction “and”
Example: Mildred is a conscientious and intelligent
student.
 Compound adjectives—“conscientious” & “intelligent”
2. Used to make compound sentences—2 independent
clauses joined by a coordinate conjunction to form 1
sentence.
Example: I woke up late, so I was late for school.
 Put a comma before the coordinate conjunction that is
used to create a compound sentence
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PARTS OF SPEECH NOTES
Correlative Conjunctions: come in pairs
 Either or
 Neither nor
 Both and
Subordinate Conjunctions:
Because, if, unless, until, before, after, although, while, since,
so that, whatever, whenever, ect.
 Begin subordinate clauses (dependent clauses)
ADVERBIAL CONJUNCTIONS
Remember the adverbial conjunctions by
the expression: HOT SHOT CAT. Writers
use them to join two independent clauses to
make a compound sentence.
; however, = nevertheless
; otherwise, = alternatively
; therefore, = for that reason
; similarly, = in the same way
; hence, = therefore
; on the other hand, = contrast
; then = next
; consequently, = a result
; also, = addition
; thus = because of this or that
EXAMPLE: I had never won before; therefore, I
was delighted to win the doorprize.
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PARTS OF SPEECH NOTES
Additional adverbial conjunctions include:
accordingly, besides, finally, for example,
furthermore, in fact, instead, meanwhile, moreover,
nevertheless, now, and soon.
Relative Pronouns: not really conjunctions
 act like subordinate conjunctions
 found at beginning of subordinate clauses
 act as subject of clause




Which
Who
Whose
Whom
Example: The boy who is the team captain is the quarterback
for the team.
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PARTS OF SPEECH NOTES
Prepositions
Definition: a word that shows the relationship between
a noun or a pronoun and another word in a sentence.
Example: The book is on the table.
 On shows the relationship between the noun “book” and
the word “table”
Learn the “Preposition Song”
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PARTS OF SPEECH NOTES
Verbs
Definition: a word that expresses action or otherwise helps
to make a statement about the subject (tells what the subject is
doing).
Types of Verbs:

Action Verbs: verb that refers to physical action that can be
seen by other people, or mental action that cannot be seen
 Action Verbs can be transitive or intransitive.
 Transitive Verbs: an action verb that has a direct object
 Intransitive Verbs: an action verb that does not have a
direct object

Verbs of Being: express a state of being—tell what the
subject is (am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been)

Linking verbs: forms of be (am, is, are, was, were, be,
being, been), appear, grow, seem, become, look, smell,
taste, feel, remain, stay, sound

Helping verbs: (used with action verbs) will, shall, have,
has, had, can, may, might, do, does, did, must, ought,
should, would, & forms of be
Ways to recognize verbs:
1. Function in sentence:
 Performs action (action verb)
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PARTS OF SPEECH NOTES


Links two words (subject and predicate noun, or subject and
predicate adjective)
Used with an action verb to make up a verb phrase (helping
verbs)
2. Word structure: The following suffixes are used to form
verbs
-en -ize -ate -ify; -fy
Example:
The athlete ran quickly around the track.
 Ran--verb: action verb; modified by adv. "quickly"
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PARTS OF SPEECH NOTES
Verbals
Gerund: an "ing" verb that functions as a noun
(subject, DO, predicate noun, obj. of a prep.)
a. Gerund as subject:

Traveling might satisfy your desire for new
experiences. (Traveling is the gerund.)
b. Gerund as direct object:

They do not appreciate my singing. (The gerund
is singing.)
c. Gerund as predicate noun:

My cat's favorite activity is sleeping. (The gerund
is sleeping.)
d. Gerund as object of preposition:

The police arrested him for speeding. (The
gerund is speeding.)
Gerund Phrases: consist of the gerund plus its
objects and modifiers. The gerund phrase can
do all the things a noun does.
 Gerund phrases always start with gerunds
 Gerund phrases always include modifiers and often include other objects
 A gerund phrase always functions as a noun
 Gerund phrases are always subjects, objects, or subject complements in sentences.
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PARTS OF SPEECH NOTES
Examples
 Blowing bubbles on a windy day is a fun activity for children.
Blowing bubbles on a windy day is the subject of the verb is.
 Piling too much laundry into a washing machine will cause it to malfunction.
Piling too much laundry into a washing machine is the subject of the verb “will cause”.
 Ethan narrowly avoided driving off the cliff.
Driving off the cliff is the direct object of the verb “avoided”.
 Francis earned money by working as a babysitter.
Working as a babysitter is the object of the preposition “by”
 Jessica really enjoys bothering the neighbors with loud music.
Bothering the neighbors with loud music is the direct object of the verb “enjoys”.
Infinitives: a verbal consisting of the word "to"
plus a verb. Can function as a noun, adjective,
or adverb. If functioning as a noun, it can be a
subject, DO, subject complement (predicate
noun)
o
To wait seemed foolish when decisive action was
required. (subject)
o
Everyone wanted to go. (direct object)
o
His ambition is to fly. (subject complement)
o
He lacked the strength to resist. (adjective)
o
We must study to learn. (adverb)
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PARTS OF SPEECH NOTES
Infinitive Phrases consist of the infinitive
plus its objects and modifiers. The infinitive
phrase can do all the things an infinitive
does.
Participle: verbal ending with "ed" or "ing"
that acts like an adjective
o
The burning log fell off the fire.
A participial phrase is a group of words
consisting of a participle and the
modifier(s) and/or objects or
complement(s) . A participial phrase
can do all the things a participle can do.
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