Understanding 'Parts of Speech'

https://www.butte.edu/departments/cas/tipsheets/grammar/parts_of_speech.html

Understanding 'Parts of Speech'

There are eight parts of speech in the English language: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. The part of speech indicates how the word functions in meaning as well as grammatically within the sentence. 

• What it is?

• Examples in a sentence

• Its purposes in sentences and its connotation

Preview/Summary - Ish

• Verbs convey action, mood, and change, helping build tension, excitement, or calm.

• Adjectives paint vivid pictures and shape how we feel about characters, objects, or settings.

• Adverbs modify actions, intensifying or softening them and controlling the pacing of a scene.

• Pronouns show character relationships, perspective, and can also add mystery.

• Prepositions help establish spatial or temporal relationships, affecting mood and context.

• Conjunctions connect ideas logically, helping to create flow or show contrast and cause-and-effect.

• Interjections express immediate emotions, contributing to tone and atmosphere.

NOUN

A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea.

*often used with an article (the, a, an), but not always. Proper nouns always start with a capital letter; common nouns do not.

PRONOUN

A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. A pronoun is usually substituted for a specific noun.

Writers use Pronouns to:

• Create intimacy or distance: Using first-person or second-person pronouns can make a story feel more personal.

  • Example: "I couldn’t believe what I was hearing."
    "I" creates a personal connection between the reader and the narrator.

• Create ambiguity or confusion: Sometimes pronouns are used to intentionally make the reader unsure of who is being referred to.

  • Example: "John passed by, and he waved at her."
    The use of "he" and "her" without clear context might make the reader wonder who "he" and "her" are.

• Character perspective: Pronouns help establish whose point of view the reader is experiencing.

  • Example: "They wanted to leave the moment the bell rang."
    "They" shows we're experiencing the story from a character’s perspective.

VERB

A verb expresses action or being. For example, jump. They also:

• Show action or movement: This can help create a dynamic image in the reader's mind.

  • Example: "The dog raced through the field."
    The verb "raced" creates a sense of speed and energy.

• Set the tone or mood: The type of verb used can completely change the tone of a sentence.

  • Example: "She whispered the secret." vs. "She shouted the secret."
    "Whispered" creates a sense of intimacy or secrecy, while "shouted" implies loudness and urgency.

• Express change: Verbs can show how characters change or develop.

  • Example: "He grew stronger every day."
    The verb "grew" shows a gradual, ongoing change in the character.

• Create suspense or tension: Action verbs can build momentum, which is great for storytelling.

  • Example: "The clock ticked louder as the minutes passed."
    Here, "ticked" creates a sense of tension as time runs out.

ADJECTIVE

An adjective is a word that describes a noun or pronoun, telling you more about it. For example, pretty, old, blue, smart. They also:

• Create vivid imagery: Adjectives allow readers to imagine scenes or characters more clearly.

  • Example: "The old house stood in the gloomy forest."
    "Old" and "gloomy" set a mysterious, possibly eerie tone.

• Express emotion or mood: Adjectives can convey the feelings of the character or the atmosphere of a setting.

  • Example: "Her joyful smile brightened the room."
    "Joyful" expresses the character's happiness.

• Highlight contrasts: Adjectives are useful for contrasting things or ideas.

  • Example: "The rich man and the poor beggar sat on the same street."
    "Rich" and "poor" show a stark contrast in social status.

ADVERB

An adverb describes or modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. For example, quickly, carefully, extremely.

An adverb answers questions like how, when, where, or to what degree.

Writers use adverbs to:

• Modify actions: Adverbs can change the way a reader perceives an action.

  • Example: "She quickly ran to the door."
    "Quickly" gives us more information about how the action (running) happened.

• Emphasize or downplay: Adverbs help to intensify or soften the meaning of a sentence.

  • Example: "He was extremely tired after the race."
    "Extremely" shows how tired he was, making the feeling stronger.

• Create rhythm or pacing: Writers sometimes use adverbs to set the pacing of a scene.

  • Example: "She slowly walked through the door."
    "Slowly" can slow down the pacing, adding a sense of hesitation or suspense.

PREPOSITION

A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence. For example, by, with, about, until.

A preposition always works with a noun or pronoun to form a prepositional phrase.

Example sentence:
"The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher."
Here, "from" is a preposition showing the relationship between the letter and the teacher.

Writers use prepositions to:

• Establish setting: Prepositions often describe where or when something is happening.

  • Example: "She sat on the chair."
    "On" tells us where she is.

• Convey mood or relationships: Prepositions can show how characters are related to their surroundings or each other.

  • Example: "He walked into the dark room, feeling a chill."
    "Into" helps establish the transition from outside to inside, contributing to the eerie mood.

CONJUNCTION

A conjunction is a word that joins words, phrases, or sentences together. For example, and, but, because, or.

Conjunctions can join things that are similar (e.g., and) or show contrast (e.g., but). There are different types of conjunctions, like coordinating (e.g., and, but) or subordinating (e.g., because, although).

Example sentence:
"The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared."
Here, "and" joins two actions.

writers use them to:

• Join ideas and create flow: Conjunctions make sentences flow more smoothly, allowing for the expression of complex ideas.

  • Example: "She wanted to stay, but she had to leave."
    "But" shows a contrast between the desire to stay and the need to leave.

• Show cause and effect: Certain conjunctions indicate reasons or results.

  • Example: "She was tired because she hadn’t slept all night."
    "Because" shows the cause of her tiredness.

• Link actions: Conjunctions help connect actions or events in a story.

  • Example: "He worked all day, and then he went for a walk."
    "And" connects two related actions.

INTERJECTION

An interjection is a word or phrase used to express a sudden emotion. Often, it's followed by an exclamation mark. For example, Wow!, Oh!, Oops!

Interjections can show surprise, happiness, excitement, or even frustration.

Example sentence:
"The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared. Oh my!"
Here, "Oh my!" is an interjection, expressing surprise or shock.

Writers use them to:

• Show emotions instantly: Interjections are used to communicate the character’s feelings directly.

  • Example: "Wow! That was amazing!"
    "Wow" shows surprise or admiration.

• Create tone or atmosphere: The choice of interjection can set the tone of a scene.

  • Example: "Ugh, I can't believe this is happening."
    "Ugh" shows frustration or annoyance.