Parts of Speech Review
Overview
All words may be classified into eight groups called parts of speech. The group to which a word belongs is determined by its use in the sentence; therefore, the same word may be any one of several parts of speech, depending upon its use in a given sentence.
The eight parts of speech are noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection.
The eight parts of speech are noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection.
Grammar for Writing - Chapter 1,
Lesson 1, "Nouns," pp. 6-8
Noun
Latin: nomen, name
Schoolhouse Rock
A noun (from Latin nomen, name) is the name of a person, place or thing [Mozart, Chicago, epidermis, rock, freedom, pulchritude]. Proper nouns (Mozart) are capitalized, and common nouns (epidermis) are not. Concrete nouns (rock) are names of objects, and abstract nouns (freedom, pulchritude) are names of ideas. When we call someone by name, the person's name is called the noun of direct address (Livingston, I presume.) A noun that names a group, such as a flock, is known as a collective noun. Nouns are singular (sing.) if they describe individual things, or plural (pl.) if they describe multiple things: boat/boats, flock/flocks, kindness/kindnesses.
Grammar for Writing - Chapter 1,
Lesson 2, "Personal and Possessive Pronouns," pp. 9-10;
Lesson 3, "Other Kinds of Pronouns," pp. 11-13
Pronoun
A word that takes the place of a noun
Schoolhouse Rock - Pronouns
Pronouns refer. They refer to nouns. A pronoun is a word that we use instead of repeating a antecedent (noun); this helps us avoid repeating the antecedent (ante: before, cede: go) noun over again monotonously. For example, we don' say "Hunter went to New York where Hunter visited the Chrysler Building." Instead, we replace the second Hunter with a pronoun: "Hunter went to New York where he visited the Chrysler Building." By avoiding monotonous repetition of lengthy or compound nouns, pronouns make language go fast.
Grammar for Writing - Chapter 1,
Lesson 5, "Adjectives," pp. 17-19
Adjective
A word that modifies a noun or pronoun
Schoolhouse Rock -
Adjectives
Adjective: (adj.) An adjective is a word that modifies a noun or a pronoun: the red car. An adjective can be used as a subject complement: The swim was good. Why would we wish to modify a noun or pronoun? Instead of modifying nouns with adjectives, why not just use a better noun? Wouldn't it be better to use nouns all the time, and avoid adjectives? Well even if it were desirable, it would be impossible, because we have only thousands of nouns, but there are billions of things in the universe. We need adjectives to help us describe things for which no exact nouns exist, and to describe all of the things for which we do not know the exact noun. Adjectives also help us to express the subtle differences between very similar things.
Modify? To modify is to change. In what ways to adjectives modify nouns? Imagine a frozen summit. Think about a frozen summit of the mountain until you see it in your mind. Now, imagine a political summit. Does the second adjective modify (change) the image that you have in mind?
Modify? To modify is to change. In what ways to adjectives modify nouns? Imagine a frozen summit. Think about a frozen summit of the mountain until you see it in your mind. Now, imagine a political summit. Does the second adjective modify (change) the image that you have in mind?
Grammar for Writing - Chapter 1,
Lesson 4, "Verbs," pp. 14-16
Verb
A word that shows action, being, or links a subject to a subject complement.
Schoolhouse Rock - Verb
Verb: (v.) A verb is a word that shows action, or being, or links a subject to a subject complement. The verb tells what the noun does or is. If the verb is an action verb, then it might show action on a direct object: Verdi composed the opera. Or, an action verb might show simple action not on a direct object: Verdi composed. If the verb is linking, then it might link the subject to a subject complement: He is. He is a poet. Most verbs show actions or make equations.
Grammar for Writing - Chapter 1,
Lesson 6, "Adverbs," pp. 20-22
Adverb
A word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb
Schoolhouse Rock - Adverb
Adverb: (adv.) An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb. Adverbs, please notice, modify three kinds of words that adjectives do not modify. Nemo swam slowly. Sully is too tall. I like you, too. He and she swam well.
Grammar for Writing - Chapter 1,
Lesson 7, "Prepositions," pp. 23-25
Preposition
A word that shows the relationship between its object and another word in the sentence.
Schoolhouse Rock - Preposition
Preposition: (prep.) A preposition shows a relationship between its object (the object of the preposition) and another word in the sentence. Prepositions show relationships of time (before, during, after), space (in, on, beside, around), and direction (to, from, toward). In other words prepositions show where two things are located, compared to each other. Prepositions give language its geometry. They are the x,y,z, coordinates of the mind. The sphere is inside the cube. The beep was before the boom.
Grammar for Writing - Chapter 1,
Lesson 8, "Conjunctions," pp. 26-28
Conjunction
A word that joins two words or two groups of words
Everyone's favorite:
Conjunction Junction
Conjunctions conjoin: (conj.) A conjunction is a word that joins (junct) two words or two groups of words (such as two phrases or clauses) together (con). Hamlet and Ophelia were here or there, but we were and were not.
Coordinating Conjunctions co-ordinate: Coordinating conjunctions join equals; they are conjunctions that coordinate (join two words or groups of words of similar (co) importance). It is essential that you have the coordinating conjunctions memorized, because you need to know them in order to identify and punctuate compound sentences. The coordinating conjunctions are and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet.
Subordinating conjunctions subordinate: Subordinating conjunctions join unequals; they are conjunctions that subordinate; they join something of lesser importance to something of greater importance. Examples: if, as, since, when, because, and many others.
Correlative conjunctions: The correlative conjunctions are the multiple-word conjunctions, such as either/or and neither/nor. Either you or I will arrive.
Conjunctive adverbs: Conjunctive adverbs are conjunctions that act both as adverbs and as conjunctions. These include words that are commonly used to begin clauses, such as however, furthermore, moreover, nevertheless, accordingly, and therefore.
Coordinating Conjunctions co-ordinate: Coordinating conjunctions join equals; they are conjunctions that coordinate (join two words or groups of words of similar (co) importance). It is essential that you have the coordinating conjunctions memorized, because you need to know them in order to identify and punctuate compound sentences. The coordinating conjunctions are and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet.
Subordinating conjunctions subordinate: Subordinating conjunctions join unequals; they are conjunctions that subordinate; they join something of lesser importance to something of greater importance. Examples: if, as, since, when, because, and many others.
Correlative conjunctions: The correlative conjunctions are the multiple-word conjunctions, such as either/or and neither/nor. Either you or I will arrive.
Conjunctive adverbs: Conjunctive adverbs are conjunctions that act both as adverbs and as conjunctions. These include words that are commonly used to begin clauses, such as however, furthermore, moreover, nevertheless, accordingly, and therefore.
Grammar for Writing - Chapter 1,
Lesson 8, pp. 26-28
Interjection
A word shows emotion but has no grammatical function
Schoolhouse Rock - Interjections
Interjection: (interj.) An interjection is a word that shows emotion but has no grammatical purpose. In other words, interjections have no grammar tricks; they do not join, or modify, or show relationships, or replace; they just throw (ject) an exclamation into (inter) the sentence.Interjections are the Batman words - words that fill the pages of action comic books. Example of interjections are oh, ugh, oof, wow, yes, no, and oops.
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