Parts of Speech

This lecture is going to discuss eight parts of speech in a general way so that you can gain a general understanding of them. However, each part of speech has been discussed in a separate lecture through which you will be able to learn all the parts of speech elaborately.   

Each word in a sentence is a part of speech. So, if you can understand parts of speech, you can understand the relationships among words in a sentence. In other words, each part of speech has a definite function in a sentence; we cannot go wrong with their proper order. This is the importance of knowing parts of speech. Let’s start with the noun.    

A. Noun 

The noun refers to naming words. It means that any name is a noun. It may be the name of a particular thing, place, or person (Nasima, Rohit, Dhaka, Bangladesh, Earth, etc.); it may refer to any general name (girl, boy, table, city, country, planet, etc.); it may be the name of a group (bunch, army, flock, herd, crowd, etc.); it may refer to a material name which cannot be counted but only be measured (salt, sugar, iron, water, milk, etc.); It may point to the abstract name (courage, love, affection, hate, frustration, etc.) which cannot be experienced through our five senses but only be experienced or felt. 

Based on five types of names, a noun is of five types: proper noun, common noun, collective noun, material noun, and abstract noun.  

Proper noun 

Proper noun indicates specific name such as Nasima, Rohit, Dhaka, Bangladesh, planet, etc. If I say ‘Rohit’, everybody will look at Rohit, not any other name. “Rohit” is a definite name.  

Common Noun 

‘Table’ is a general name. It refers to any table in the world. Similarly, if I say ‘city’, it is not any particular city like Dhaka or Kolkata. It is a general name. So, it is a common noun. 

Collective Noun 

A collective noun indicates a group of people or animals or things. Bunch, herd, flock, and crowd, are some of the examples. 

Material Noun 

We cannot count material nouns but we can only measure them. We cannot count milk, water, sugar, rice, iron, etc. However, we can measure them. We can use an article before a material noun if this noun is preceded by measurement words. Look at the examples below:

• A glass of water.
• A tube of toothpaste

Here, “glass” and “tube” are measurement words.

Abstract Noun 

An abstract noun cannot be experienced through our five senses, but we can only feel them. Love, patriotism, hate, fate, affection, courage, etc. are some examples of abstract nouns.  

B. Pronoun  

A pronoun replaces a noun. It means a pronoun sits in the place of a noun. Look at the examples below:

• Noun: Karim is a good boy. 
• Pronoun: However, he is a chain smoker. 

In the first sentence, “Karim” is a noun. Specifically, it is a proper noun because “Karim” is a particular name. On the other hand, “he”, in the second sentence, is a pronoun because it has replaced the noun “Karim”. This is the function of a pronoun: a pronoun sits in the place of a noun. 

 A pronoun is of eight types. They are: 

USAGE OF PRONOUN 

The usage of pronouns is not limited to the clarity of speaking and writing. It is more than that. When we do not use someone’s name, we use pronouns to refer to him or her. Incorrect or careless use of pronouns may lead to feelings of disrespect, exclusion, and alienation. The chapter “Pronoun Explained in Details” will talk about the way pronoun has been divided and sub-divided into many groups.   

   C. Adjectives 

An adjective qualifies a noun, noun phrase, and pronoun; an adjective gives us extra information about that particular noun and pronoun. For example, Karim is a boy. Here, we don’t know anything about the boy. Now, if you want to insert extra information about the boy, you can add an adjective. Look at the example below: 

• Karim is a good boy. Karim is a bad boy.
• He is a generous and cooperative person. 
• He is happy. 

The words in bold are adjectives because they have given more information about the nouns “boy” and “person” the and pronoun “he”. Keep in mind that an adjective can give information sitting before or after a noun. However, an adjective cannot modify a pronoun sitting before a pronoun. So, though an adjective can pre-modify and post-modify a noun, an adjective can only post-modify a pronoun. 

 The adjective has many types: 

Look at the diagram below and get a summary of what an adjective is. Later, in a separate chapter, adjectives will be discussed thoroughly. 

                                                       

 D. Verb 

 If I go to ask students what a verb is, some students will say that verb carries an action of the subject. This answer is partially right because verbs carry the actions and show the state of being and talk about the possession of the subject. Look at the examples below:  

•  I am speaking. 
• He is playing cricket. 
• He wrote a letter. 

 So, when we do something, our doings are carried by the action verbs. In the examples given above, the words in bold are action verbs because they are talking about what subjects “I” and “He” are doing.  

Verb also talks about the subject. The examples given below will surely clarify your understanding: 

• I am happy. 
•  He is sad. 
• She looks beautiful. 

 Here, the verbs “am”, “is” and “looks” are not carrying any action. They are simply giving extra information about the subject. This kind of verb only talks about the subject’s condition or state of being. 

Verb also talks about possession or ownership of the subject. See the examples below and try to understand. 

• I have a pen. 
• He has a beautiful house. 
• She had a nice backpack.  

When the auxiliary verbs “have”, “has” and “had” are used as the main verb, they show possession or ownership of the subjects. The possession of a “pen”, “a beautiful house” and “a nice backpack has been expressed by the have verbs-- “have”, “has” and “had”.                                                            

A verb is classified into two groups: finite and non-finite verbs. The finite verb has again been classified into principal and auxiliary verbs. The principal verb has three forms: transitive, intransitive, and linking verbs. The auxiliary verb has been sub-divided into four types—be verbs, do verbs, have verbs, and modal auxiliary verbs. On the other hand, the non-finite verb has been categorized into three forms. They are infinitive, participle, and gerund. Look at the diagram below and see how verb has been divided and subdivided into many categories. You will get a comprehensive explanation about these divisions and sub-divisions of the verb from a separate chapter. 

E. Adverb 

While an adjective describes or qualifies a noun or a pronoun, an adverb qualifies all other parts of speech except nouns, pronouns, and interjections. An adverb is a brilliant word that can even modify a complete sentence. Look at some examples:  

• He works hard. 
• She looks extremely beautiful. 
• He runs very fast. 
• The aircraft flew just over my head.  

The words in bold have modified two verbs, an adjective, an adverb, and a preposition respectively. Similarly, an adverb can modify a conjunction and a complete sentence too. There will be a complete chapter where you will be able to know the complete picture of adverbs. You will come to know how adverb modifies different parts of speech and complete sentences. Then, you will also come to know about the classification of adverbs with sufficient examples.  

F. Preposition 

Prepositions refer to such words which sit before nouns, pronouns, and noun phrases and make a relationship with other words in the sentence. For example:  

• The pen is on the table. 

Here, the preposition “on” has made a relationship between “Pen” and “the table.” This is the function of a preposition. The object of a preposition can be a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase. For example: 

• I look at him. 

“Him” is a pronoun and it is a pronoun object. An object of a preposition can be a noun phrase too. For example:

• The river Surma flows under the Kin Bridge. 

“The Kin Bridge” is a noun phrase. Here we can see how a noun phrase can be the object of a preposition. So, the word or words which follow a preposition is called the object of a preposition. This object of a preposition can be a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase. Now, we can go to talk about the types of a preposition. There are seven types of prepositions: 

•   simple preposition,
•   double preposition, 
•  compound preposition, 
•  phrasal preposition, 
•  participle preposition, 
• disguise prepositions and 
• detached preposition.  

Dealing with prepositions requires much space. A big chapter will be dedicated to explaining prepositions.  

G. Conjunction  

A conjunction connects two words, phrases, and clauses. In other words, conjunction connects parts of a sentence. Keep in mind that the function of conjunction is limited to connecting parts of a sentence. The conjunction does not connect two sentences. It is the function of connectors. Examples: 

• Rohan and Rohit are two friends. 
•  Rohan is a good boy, but he is a chain smoker. 
• Not only Rohan but also Rohit played well 
• If you work hard, you will succeed.  

Later, in a separate chapter, you will come across various types of connectors and linkers (conjunction) and their usage in sentences. 

Primarily conjunction has been divided into two parts: subordinating and coordinating conjunction. Coordinating conjunction has again been sub-divided into four groups. On the other hand, subordinating conjunction has been sub-divided into many types. 

Understanding conjunction thoroughly will help you understand the mechanism of a sentence. It will help you understand the difference between complex and compound sentences. It will help you transform a complex sentence into a compound sentence and a compound into a complex sentence. So, it is high time you started knowing conjunction in detail. 

 You can comprehensively know about conjunction and the way it has been divided and subdivided into many parts if you read the chapter called “Conjunction Explained in Detail”. 

 H. Interjection  

Interjection helps us express our sudden emotions. We use some noises or sounds or words to express our sudden emotions. These noises may consist of one or more than one actual words. An interjection is not associated with the sentence structure; if we exclude an interjection from that particular sentence, it will not affect the overall structure of the sentence. Let us have a couple of examples: 

• Hurrah! We won the match. 
• Alas! His friend died. 

In these two sentences, we have used two interjection expressions. The two expressions—“Hurrah!” and “Alas”—are widely used worldwide to express our sense of joy and grief. 

However, if you exclude these two expressions from the sentence, there will not be any impact on the overall structure of these sentences. We’ll have the same subject and predicate. 

At the same time, interjection can exist alone. We can use them in our writing without connecting them to the sentences. 

Now, it’s time to know the most commonly used expressions of interjection. You can learn about these common expressions from the separate chapter called “Interjection Explained in Detail”.  

Answer the following questions: 

1.     What is a noun? How many ways has the noun been classified? What are they? 

2.     Give some examples of the proper noun. 

3.     What is the difference between common and collective nouns? Make it clear with a couple of examples. 

4.     What do you mean by a material noun? Give some examples.  

5.     Define the abstract noun and make us understand by giving some examples. 

6.     What is the pronoun? How many ways pronoun can be classified? What are they? 

7.     Discuss each type of pronoun briefly. 

8.     What is a qualitative adjective? 

9.     Give some examples of cardinal, ordinal and multiplicative adjectives. 

10.  Discuss what you know about the pronominal and proper adjectives. 

11.  Define the verb and discuss the classification of the verb briefly. 

12.  What is a linking verb? 

13.  Mention the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs.  

14.   What is the infinitive verb? Can you differentiate the participle from the gerund?  

15.  Make us understand with examples how an adverb modifies an adjective, verb, adverb, preposition, and conjunction. 

16.  Mention what you know about the preposition.   

17.  What is the conjunction? How many types have the conjunction been classified?  

18.  What is an interjection? Can we separate an interjection expression from a sentence without harming the structure of the sentence?  

Parts of Speech   Noun    Pronoun   Adjective   Verb   Adverb    Preposition   Conjunction   Interjection

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