parts of speech : tips
TRANSCRIPT
Tips
If you can put the word ‘the’ in front of a
word and it sounds like a unit, the word is
a noun.
Concrete nouns refer to things we can
perceive with one of our senses. Abstract
nouns cannot be perceived by our senses.
If you can put his in front of a word and it
sounds like a unit, the word is a noun.
Nouns
Animate nouns refer to things that are
alive; inanimate nouns refer to things that
are not alive.
If you can pluralize a noun in a sentence,
it is functioning as a count noun.
Nouns
If you can use many with a noun (when it is
pluralized), it’s a count noun. If you can use
much with a noun, it’s a non count noun.
If you can use fewer with a noun (when it is
pluralized), it’s a count noun. If you can use
less with a noun, it’s a non count noun.
Nouns
Nouns that are actual names, for example
Mary, Ram are called proper nouns. Nouns
that are not names are called common
nouns, e.g. girl.
One way to identify a proper noun is to
ask yourself: is this a noun I would
capitalize, no matter where it is in a
sentence? If so, it’s a proper noun.
Nouns
If a word can have should in front of it and
the phrase sounds complete, the word is a
verb. Examples: should leave, should sail,
should discover, should complain.
Leave, sail, discover, and complain are all
verbs.
Verbs
If a word can have to in front of it and the
phrase sounds complete, it’s a verb.
Examples: to leave, to sail, to discover, to
complain. Leave, sail, discover, and complain
are all verbs. (Note that we’re not talking
here about two, too, or the to that indicates
direction, as in Let’s go to the park.)
Verbs
The forms of the irregular verb be are:
am, are, is, was, were, be, been, being.
If you can substitute a form of be for a
verb and the meaning of the sentence is
basically the same, the verb is probably
being used as a linking verb. The verb be
and its forms are also linking verbs.
Verbs
If you can substitute a form of seem for a
verb and the meaning of the sentence is
basically the same, the verb is probably
being used as a linking verb.
Verbs
There are only three articles in English:
the, a and an.
There are only four demonstratives in
English: this, that, these, and those.
The determiner possessive pronouns are:
my, your, his, her, its, our, their.
Determiners
Words of quantity, quantifiers, can act as
determiners and precede a noun. Some
examples are: all, some, several, and
much.
Determiners
If you can put a word between the and a
noun (for example, the _____boy), then that
word is an adjective.
Adjectives
Prepositions are words, usually small, that
typically indicate information about
direction, location, or time.
There is only a small number of
prepositions in English.
Some commonly used prepositions are :
at, from, in, on, and to.
Prepositions
There are three common coordinating
conjunctions in English. They are: and, or,
and but. Four less common ones are for,
so, yet, and nor.
A commonly used way to remember the
coordinating conjunctions is to think of
FANBOYS: F (for), A (and), N (nor), B
(but), O (or), Y (yet), S (so).
Conjunctions
The subordinating conjunction is always
the first word of the dependent clause.
Correlative conjunctions are two part
conjunctions. Common correlative
conjunctions are: both /and, either /or, if
/then, neither /nor.
Conjunctions
Subordinating conjunctions connect a
sentence with another sentence, which is
a subpart of it. The subpart sentence is
called a dependent clause (or subordinate
clause).
Conjunctions
The subject pronouns are: I, you, he, she,
it, we, they.
The object pronouns are: me, you, her,
him, it, us them.
The reflexive pronouns are: myself,
yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves,
yourselves, themselves.
Pronouns
There are only four demonstrative
pronouns: this, that, these, and those
Interrogative pronouns are question
words.
The interrogative pronouns are: how,
what, when, where, which, who, whom,
whose, why.
Pronouns
The common relative pronouns are: that,
which, who, whom, whose. They refer
back to a noun in the sentence.
All the reflexive pronouns end in self
(singular) or selves (plural).
Pronouns
Adverbs generally indicate information
about location, time, degree, and manner.
They provide extra information about the
action in a sentence, about adjectives and
about other adverbs.
If you don’t know what else a word is (and
you’ve eliminated the other parts of
speech), it’s probably an adverb.
Adverbs
If the main verb of the sentence is an
action verb, the subject of the sentence is
the doer of the action and generally comes
before the verb. It can be found by
answering the question: ‘‘Who or what is
doing the action?’’.
Subjects and objects
If the main verb of the sentence is a
linking verb, the subject is who or what
the sentence is about; the subject is found
before the verb.
Subjects and objects
The direct object of a sentence is
receiving the action. It can usually be
found by answering the question: ‘‘Who or
what is being acted upon or receiving the
action?’’ The direct object typically occurs
immediately after the verb.
Subjects and objects
An indirect object can occur:
(a) after the direct object (which follows the
verb), with to or for introducing it, or
(b) before the direct object (and after the verb),
without to or for. For example: Joan gave a
present to Bill or Joan gave Bill a present. (Bill
is the indirect object in both sentences.)
Subjects and objects
A subject pronoun is used when it is
functioning as the subject of the sentence.
An object pronoun is used when it is
functioning as:
(a) the direct object of the sentence;
(b) the indirect object of the sentence;
(c) the object of a preposition.
Subjects and objects
The subject of commands is an understood
or implied you.
Subjects and objects
Sentences that make a statement are
called declaratives; sentences that ask a
question are called interrogatives;
sentences that give a command are called
imperatives; sentences that express strong
emotion are called exclamations.
The Functions of sentences
A yes/no question is one that can be
answered by ‘‘yes’’ or ‘‘no.’’
A “wh” question begins with one of the
following “wh” words (question words):
when, where, what, why, which, who,
whom, how. Example: Where is the
meeting? (Source: “English Grammar : Understanding Basics, Cambridge university Press)
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