Parts of speech

1 Why know about parts of speech?

Parts of speech are categories of words like noun or adjective which tell us how a word behaves in general, rather than its role in a specific sentence (like subject or object ). They are important because without them it would be impossible to learn how a language works. Take, for example, the following rule about how to write words expressing nationality:

•  A noun relating to nationality begins with a capital letter:

Les Français sont très fiers de leur cuisine

The French are very proud of their cuisine

•  An adjective relating to nationality, however, begins with a small letter:

La grammaire française est difficile

French grammar is difficult

It is difficult to understand this rule without understanding the words noun and adjective!

2 The major parts of speech

2.1 Nouns

A noun is a word like Peter, teacher or mountain which names an entity such as a person, thing, place, substance or state.

2.2 Verbs

A verb is a word which can either express an action or state (as with I go, I am), or else modify another verb by giving information for example about time (I will go).

Verbs are situated in time primarily by means of tense, for example the present, the perfect etc. Other verb forms include moods such as:

•  The indicative - this is used when considering something as a fact or probability  
•  The subjunctive - this is used when the action of the verb is coloured with an attitude such as doubt, need, wishing, feeling or opinion

2.3 Adjectives

An adjective is a word that gives information about a noun . Most often adjectives indicate a quality possessed by a noun, and these are called qualificative adjectives. For example, in the phrase the red book, the qualificative adjective red indicates a quality possessed by the noun book.

Other types of adjective include:

2.4 Adverbs

An adverb is a word that can modify most parts of speech apart from a noun . For example:

She sang beautifully

[the adverb beautifully modifies the verb sang]

She has an extremely beautiful voice

[the adverb extremely qualifies the adjective beautiful]

2.5 Articles

An article is a word such as the or a appearing before a noun that describes the scope of reference of that noun. English and French share two types of article, while French has an additional one:  

•   the definite article - used when describing something specific or general:
          the table, the French  
•  the indefinite article - used when describing something non-specific:
       a table, a pencil  
• the partitive article - this is a third used in French to express something as part of a category:
          du pain - bread

2.6 Pronouns

A pronoun is a word which stands in the place of a noun . There are many different types of pronoun:

2.7 Prepositions

A preposition is a word that expresses the relationship between a noun , pronoun or infinitive and the rest of the sentence. Prepositions have two basic functions.

•  to provide a transparent link between two words, as in to manage to do or the rate of inflation.
•  to express a distinct relationship between a noun or pronoun and the rest of its sentence, as in He put the book on the table

2.8 Conjunctions

A conjunction is a word like but, and or because that connects words, phrases or clauses .