Parts of Speech
The 8 building blocks of every English sentence — each word in a sentence plays a role, and that role is its part of speech.
1. Nouns Name
What is a Noun?
A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea.
The teacher lives in Karachi. Her kindness inspired the whole class.
Proper Noun
A proper noun is the unique name of a specific person, place, or thing. It is always written with a capital letter regardless of its position in the sentence.
Ali, Pakistan, Karachi, Quran, Indus River
e.g. Ali lives in Karachi.
Common Noun
A common noun is a general name given to every person, place, or thing of the same kind. It is not capitalised unless it begins a sentence.
teacher, city, book, river, dog
e.g. The teacher entered the classroom.
Abstract Noun
An abstract noun names a quality, idea, state, or feeling that cannot be seen or touched. It exists only in the mind or as a concept.
honesty, freedom, love, justice, courage
e.g. Honesty is the best policy.
Collective Noun
A collective noun is the name of a group of people, animals, or things considered as a single unit. It usually takes a singular verb.
class, team, flock, herd, bunch
e.g. A flock of birds flew over the herd of cattle.
Countable Noun
A countable noun names something that can be counted individually. It has both singular and plural forms and can be used with a/an or numbers.
pen → pens, child → children, city → cities
e.g. She bought three pens and two books.
Uncountable Noun
An uncountable noun names something that cannot be counted as individual units. It has no plural form and is never used with a/an or a number.
water, advice, information, furniture
e.g. She gave me useful advice about the work.
⚡ Tip Abstract nouns are formed from adjectives: kind → kindness, honest → honesty, free → freedom. Uncountable nouns never take a/an and never add -s.
2. Pronouns Replace
What is a Pronoun?
A pronoun replaces a noun to avoid repetition.
He gave her the book. They finished their work.
Personal Pronoun
A personal pronoun refers to a specific person or thing. It changes form depending on whether it is the subject or object in the sentence.
I, you, he, she, it, we, they, me, him, her, us, them
e.g. She gave him the book. They are ready.
Possessive Pronoun
A possessive pronoun shows ownership and stands alone — it replaces a noun phrase entirely. It is different from a possessive adjective, which comes before a noun.
mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs
e.g. This bag is mine. That pen is hers.
Reflexive Pronoun
A reflexive pronoun refers back to the subject of the clause. It is used when the subject and object are the same person, or for emphasis.
myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, themselves
e.g. She blamed herself. He did it himself.
Demonstrative Pronoun
A demonstrative pronoun points to and identifies a specific noun. It can refer to things nearby or far away, singular or plural.
this, that, these, those
e.g. This is my book. Those are your bags.
Relative Pronoun
A relative pronoun introduces a relative clause that gives more information about the noun before it. It connects the clause to the rest of the sentence.
who, whom, whose, which, that
e.g. The teacher who taught me was kind. The book which I read was excellent.
Interrogative Pronoun
An interrogative pronoun is used to ask a question. It stands in place of the noun that is the answer to the question.
who, whom, whose, which, what
e.g. Who is at the door? What did he say?
Indefinite Pronoun
An indefinite pronoun refers to people or things in a general, non-specific way. Most indefinite pronouns take a singular verb.
everyone, someone, anyone, nobody, each, both, few, many
e.g. Everyone has submitted the form. Nobody was absent.
⚡ Tip Who = subject (who did it). Whom = object (to/for whom). Test: if "him" fits → use whom. Indefinite pronouns like everyone and each always take a singular verb.
3. Verbs Action / State
What is a Verb?
A verb expresses an action or a state of being.
She runs every morning. He is a teacher. They have finished the work.
Action Verb
An action verb expresses a physical or mental action performed by the subject. It is the most common type of verb.
run, write, eat, teach, think, laugh
e.g. She teaches at a government school.
Linking Verb
A linking verb connects the subject to a word that describes or identifies it. It does not express action — it acts like an equals sign.
is, am, are, was, were, seem, become, appear, feel
e.g. She is a doctor. He seems tired.
Auxiliary (Helping) Verb
An auxiliary verb is used alongside a main verb to form different tenses, voices, or moods. It has no meaning on its own in this role.
is, have, do, can, will, should, must, may
e.g. She is writing a letter. They have finished.
Modal Verb
A modal verb expresses the speaker's attitude — such as ability, permission, possibility, or obligation. Modal verbs never change form.
can, could, will, would, shall, should, may, might, must
e.g. You must submit the form. She can speak French.
Transitive Verb
A transitive verb is an action verb that transfers its action to an object. The sentence is incomplete without the object.
read, kick, write, love, carry, break
e.g. She reads a book. He kicked the ball.
Intransitive Verb
An intransitive verb expresses an action that does not pass to an object. The sentence is complete without one.
sleep, cry, laugh, arrive, go, fall
e.g. The baby cried. He slept all day.
⚡ Tip Modal verbs never change form — no -s, no -ing, no -ed. Always followed by a bare infinitive: She can swim (not swims). Must = strong obligation; should = advice.
4. Adjectives Describe Nouns
What is an Adjective?
An adjective describes or modifies a noun or pronoun — it tells us what kind, how many, or which one.
She is a brilliant teacher. He bought three new books.
Descriptive
A descriptive adjective describes a quality or characteristic of the noun — its colour, size, shape, or nature.
tall, honest, beautiful, cold, heavy, red
e.g. She is a brilliant and hardworking student.
Numeral
A numeral adjective indicates the number or order of the noun. It answers the question "how many?" or "which one in order?".
one, two, first, second, many, few, several
e.g. She bought three books and read the first one.
Demonstrative
A demonstrative adjective points to a specific noun and tells us which one is meant. It always comes before the noun it modifies.
this, that, these, those
e.g. This book is mine. Those students passed.
Possessive
A possessive adjective shows that something belongs to someone. It always appears before a noun (unlike possessive pronouns, which stand alone).
my, your, his, her, its, our, their
e.g. She forgot her bag. They finished their work.
Interrogative
An interrogative adjective is used in questions to ask about a noun. It modifies the noun directly rather than replacing it.
which, what, whose
e.g. Which book do you want? Whose bag is this?
Degrees of Comparison
Adjectives change form to compare two or more things. There are three degrees: positive (no comparison), comparative (two things), superlative (three or more).
tall / taller / tallest · good / better / best
e.g. Ali is taller than Usman. She is the best student.
⚡ Tip Adjectives come before the noun (a tall man) or after a linking verb (He is tall). Irregular comparisons to memorise: good/better/best · bad/worse/worst · little/less/least · much/more/most.
5. Adverbs Describe Verbs / Adj / Adv
What is an Adverb?
An adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb — it tells us how, when, where, how often, or to what degree.
She sings beautifully. He arrived yesterday. The water is very cold. She works quite efficiently.
Manner (how?)
An adverb of manner describes the way in which an action is performed. Most are formed by adding -ly to an adjective.
quickly, slowly, carefully, well, badly
e.g. She spoke clearly and answered politely.
Time (when?)
An adverb of time tells us when an action takes place or for how long. It can refer to a specific time or a relative time.
yesterday, today, soon, now, already, still, yet
e.g. He already finished his work. She will come tomorrow.
Place (where?)
An adverb of place tells us where an action takes place or the direction of the action.
here, there, everywhere, outside, nearby, above
e.g. Come here. She looked everywhere for the keys.
Frequency (how often?)
An adverb of frequency tells us how often an action is performed. It is placed before the main verb but after the verb "be".
always, usually, often, sometimes, rarely, never
e.g. She always arrives on time. He is never rude.
Degree (how much?)
An adverb of degree modifies an adjective or another adverb — it tells us the intensity or extent of a quality.
very, too, quite, rather, almost, enough, so
e.g. It is very cold today. He runs quite fast.
⚡ Tip Most adverbs of manner are formed by adding -ly to an adjective: quick → quickly, careful → carefully. But not all -ly words are adverbs — lovely, friendly, lively are adjectives. Frequency adverbs go before the main verb but after be: He always comes late. She is never rude.
6. Prepositions Relationship
What is a Preposition?
A preposition shows the relationship between a noun/pronoun and another word in the sentence — usually indicating place, time, or direction.
The book is on the table. She arrived at noon. He walked towards the door.
| Type | Prepositions | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Place | in, on, at, under, above, below, beside, between, behind, in front of | The cat is under the chair. |
| Time | at, on, in, before, after, during, since, for, until, by | She wakes up at 6 a.m. |
| Direction | to, from, towards, into, onto, through, across, along, up, down | He ran towards the school. |
| Manner | by, with, without, like, as | She came by bus. |
⚡ Tip At = specific point (at school, at 5pm) · In = enclosed space or long period (in the room, in January) · On = surface or specific day (on the table, on Monday). A preposition is always followed by a noun or pronoun — never a verb.
7. Conjunctions Connect
What is a Conjunction?
A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses together.
She is poor but honest. He studied hard so he passed. I will go if it doesn't rain.
Coordinating
A coordinating conjunction joins two grammatically equal parts — two words, two phrases, or two independent clauses. Remember the acronym FANBOYS.
For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So
e.g. She is poor but honest. He studied hard so he passed.
Subordinating
A subordinating conjunction joins a dependent (subordinate) clause to a main clause. The dependent clause cannot stand alone as a sentence.
because, although, since, when, if, unless, until, while
e.g. I will go if it stops raining. She passed because she worked hard.
Correlative
Correlative conjunctions work in pairs — both parts must appear in the sentence. They connect parallel structures of equal grammatical rank.
either…or · neither…nor · both…and · not only…but also
e.g. Neither Ali nor Sara was present. She is both kind and honest.
⚡ Tip Although / Though / Even though = contrast (similar to but — cannot be used with but in the same sentence). Because / Since / As = reason. Unless = if not. Neither…nor takes a singular verb if both subjects are singular.
8. Interjections Exclamation
What is an Interjection?
An interjection expresses a sudden emotion or feeling. It has no grammatical connection to the rest of the sentence and is usually followed by an exclamation mark.
Oh! I forgot my bag. Alas! He has failed. Bravo! Well done. Hurrah! We won!
| Emotion | Interjections |
|---|---|
| Joy / Praise | Hurrah! Bravo! Hooray! Wonderful! Fantastic! |
| Sorrow / Regret | Alas! Oh no! Unfortunately! Sadly! |
| Surprise | Oh! Ah! Wow! Really! Good heavens! |
| Disgust / Disapproval | Ugh! Yuck! Shame! Fie! |
| Greeting | Hello! Hi! Good morning! Welcome! |
| Attention | Hey! Listen! Look! Hush! |
⚡ Tip Alas = sorrow/regret (not surprise). Bravo = praise for performance. Interjections are the only part of speech that can stand alone as a complete utterance. They are grammatically independent.
Practice — Identify the Part of Speech
Tap a highlighted word in the sentence, then select its part of speech. Work through all 10 sentences.
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Quick Revision
| Part of Speech | Role | Key Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Names a person, place, thing, or idea | Ali, Karachi, book, honesty |
| Pronoun | Replaces a noun | he, she, they, who, this, everyone |
| Verb | Expresses action or state | run, is, have, can, become |
| Adjective | Describes a noun | tall, three, this, my, beautiful |
| Adverb | Modifies verb/adjective/adverb | quickly, very, yesterday, always |
| Preposition | Shows relationship between words | in, on, at, under, towards, since |
| Conjunction | Joins words or clauses | and, but, because, although, either…or |
| Interjection | Expresses sudden emotion | Oh! Alas! Bravo! Hurrah! Hey! |