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Parts of Speech: ReviewFreshman CompositionAndover High School

Parts of Speech

Nouns

Pronouns

Gerunds

Verbs

Modifiers

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NounsNouns, Proper Nouns, Common Nouns,

Concrete Nouns, Abstract Nouns, Compound Nouns, & Collective Nouns

Noun

Persons governor, children, Mr. Garcia, African Americans

Places college, islands, rain forest, Kentucky

Things computer, clouds, Ferris wheel, Lincoln Memorial

Ideas creativity, imagination, self-respect, Christianity

Proper Vs. Common Nouns

Proper

Names a particular person, place, thing, or idea and is capitalized.

Ex) William Shakespeare, Houston, Statue of Liberty, Islam

Common

Names any one of a group of persons, places, things, or ideas is generally not capitalized.

Ex) author, city, monument, religion

Concrete Vs. Abstract Nouns

Concrete

Names a person, place, or thing that can be perceived by one or more of the senses (sight, hearing, taste, touch, smell)

Ex) violin, onions, word processor, Eiffel Tower

Abstract

Names an idea, feelings, quality, or characteristic

Ex) peace, honor, self-control, Confucianism

Compound Nouns

Consists of two or more words used together as a single noun. The parts of a compound noun may be written as one word, as separate words, or as a hyphenated word.

One Word: baseball, caregiver, willpower, Greenland

Separate Words: guest of honor, school bus, North Forest High School

Hyphenated Words: self-confidence, president-elect, Stratford-on-Avon

Collective Nouns

Names a group

Ex) band, jury, class, swarm, group, herd

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PronounsPronouns, Personal Pronouns, Reflexive

Pronouns, Demonstrative Pronouns, Interrogative Pronouns, Relative Pronouns,

Indefinite Pronouns

Pronouns

A word that is used in place of one or more nouns or pronouns. The word that pronoun stands for or refers to is called the antecedent of the pronoun. The pronoun may appear in the same sentence as its antecedent or in a nearby sentence.

Ex) The children gave themselves a big hand [The antecedent of the pronoun themselves is children]

Ex) Don and Carla finally solved the algebra problem. They had worked on it a long time. [The antecedent of the pronoun They are Don and Carla; the antecedent of the pronoun it is problem.]

Personal Pronouns

What Are They?

Refers to the one speaking (first person), the one spoken to (second person), or the one spoken about (third person)

First Person

I, me, my, mine, we, us, our, ours

Second Person

You, your, yours

Third Person

He, him, his, she, her, hers, it, its they, them, their, theirs

Demonstrative

This, that, these, those

Used to point out a specific person, place, thing, or idea

Ex) This is a snapshot of my pen pal from Quebec

How to remember it: These are the pronouns you want to use to demonstrate exactly which noun (person, place, thing, or idea) you are referring to.

Interrogative

Who, whom, whose, which, what

Introduces a question

Ex) What is the capital of Canada?

How to remember it: When you interrogate someone you ask them lots of questions

Indefinite Pronoun

Refers to one or more persons, places, things, or ideas that may or may not be specifically named. Some common indefinite pronouns are: all, another, anybody, both, each, either, everyone, many, nothing, several, and some

Ex) A few students had already read most of the books on the list.

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Gerunds!(You’ll totally win on Jeopardy some day

with this knowledge!)

Gerunds

A noun that in almost any other context is not a noun (i.e. a verb being used as a noun)

Can ONLY end in –ING

Ex) Swimming is my favorite hobby

Ex) The dancing was so fun that I lost track of the time

Ex) Another goal I have is climbing Mt. Everest.

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VerbsVerbs, Transitive Verbs, Intransitive Verbs,

Action Verbs, Linking Verbs, & Verb Phrases

Verbs

A word that is used to express action or a state of being

Action: Both Mom and Dad work full time.

State of Being: My sister Amy and I are responsible for the care of the lawn.

Transitive Verbs

Verbs used to express an action directed toward a person, place or thing. The action expressed by transitive verbs pass from the doer (the subject) to the receiver (the object) of the action.

Ex) Suddenly, we spotted a solitary eagle overhead. [The action of the verb spotted is directed towards the eagle.]

Intransitive Verbs

Expresses an action (or tells something about the subject) with the action passing to a receiver, or object).

Ex) The eagle soared above. [The action of the verb soared does not pass to an object].

Action Verbs

Expresses either physical or mental action.

Physical Action: climb, sneeze, write, reply, pull

Mental Action: suppose, expect, consider, remember, ponder

Linking Verb

Connects the subject to a word or word group that identifies or describes the subject. The most commonly used linking verbs are the forms of the verb be. Other frequently used linking verbs are: appear, become, remain, seem, turn, smell, taste, feel, look, and sound

Ex) Tyler is my best friend. [The verb is connects the subject Tyler to the noun friend, which identifies Tyler.]

Ex) The ice-covered branches seem fragile and glasslike. [The verb seem connects the subject branches to the adjectives fragile and glasslike, which describe the branches.]

Verb Phrase

Consists of at least one main verb and one or more helping verbs.

A helping verb helps the main verb express action or state of being. Besides the forms of the verb be, common helping verbs include forms of the verbs can, do, have, may, should and will.

Ex) I have been researching the Seven Wonders of the World

Ex) I may go to the mall after school today.

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Modifiers:Adjectives, Adverbs, Prepositions,

Participles, & Infinitives

Adjectives

A word used to modify a noun or a pronoun. An adjective tells what kind, which one, or how many.

Ex) Narrow road, helpful teacher, one-act play, that person, one-hundredth anniversary, several chores, fewer errors, twenty-five minutes

Articles: a, an and the. Most commonly used adjectives.

Ex) A book, the truck, an animal, a friend

Adverbs

Modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

Tells where, when, how, or to what extent (how long or how much)

Where? Please set the package here.

When? Yesterday we went on a picnic.

How? The audience responded enthusiastically.

To what extent? Your advice was quite helpful.

Adverb Example

How many adverbs can you find in the following sentence:

Mia, who is incredibly athletic, plays basketball exceptionally well.

Answer: Three!

Incredibly modifies athletic (to what extent); exceptionally modifies well (to what extent); and well modifies plays (how)

Prepositions

A word that shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun to another word.

The noun or pronoun that the preposition relates another word to is called the object of the preposition.

Ex) I went to the new card shop in the mall. [The preposition to relates its object, shop, to the verb went. The preposition in relates its object, mall, to the noun shop.]

Prepositions

Need a reminder? See What These 7th graders can do!

Participles

A Participle is a verbal that is used as an adjective.

The verbal can have either present (ing) or past tense (ed, t, d, en) endings.

Participles Examples

We saw the waddling raccoon in our yard.

We ran inside to get out of the pouring rain.

Watching the clock, our coach started to worry.

Waxed floors can be slippery.

Participle Phrases

Participial phrases usually start with the present or past participle and include any modifiers that follow (like prepositional phrases).

Ex) Swinging too high, the child fell off the swing set.

Ex) She heard me sighing loudly, so she canceled the meeting.

Ex) Living in NYC, Amy never needs a car.

Infinitives

An infinitive is a verbal that can be used as a noun, and adjective, or an adverb.

Most infinitives begin with “to”.

Infinitive phrases usually start with the infinitive and include any modifiers that follow (like prepositional phrases)

Infinitive Examples

To fly is a glorious feeling.

To visit my family in India would be a real treat.

Chris is the player to watch in the next football game.

You will be excited to finish this grammar unit.