The English language is comprised of specific elements, or parts of speech, that indicate how a word functions within a sentence. These parts of speech include nouns, pronouns, gerunds, verbs, infinitives, adjectives, adverbs, articles, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. Learning the different parts of speech will help you understand how sentences are structured.
Nouns refer to a person, place, thing, or idea (Professor Smith, school, Illinois, cat, bike, freedom, peace).
Nouns are classified as proper or common.
Proper nouns identify a particular person, place, thing, or idea (Juan, USA, Tuesday) and are capitalized.
Common nouns do not name something particular (boy, country, day) and are lowercase.
Nouns can be singular or plural.
Most nouns can be made plural by adding -s or -es to the end (book-books; tax-taxes).
Some nouns have irregular plural forms (child-children; person-people).
Nouns can indicate possession.
Use ’s for singular nouns (student’s).
Use s’ for plural nouns (students’).
Nouns can be collective and refer to a group acting as one unit.
Collective nouns take a singular form
The team practices every day. My family is important to me.
Because there is one team and one family, the verbs that follow these collective nouns are in the singular form (practices, is).
Pronouns refer to a word that replaces a noun (he, she, we, it, they, his, her, our, its, their).
Pronouns are used to replace a previously mentioned noun, or antecedent (the word or phrase that precedes the pronoun and gives it meaning).
Using pronouns rather than writing the same noun over and over helps avoid repetition. Consider the following examples:
In these examples, the second mention of the subject (italicized) seems redundant. In the revised version, the second mention of the subject was replaced with a pronoun (bold italicized) to avoid this repetition.
Pronouns should “agree” with their antecedent.
A singular antecedent should be followed by a singular pronoun.
The car broke down. It needs a tow. (The antecedent “car” agrees with the pronoun “it” because both are singular.)
A plural antecedent should be followed by a plural pronoun.
The girls broke their playset. (The antecedent “girls” agrees with the pronoun “their” because both are plural.)
The pronoun and antecedent do not need to “agree” in the traditional sense when discussing people who identify as nonbinary/gender non-conformist. The preferred pronoun or a gender-neutral pronoun (GNP) should be used when referring to the subject. For example:
Malik broke their leg playing soccer last week.
Jordan trusts their mom to proofread all their papers.
Jaime finished the painting. They used primarily watercolors and ink.
Because Malik, Jordan, and Jaime identify as nonbinary or gender non-conformist, the plural pronoun “their” is used as a GNP.
Personal pronouns refer to a specific person, place, or thing (I, me, we, us, you, he, him, she, her, it, they, them).
For example:
We attend Rock Valley College.
It came in the mail.
They ride the bus to school.
Indefinite pronouns refer to a general person, place, or thing (anyone, no one, someone, everyone).
For example:
Do you know anyone who attends Rock Valley College?
Everyone from class went to the assembly.
Subjective pronouns can be the subject of a sentence (I, we, you, he, she, it, they).
For example:
We look forward to graduating.
It was the perfect vacation spot.
Objective pronouns cannot be subjects. They are direct objects, indirect objects, or objects of prepositions (me, us, you, him, her, it, them).
For example:
My instructor assigned the final presentation to me.
The ball bounced right into it.
Gerunds are nouns formed from a verb by adding “-ing”; that is, a present participle verb form used as a noun. A gerund or gerund phrase functions in a sentence just like a noun, and can act as a subject, an object, or a predicate nominative (a word that renames the subject connected by the linking to be verbs: is, are, am, was, were, been).
Verbs are words that convey action or a state of being. They can be classified as action, linking, or helping verbs.
Action verbs express what the subject does. Action verbs are physical or mental actions like think, anticipate, jump, run, or unite.
Kaden jumps over the fence.
I study math every night.
The rock sat on the edge.
Linking verbs indicate what the subject is rather than what it does. Linking verbs express a state of being, such as the to be verb forms: am, is, are, was, were, been. These verbs join the subject of the sentence to more information about that subject.
Sparky is a Labrador Retriever.
Anthony was happy with his grade.
The books were classics.
Helping verbs help convey the main verb’s tense, mood, or voice. The most common helping verbs are forms of to be, to have, and to do.
Jalisa is watching a video.
I have finished my paper.
Do you like this class?
Have you taken the dog out?
Helping verbs can also be classified as modals. Modal helping verbs modify the meaning of the main verb. Modals express possibility or necessity (can, could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, must).
I may arrive late to the meeting.
I should study tonight.
They can play when dinner is over.
Sam might try again next semester.
An infinitive is a verb in its "stem" form (i.e., to draw, to fish, to be, to grow) that functions as a noun, adjective, adverb, predicate nominative, or direct object. Although an infinitive is easy to locate because of the “to + verb” form, deciding what function it has in a sentence can sometimes be confusing. For example:
Adjectives are words that modify or describe a noun or pronoun.
Adjectives answer questions like which one, what kind, or how many?
the entertaining musical
the gray cat
several books
Adjectives normally come before the noun.
The intelligent student approached the friendly teacher.
The lucky winner went on a tropical vacation.
Scary movies are the best entertainment on Halloween.
Adverbs are words that modify or describe a verb, adjective, or another adverb.
Adverbs answer the questions of when, where, why, how, under what conditions, and to what degree? Adverbs often end in -ly.
They rose early in the morning (When did they rise?)
If you walk downstairs, you will find the bathroom. (Where should one walk?)
After missing her chance to take art this term, Beth chose her courses begrudgingly. (Under what conditions did she choose courses?)
He pedaled swiftly to climb the hill. (How did he pedal?)
I almost stopped for coffee. (To what degree did you stop?)
Articles are words (a, an, the) that precede a noun to show whether something is general or specific.
A/An refers to something that is not specific or that you have not previously identified to your audience. Use a before consonant sounds and an before vowel sounds.
I bought a loaf of bread today.
I have an hour until class.
Use the before nouns that are specific or that you have identified to your audience.
The cake at this restaurant is delicious.
He worked on the math assignment all night.
Articles are not needed before noncount nouns (something that cannot be counted – sand, information, happiness) and plural count nouns (multiple things that can be counted – dogs, books, days) when they refer to something in general.
Bread and milk are on my grocery list.
Dogs love to go on walks.
Prepositions are words that come before a noun or pronoun to create a phrase modifying another word in the sentence.
Prepositions show where and when something happened. As such, they indicate direction, time, location, and position.
The classroom is to your right. (direction)
The cats have been meowing since 5 a.m. (time)
The test is at the library. (location)
The flag flies over the bridge. (position)
Prepositions can also indicate more abstract ideas, such as purpose, comparison, contrast, or possession.
This table is for crafting. (purpose)
She is quick like a rabbit. (comparison)
We went to the park in spite of the rain. (contrast)
The pubs of Ireland are world-class! (possession)
Conjunctions are words that connect other words, phrases, or clauses in a sentence. There are 3 types of conjunctions.
Coordinating conjunctions join grammatically equal elements with for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so.
Writing and reading are my favorite activities.
The conjunction and joins two subjects – writing and reading.
The 4th grade class practiced or performed at least one per week.
The conjunction or joins two action verbs – practiced or performed.
Tim wanted to take the class, so he registered early.
The conjunction so joins two independent clauses.
The fish weren’t biting, yet Gavin stayed at the lake all day.
The conjunction yet joins two independent clauses.
Correlative conjunctions also link grammatically equal words, phrases, or clauses. These conjunctions come in pairs and are helpful to create parallel sentences (Review the Parallel Structure handout for more information). Correlative conjunctions include either…or, neither…nor, not only…but also, just as…so, whether…or.
Neither the students nor the teacher knew about the surprise.
Mary not only took a Spanish class but also enrolled in a French course.
Whether rain or shine, Alonso mows for his neighbors.
Subordinating conjunctions connect a dependent clause to an independent clause. A dependent clause is one that cannot function as a complete sentence (i.e., After graduation). An independent clause is one that can function on its own as a complete sentence (i.e., I want to start a business).
Common subordinating conjunctions include after, although, because, before, since, while.
After graduation, I want to start a business.
Although we disagree, I will keep an open mind.
Because she failed the class, she will have to take it again.
Akira hurt her leg while dancing on stage.
Camilla tried to finish the project since the due date was quickly approaching.
Interjections are words used to convey emotion.
Interjections often stand alone and are followed with an exclamation point.
Wow!
Alas!
Because interjections are informal, do not use them in academic writing. Interjections would be more useful in narratives or other personal response writing.
Sources consulted: Butte College website, The Norton Field Guide to Writing 5th ed.
Guide created by: C. Jones 6/7/2021
Revised by: B. McCoid 1/22/2024
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