O vs. Oh – Usage, Meaning & Examples

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Wait, are “O” and “oh” even proper terms to be used in English? They sure are! But what do they mean, and when should you use them? Good question! I’ll explain all you need to know about the exclamation and interjection right here in this handy dandy guide.

O vs. Oh: What’s the Difference?

O vs. Oh Usage Meaning Examples

Not sure when to use O and oh when writing? They sound the same, so you only have to worry about the correct spelling and usage in writing. The difference in one letter creates two completely different words.

What Does Oh Mean?

Let’s start with the more common of the two, “Oh.” It’s an interjection we use to express a bunch of different emotions, like a sense of surprise, excitement, or even disappointment.

You could say, “I can’t believe I won,” but you could also say, “Oh my gosh! I can’t believe I won!” Adding the extra expression with the word “oh” just elevates the whole statement and delivers more emotion.

oh my part of speech

What Part of Speech Is Oh?

In English, “oh” is classified as an interjection, which basically means it’s a word used to express strong emotions or feelings. Words like ah, ahh, yikes, oops, and phew are also interjections to give you a better idea.

How Do You Spell Oh Correctly?

You should always spell “oh” with an “o” and an “h” – not to be confused with the letter “o” by itself, which we will discuss next.

Is Oh Grammatically Correct?

Absolutely! You might see the single letter O used as an interjection to show surprise or disappointment, but just know it’s incorrect. It needs to be spelled o-h to be grammatically correct.

What Is the Use of O in Poetry?

When it comes to poetry, you’ll see “O” used at the beginning of a line to show a direct address to a person, object, or idea. It’s what we call a poetic apostrophe . In John Keats’ famous poem “Ode to a Nightingale,” the first line of the second verse reads, “O, for a draught of vintage!”

How Is Oh Used in a Sentence?

You can always use it in a sentence to show surprise or disappointment, but just remember to follow it with a comma .

  • You’re coming to visit? Oh, I can’t wait to see you!
  • Your dog died? Oh, that’s so sad!
  • Oh, no. That won’t do; we need to change that.

How Is O Used in Sentences?

O vs. Oh Usage Meaning Examples 1

You don’t often see the use of “O” in everyday sentences. It’s mostly used in poetry or national anthems.

  • The first line of the Canadian anthem is, “O, Canada, our home and native land.”
  • I love the festive song that goes, “O Christmas tree, O Christmas tree.”
Tell me, O Muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy. [ The Odyssey ]

What Can I Say Instead of Oh?

O, the word oh.

So, after reading my handy guide, you can clearly see that you might never have a use for the exclamation O unless you’re writing poetry or something about a national anthem. The interjection “oh” is used pretty much every day, sometimes without even realizing it, but now you have a much better understanding of how to spell each one.

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The 8 Parts of Speech in English Grammar

Parts of Speech In English

Table of Contents

Introduction.

In English grammar, The fundamental components of language that are essential for constructing meaningful and grammatically correct sentences are known as parts of speech. This article will delve into the eight parts of speech, providing definitions, examples, and insights into their distinct roles within sentences.

What are Parts of Speech?

Parts of Speech Defined

In grammar, parts of speech , also referred to as lexical categories, grammatical categories, or word classes, categorize words based on their linguistic functions. These parts play a crucial role in sentence construction by conveying specific meanings and relationships between words.

In English, there are eight parts of speech:

  • Adjectives.
  • Interjection.
  • Conjunction.

Prepositions

Let’s explore these parts of speech in more detail!

A List of 8 Parts of Speech

Definition: Verbs express actions or states of being within a sentence.

  • She goes to school every day.
  • He writes a diary entry every night.
  • The unicorn exists only in myths.
  • They are happy together.

English has various types of verbs:

A. Action Verbs : Action verbs denote physical or mental actions and are the most common type of verbs. These verbs can be conjugated in simple and continuous tenses

  • She runs in the park every morning. (Simple Present
  • He thought deeply about life. (Simple past)
  • Look at the students are copying the lesson. (Present Continuous)

B. Stative Verbs:  Stative verbs express a state of being or conditions that are not changing or likely to change. In contrast to action verbs, these verbs can’t be conjugated into continuous tenses. It is incorrect to say “The book is belonging to Jane.”

  • The necklace belongs to her.
  • They love each other deeply.
  • He prefers tea to coffee.

C. Linking Verbs: Linking verbs connect the subject of a sentence to a subject complement, which describes or identifies the subject.

  • She is a teacher.
  • The plan seems perfect.
  • They become friends quickly.

D. Helping (Auxiliary) Verbs:   Helping verbs work in conjunction with the main verb to express nuances such as tense, mood, or voice.

  • She has finished her homework.
  • They will come to the party.
  • He is working on a project.

E. Modal Verbs:  Modal verbs express ability, possibility, necessity, or permission.

  • She can swim very well.
  • You must finish your assignment.
  • He may join us later.

F. Transitive Verbs: Transitive verbs require a direct object to complete their meaning.

  • She eats an apple.
  • They built a sandcastle.
  • He reads a book every night.

G. Intransitive Verbs : Intransitive verbs do not require a direct object to convey a complete meaning.

  • She runs every morning.
  • They laughed loudly.
  • He arrived early.

READ MOR ABOUT VERBS

Definition: Nouns represent people, animals, objects, substances, states, events, ideas, and feelings. They function as subjects or objects and can be modified by adjectives.

Here are the major noun characteristics: 

  • Nouns identify people, places, things, or ideas in a sentence.
  • Nouns can serve as subjects, objects, or indirect objects.
  • Nouns can be modified by adjectives or possessive pronouns.
  • Nouns can be singular or plural.

There are different types of nouns:

  • Common Nouns: Refer to general, non-specific entities (e.g., dog, city).
  • Proper Nouns: Refer to specific, unique entities and are capitalized (e.g., John, Paris).
  • Countable Nouns: Can be counted and have both singular and plural forms (e.g., book, books).
  • Uncountable Nouns: Cannot be counted individually and lack a plural form (e.g., water, knowledge).
  • Concrete Nouns: Refer to tangible, physical entities (e.g., table, tree).
  • Abstract Nouns: Refer to intangible concepts or qualities (e.g., love, courage).
  • Collective Nouns: Denote a group or collection of individuals (e.g., team, family).
  • Compound Nouns: Comprise two or more words to express a single concept (e.g., toothpaste, basketball).

Example sentences with nouns:

  • John is my neighbor.
  • lion: The lion roared loudly.
  • table: The table is made of oak.
  • freedom: Freedom is a precious gift.
  • love: Love conquers all.

READ MOR ABOUT NOUNS

Definition: Adjectives describe or specify nouns or pronouns. Examples of adjectives include good, beautiful, nice, my, etc.

  • It’s a good day.
  • She wears a beautiful dress.
  • He has a nice car.
  • This is my house.

READ MORE ABOUT ADJECTIVES

Definition: Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Adverbs often end in -ly as in nicely, beautifully, slowly, etc (formed by adding -ly to an adjective). But that’s not always the case. 

There are various types of adverbs in English:

  • Adverbs of Time: Indicate when an action occurs. ( Today, now, later, etc. )
  • Adverbs of Place: Specify the location of an action. ( Here, there, everywhere, etc. )
  • Adverbs of Manner: Describe how an action is performed. ( Quickly, softly, well, etc. )
  • Adverbs of Frequency: Express how often an action occurs. ( Always, rarely, sometimes, etc. )
  • Adverbs of Degree: Modify the intensity or degree of an adjective or adverb. ( Very, too, quite, etc. )
  • Adverbs of Certainty: Indicate the level of certainty about an action. ( Surely, certainly, maybe, etc. )
  • Adverbs of Purpose: Describe why an action is performed. ( In case, so that, in order to, etc.)

Example sentences with adverbs:

  • She is completely unaware.
  • I never expected this.
  • The book is there on the shelf.
  • She speaks slowly .

READ MORE ABOUT ADVERBS

Definition: Pronouns replace nouns or phrases.

Pronouns can be categorized based on their functions:

  • Example: She, they, it
  • Example: His, hers, theirs
  • Example: Himself, herself, themselves
  • Example: Who, which, that
  • Example: This, these, those

Example sentences with pronouns:

  • I love chocolate.
  • This is for you.
  • He is coming tomorrow.
  • She likes ice cream.
  • It is on the table.

READ MORE ABOUT PRONOUNS

Definition: Prepositions indicate the relationship between nouns and other words in a sentence. A preposition is positioned before a noun or pronoun, creating a phrase that modifies another word within the sentence.

Consequently, a preposition is an integral component of a prepositional phrase, typically functioning either as an adjective or an adverb. 

Below is a compilation of the most frequently used prepositions:

  • in, on, under
  • with, without, beside
  • for, during, after
  • between, among, beyond

Example sentences with prepositions:

  • The cat is in the basket.
  • The plane is above the clouds.
  • She went to the market.
  • This gift is for you.

READ MORE ABOUT PREPOSITIONS

Conjunctions

Definition: Conjunctions connect clauses, sentences, or words.

There are three types of conjunctions in English:

Coordinating Conjunctions:

  • Examples: and, but, or
  • Sentence: She likes tea and coffee.

Correlative Conjunctions:

  • Examples: not only…but also, either…or
  • Sentence: He is not only smart but also diligent.

Subordinating Conjunctions:

  • Examples: although, because, since
  • Sentence: Although it’s raining, we will go out.

More example sentences:

  • She is rich and successful.
  • He is intelligent, but he is shy.
  • Although it’s raining, we will go out.
  • They won because they worked hard.

READ MORE ABOUT CONJUNCTIONS

Interjections

Definition: Interjections express surprise or emotion. Examples of interjections include oh, wow, alas, yippee, etc.

  • oh!: Oh! That was unexpected.
  • Good Lord: Good Lord, what a mess!

READ MORE ABOUT INTERJECTIONS

Analyzing Sentence Structure (Parts of Speech) 

In the following examples, we will analyze the structure of sentences to identify the different parts of speech used.

Sample Sentences:

  • My (adjective) friend (noun) speaks (verb) English (noun) fluently (adverb).
  • Oh! (interjection) I (pronoun) went (verb) to (preposition) school (noun) and (conjunction) I (pronoun) met (verb) Fred (noun).

In conclusion, parts of speech serve as crucial categories that describe the distinct roles words play within a sentence. A comprehensive grasp of these categories empowers you to discern how words function, fostering a deeper understanding of language nuances. 

1. How many parts of speech are used in English? In English, there are traditionally eight parts of speech.

2. Are there 9 parts of speech? No, there are traditionally eight parts of speech in English.

3. Are articles and determiners parts of speech? Yes, articles and determiners are considered parts of speech. They fall under the category of adjectives.

4. How do you identify parts of speech in a sentence? To identify parts of speech in a sentence, analyze the function of each word. Determine whether it expresses an action (verb), describes a noun (adjective), modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb (adverb), replaces a noun (pronoun), connects words or groups of words (conjunction), shows a relationship (preposition), or expresses strong emotion (interjection).

oh my part of speech

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Parts of Speech

What are the parts of speech, a formal definition.

Table of Contents

The Part of Speech Is Determined by the Word's Function

Are there 8 or 9 parts of speech, the nine parts of speech, (1) adjective, (3) conjunction, (4) determiner, (5) interjection, (7) preposition, (8) pronoun, why the parts of speech are important, video lesson.

parts of speech

  • You need to dig a well . (noun)
  • You look well . (adjective)
  • You dance well . (adverb)
  • Well , I agree. (interjection)
  • My eyes will well up. (verb)
  • red, happy, enormous
  • Ask the boy in the red jumper.
  • I live in a happy place.
  • I caught a fish this morning! I mean an enormous one.
  • happily, loosely, often
  • They skipped happily to the counter.
  • Tie the knot loosely so they can escape.
  • I often walk to work.
  • It is an intriguingly magic setting.
  • He plays the piano extremely well.
  • and, or, but
  • it is a large and important city.
  • Shall we run to the hills or hide in the bushes?
  • I know you are lying, but I cannot prove it.
  • my, those, two, many
  • My dog is fine with those cats.
  • There are two dogs but many cats.
  • ouch, oops, eek
  • Ouch , that hurt.
  • Oops , it's broken.
  • Eek! A mouse just ran past my foot!
  • leader, town, apple
  • Take me to your leader .
  • I will see you in town later.
  • An apple fell on his head .
  • in, near, on, with
  • Sarah is hiding in the box.
  • I live near the train station.
  • Put your hands on your head.
  • She yelled with enthusiasm.
  • she, we, they, that
  • Joanne is smart. She is also funny.
  • Our team has studied the evidence. We know the truth.
  • Jack and Jill went up the hill, but they never returned.
  • That is clever!
  • work, be, write, exist
  • Tony works down the pit now. He was unemployed.
  • I will write a song for you.
  • I think aliens exist .

Are you a visual learner? Do you prefer video to text? Here is a list of all our grammar videos .

Video for Each Part of Speech

oh my part of speech

The Most Important Writing Issues

The top issue related to adjectives, the top issue related to adverbs.

  • Extremely annoyed, she stared menacingly at her rival.
  • Infuriated, she glared at her rival.

The Top Issue Related to Conjunctions

correct tick

  • Burger, Fries, and a shake
  • Fish, chips and peas

The Top Issue Related to Determiners

wrong cross

The Top Issue Related to Interjections

The top issue related to nouns, the top issue related to prepositions, the top issue related to pronouns, the top issue related to verbs.

  • Crack the parts of speech to help with learning a foreign language or to take your writing to the next level.

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What are the parts of speech?

Today's the day for you to learn about this important grammatical concept! But first...let's see what the parts of speech have to do with your clothes.

Parts of Speech Chart

Imagine that it's laundry day, and you've just finished washing and drying your clothes. You dump the contents of the laundry basket onto your bed, and you begin to organize everything. You fold matching socks together, you create a pile of perfectly folded shirts that you would be proud to show Marie Kondo, and you do the same thing with your pants, jackets, and everything else.

In the same way that we organize our clothes into groups based on each item's function and features, we organize our words into categories based on each word's function and features. We call these categories of words the parts of speech .

Some people categorize words into eight parts of speech, and some people categorize them into nine parts of speech. Neither one is wrong; they're just two ways of looking at things. We'll go over these categories below. Here at English Grammar Revolution, we categorize words into eight groups, but I'll tell you about the ninth one as well.

There's one important thing for you to know before we look at these categories: most words can function as more than one part of speech . They will only do one job at a time, but they can do different things in different sentences. Look at the word love in the following sentences.

My  love  of grammar inspired me to make this website.

Here, love is functioning as a noun. It's the subject of the sentence. 

I  love  you.

Now, love is acting as a  verb ! It's telling us an action.

The only way we can know how to categorize a word is to look at how it's acting within a sentence.

Okay, let's check out the parts of speech!

The 8 Parts of Speech

Nouns  name people, places, things, or ideas. They're important parts of our sentences because they perform  important jobs  (subjects, direct objects, predicate nouns, etc.).

A peacock walked through our yard .

The dog howled during the night , and it woke up our whole family .

Sometimes people get bogged down with this part of speech because there are also many subcategories of nouns. This is similar to the way that we have subcategories for our clothes. You may have a whole drawer full of pants, but you may also have different types of pants that you use for different purposes (workout pants, lounge pants, work pants, etc.). This is similar to the way that we can further categorize nouns into smaller groups. 

Here are a few of the subcategories of nouns:  proper nouns, common nouns ,  collective nouns ,  possessive nouns , and compound nouns.

Tip : Other parts of speech also have subcategories. If you're studying this information for the first time, ignore the subcategories and focus on learning about each broader category.

2. Pronouns

Pronouns  take the place of nouns. When most people hear the word pronoun , they think of words like I, we, me, he,   she, and they . These are indeed all pronouns, but they're a part of a subcategory called personal pronouns. Know that there are other kinds of pronouns out there as well. Here are some examples: myself, his, someone , and who .

Here are a few of the subcategories of pronouns:  reflexive pronouns ,  indefinite pronouns ,  possessive pronouns , and  relative pronouns . 

When we walked across the bridge,  we saw someone who  knows you .

I will fix the dishwasher  myself .

Verbs  show actions or states of being. They are integral elements of  sentences .   

The shuttle will fly into space.

The loving mother comforted  and soothed the baby.

In the Montessori tradition of education, they use a large red circle or ball to symbolize a verb, and they often teach children to think of verbs as a sun providing the energy of a sentence. Isn't that a lovely way to think of verbs?

I know that you're getting tired of hearing about subcategories, but linking verbs, action verbs, and helping verbs are described on the  verb page here . 

Modal verbs  are described on that link, and you can learn even more about  action verbs  and  linking verbs  from those links.

4. Adjectives

Adjectives  describe, or  modify , nouns and pronouns. I like to think of them as adding color to language. It would be hard to describe a beautiful sunset or the way a touching story makes us feel without using adjectives.

The wise, handsome owl had orange eyes.

The caring father rocked the baby.

One helpful strategy for learning about and identifying adjectives is to learn how they are diagrammed . Sentence diagrams are pictures of sentences that help us see how all of the words are grammatically related. Since adjectives modify nouns and pronouns, we diagram them on slanted lines under the nouns/pronouns that they are modifying. 

Sentence diagram of adjectives

My green and white book fell.

Book is a noun. It's the subject of this sentence. My, green , and white are all adjectives describing book , so we diagram them on slanted lines underneath book . Isn't that a great way to SEE what adjectives do?

Nine Parts of Speech

When people categorize words into eight parts of speech, they say that articles/determiners ( a, an,   the, this, that, etc. ) are subcategories of adjectives.  

When people categorize words into nine parts of speech, they say that articles/determiners make up their own category and are not a part of the adjective category. 

Adverbs  modify (describe) verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Adverbs are similar to adjectives in that they both modify things. 

The extremely cute koala hugged its mom very tightly .

The dog howled loudly .

Sentence diagrams also make it really easy to see what adverbs do. Take a look at this diagram. What do you notice about the way the adverbs are diagrammed? 

Sentence diagram with adverbs

James ran very quickly.

Did you notice that the adverbs are diagrammed on slanted lines under the words that they are modifying?

Ran is a verb. Quickly is an adverb telling us more about the verb ran . Very is an adverb telling us more about the adverb quickly .

Doesn't the diagram make it easier to SEE what adverbs do?

6. Prepositions

Prepositions  are probably the most difficult part of speech to explain, but people generally have an easier time understanding them when they look at lots of examples. So...let's start with some examples of commonly used prepositions! 

in, for, of, off, if, until

The frog sat in the flower.

The baby cried for a long time.

I'm so convinced that memorizing some of the prepositions will be helpful to you that  I'll teach you a preposition song . 

Okay, now that we've looked at some examples, let's look at the definition of a preposition. 

Prepositions show the relationship between a noun or a pronoun and some other word in the rest of the sentence. 

Sentence diagrams will come to the rescue again to help us visualize what prepositions do. Think of prepositions as "noun hooks" or "noun bridges." In the diagram below, notice how the preposition down links the noun tree to the rest of the sentence.  

Sentence diagram of a preposition

The cat ran down the tree.

Since prepositions always function as "noun hooks," they'll always be accompanied by a noun. The preposition plus its noun is called a prepositional phrase .

If you find a word from the preposition list that's not a part of a prepositional phrase, it's not functioning as a preposition. (You remember that words can function as different parts of speech , right?)

7. Conjunctions

Conjunctions  join things together. They can join words or groups of words (phrases and clauses).

The hummingbird sat   and   waited .

The conjunction and is joining the words sat and waited .

Do you live  near the park or near the hospital ?

The conjunction or is joining the phrases near the park and near the hospital.  

The two conjunctions we just looked at ( and and or ) belong to a subcategory called coordinating conjunctions, but there are other subcategories of conjunctions as well. The other one that we use most often is  subordinating conjunctions . Subordinating conjunctions are a little trickier to learn because they involve a more complicated concept ( dependent adverb clauses ).

For now, just know that all conjunctions, no matter what type they are, connect things together. In fact, let's LOOK at how they do this by looking at a sentence diagram.

Here is a sentence diagram  showing how the coordinating conjunction  and  connects two clauses. 

oh my part of speech

She cooked, and he cleaned. 

8. Interjections

Interjections show excitement or emotion. 

Wow ! That jump was amazing!

Phew , the baby finally fell asleep.

They are different from the other parts of speech in that they're not grammatically related to the rest of the sentence, and the way that we diagram them reflects that. Look at how we diagram interjections :

Sentence diagram with interjection

Yes ! We won the lottery!

The interjection yes sit sits there on its own line floating above the rest of the sentence. This helps show that it's not grammatically related to the other words in the sentence. 

It's time to review what we covered on this page.

  • We can categorize the words that we use into groups based on their functions and features. We call these groups the parts of speech.
  • Many words can function as multiple parts of speech. You need to look at each word in the context of a sentence in order to say what part of speech it is. 
  • The eight parts of speech are nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections. 
  • You just learned about all of the parts of speech. Give yourself a high five! 

If you'd like to teach or learn grammar the easy way—with sentence diagrams—check out our  Get Smart Grammar Program .

It starts from the very beginning and teaches you grammar and sentence diagramming in easy, bite-size lessons. 

The Get Smart Grammar Program

Hello! I'm Elizabeth O'Brien, and my goal is to get you jazzed about grammar. 

This is original content from  https://www.english-grammar-revolution.com/parts-of-speech.html

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The 9 Parts of Speech: Definitions and Examples

  • Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
  • M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
  • B.A., English, State University of New York

A part of speech is a term used in traditional grammar for one of the nine main categories into which words are classified according to their functions in sentences, such as nouns or verbs. Also known as word classes, these are the building blocks of grammar.

Every sentence you write or speak in English includes words that fall into some of the nine parts of speech. These include nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, articles/determiners, and interjections. (Some sources include only eight parts of speech and leave interjections in their own category.)

Parts of Speech

  • Word types can be divided into nine parts of speech:
  • prepositions
  • conjunctions
  • articles/determiners
  • interjections
  • Some words can be considered more than one part of speech, depending on context and usage.
  • Interjections can form complete sentences on their own.

Learning the names of the parts of speech probably won't make you witty, healthy, wealthy, or wise. In fact, learning just the names of the parts of speech won't even make you a better writer. However, you will gain a basic understanding of sentence structure  and the  English language by familiarizing yourself with these labels.

Open and Closed Word Classes

The parts of speech are commonly divided into  open classes  (nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs) and  closed classes  (pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, articles/determiners, and interjections). Open classes can be altered and added to as language develops, and closed classes are pretty much set in stone. For example, new nouns are created every day, but conjunctions never change.

In contemporary linguistics , parts of speech are generally referred to as word classes or syntactic categories. The main difference is that word classes are classified according to more strict linguistic criteria. Within word classes, there is the lexical, or open class, and the function, or closed class.

The 9 Parts of Speech

Read about each part of speech below, and practice identifying each.

Nouns are a person, place, thing, or idea. They can take on a myriad of roles in a sentence, from the subject of it all to the object of an action. They are capitalized when they're the official name of something or someone, and they're called proper nouns in these cases. Examples: pirate, Caribbean, ship, freedom, Captain Jack Sparrow.

Pronouns stand in for nouns in a sentence . They are more generic versions of nouns that refer only to people. Examples:​  I, you, he, she, it, ours, them, who, which, anybody, ourselves.

Verbs are action words that tell what happens in a sentence. They can also show a sentence subject's state of being ( is , was ). Verbs change form based on tense (present, past) and count distinction (singular or plural). Examples:  sing, dance, believes, seemed, finish, eat, drink, be, became.

Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns. They specify which one, how much, what kind, and more. Adjectives allow readers and listeners to use their senses to imagine something more clearly. Examples:  hot, lazy, funny, unique, bright, beautiful, poor, smooth.

Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, and even other adverbs. They specify when, where, how, and why something happened and to what extent or how often. Many adjectives can be turned into adjectives by adding the suffix - ly . Examples:  softly, quickly, lazily, often, only, hopefully, sometimes.

Preposition

Prepositions  show spatial, temporal, and role relations between a noun or pronoun and the other words in a sentence. They come at the start of a prepositional phrase , which contains a preposition and its object. Examples:  up, over, against, by, for, into, close to, out of, apart from.

Conjunction

Conjunctions join words, phrases, and clauses in a sentence. There are coordinating, subordinating, and correlative conjunctions. Examples:  and, but, or, so, yet.

Articles and Determiners

Articles and determiners function like adjectives by modifying nouns, but they are different than adjectives in that they are necessary for a sentence to have proper syntax. Articles and determiners specify and identify nouns, and there are indefinite and definite articles. Examples of articles:  a, an, the ; examples of determiners:  these, that, those, enough, much, few, which, what.

Some traditional grammars have treated articles  as a distinct part of speech. Modern grammars, however, more often include articles in the category of determiners , which identify or quantify a noun. Even though they modify nouns like adjectives, articles are different in that they are essential to the proper syntax of a sentence, just as determiners are necessary to convey the meaning of a sentence, while adjectives are optional.

Interjection

Interjections are expressions that can stand on their own or be contained within sentences. These words and phrases often carry strong emotions and convey reactions. Examples:  ah, whoops, ouch, yabba dabba do!

How to Determine the Part of Speech

Only interjections ( Hooray! ) have a habit of standing alone; every other part of speech must be contained within a sentence and some are even required in sentences (nouns and verbs). Other parts of speech come in many varieties and may appear just about anywhere in a sentence.

To know for sure what part of speech a word falls into, look not only at the word itself but also at its meaning, position, and use in a sentence.

For example, in the first sentence below,  work  functions as a noun; in the second sentence, a verb; and in the third sentence, an adjective:

  • Bosco showed up for  work  two hours late.
  • The noun  work  is the thing Bosco shows up for.
  • He will have to  work  until midnight.
  • The verb  work  is the action he must perform.
  • His  work  permit expires next month.
  • The  attributive noun  (or converted adjective) work  modifies the noun  permit .

Learning the names and uses of the basic parts of speech is just one way to understand how sentences are constructed.

Dissecting Basic Sentences

To form a basic complete sentence, you only need two elements: a noun (or pronoun standing in for a noun) and a verb. The noun acts as a subject, and the verb, by telling what action the subject is taking, acts as the predicate. 

In the short sentence above,  birds  is the noun and  fly  is the verb. The sentence makes sense and gets the point across.

You can have a sentence with just one word without breaking any sentence formation rules. The short sentence below is complete because it's a verb command with an understood "you" noun.

Here, the pronoun, standing in for a noun, is implied and acts as the subject. The sentence is really saying, "(You) go!"

Constructing More Complex Sentences

Use more parts of speech to add additional information about what's happening in a sentence to make it more complex. Take the first sentence from above, for example, and incorporate more information about how and why birds fly.

  • Birds fly when migrating before winter.

Birds and fly remain the noun and the verb, but now there is more description. 

When  is an adverb that modifies the verb fly.  The word before  is a little tricky because it can be either a conjunction, preposition, or adverb depending on the context. In this case, it's a preposition because it's followed by a noun. This preposition begins an adverbial phrase of time ( before winter ) that answers the question of when the birds migrate . Before is not a conjunction because it does not connect two clauses.

  • A List of Exclamations and Interjections in English
  • Sentence Parts and Sentence Structures
  • 100 Key Terms Used in the Study of Grammar
  • Closed Class Words
  • Word Class in English Grammar
  • Prepositional Phrases in English Grammar
  • Foundations of Grammar in Italian
  • The Top 25 Grammatical Terms
  • What Are the Parts of a Prepositional Phrase?
  • Open Class Words in English Grammar
  • What Is an Adverb in English Grammar?
  • Definition and Examples of Function Words in English
  • Telegraphic Speech
  • Sentence Patterns
  • Pronoun Definition and Examples
  • Lesson Plan: Label Sentences with Parts of Speech

Slang dictionary

What does oh my mean.

How many meanings and uses you have, oh my . This common interjection variously expresses surprise, concern, and admiration. It’s sometimes used for quaint or humorous effect.

Related words:

  • lions, tigers, and bears

Where does oh my come from?

oh my

Recorded as an exclamation of surprise in the early 1700s, oh my  is probably shortened from oh my god and oh my lord .

While these expressions begin as sincere religious invocations, they spread as general interjections of strong emotion. Such uses were historically deemed blasphemous by Christians if used in vain, and so people changed God to words like gosh or goodness —or dropped it altogether in the case of oh my , apparently.

Oh my is associated with the classic 1939   film The Wizard of Oz.  Just before Dorothy (Judy Garland), the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow meet the Cowardly Lion and are afraid about what might be lurking in the darkening woods, they exclaim: “Lions and tigers and bears, oh my!”

oh my part of speech

Oh my is also popularly known as the catchphrase of George Takei of Star Trek  and social-media fame, among others such as sports broadcaster Dick Enberg, who exclaimed Oh my! after big plays.

Takei issued a fateful  oh my , a phrase he’s said he’s used all his life, on The Howard Stern   Show in 2009. The notoriously crude host remarked to him: “You have a deep voice. You must have a big dong.” Takei replied with a characteristic  oh my— better, ohh myyy!

Stern went out to humorously and frequently replay the clip, and oh my became Takei’s catchphrase issued upon anything outrageous. The phrase even titled Takei’s 2012 book,  Oh Myyy! (There Goes The Internet) .

Examples of oh my

Who uses oh my.

Oh my is used in everyday speech, and to less extent in writing, to express a variety of feelings, including embarrassment ( Oh my , I didn’t know you were changing), surprise and delight ( Oh my! You look ravishing), or dismay (His mother just died of cancer? Oh my ).

Its tone can be sincere, but because it’s mild, polite, and considered more old-fashioned, oh my can be charmingly or coyly wholesome, hence it’s success with Takei … or it can be sharply sarcastic (e.g., Your daddy isn’t going to buy a new car for Christmas? Oh my.).  

#tbt to Lions and Frida and tacos, oh my! 🦁🌮😱 Mexico, I had so much fun with you. Te amo! You’re up next, Europe! 🔜 pic.twitter.com/6My2GwoV9f — KATY PERRY (@katyperry) May 17, 2018

Oh my is sometimes shortened to my! or extended as my oh my! for added emotion.

This is not meant to be a formal definition of oh my like most terms we define on Dictionary.com, but is rather an informal word summary that hopefully touches upon the key aspects of the meaning and usage of oh my that will help our users expand their word mastery.

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EditorNinja

Your Guide to the 9 Parts of Speech

Grammarians categorize English words into groups, which we call Parts of Speech. Most guides will tell you that there are eight or nine parts of speech, depending on a few factors, like whether they include interjections. Each part of speech serves a particular function, which I will describe below.

The parts of speech we will cover are:

  • noun, 
  • pronoun, 
  • verb, 
  • adjective, 
  • adverb, 
  • preposition, 
  • conjunction, 
  • determiner, and 
  • interjection.

I’ve also put together a table with all the parts of speech and examples of their use in sentences. Below the table, you’ll find a breakdown of each part of speech with further examples.

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Parts of Speech Cheat Sheet

Nouns are things. Stuff. People. Places. Ideas. (Yeah, things, stuff, people, places, and ideas are all nouns.) 

Common and Proper Nouns

Nouns can be common, like city, park, and building , or proper, like New York City, Central Park, and The Chrysler Building. Proper nouns are names. Michael and Mr. Blackwood , for example, are proper nouns.

Singular or Plural Nouns

Nouns can be singular or plural. A singular noun is when there’s only one. One man , one dog, one person . Plural nouns occur when there’s more than one. Two men , ten dogs , a million people .

Possessive Nouns

Nouns can also be possessive, which means a noun “owns,” belongs to, or is otherwise attached to another noun. In English, we use the apostrophe to denote possession. In the phrase “the man’s dog,” for example, man’s is possessive. Man owns (or belongs to) dog .

Pronouns substitute for nouns. Pronouns include he, she, they, you, it, and many more.

Plural, Possessive, and Plural–Possessive, Oh My

Pronouns can be possessive, like my, your, his, and her . Pronouns can also be plural like we and they. And pronouns can be plural and possessive, like our and their .

Words like that and which do double (or triple!) duty. That can be a determiner (see below), as in the phrase “ I ate that apple,” but can also become a pronoun, as in the phrase, “I ate that ” — where that substitutes for a noun, like apple.

To be or not to be, that is the…ultimate verb. Verbs show actions and states of being. This includes to be and its derivatives: is, are, were, will be, have been, etc. Verbs show all the things you can do . Crawl. Walk. Run. Sit, watch, enjoy, laugh, cry, and eat.

Verb Tense & Aspect

Verbs have a tense , which refers to when the thing is being done. There are three main tenses: Past, present, and future . In the past tense, I wrote. In the present tense, I write. In the future, I will write (which enlists the help of the “helping verb” will ) .

Furthermore, the tenses all have an aspect , which demonstrates further details, like whether an action is ongoing. The aspects are simple, perfect, continuous , and perfect continuous . So you can have any combination of aspects with tense; for example, simple past or perfect continuous future .

The subject of tenses and aspects is pretty complicated — it deserves its own article. But for now, here’s a simple chart that breaks down the tenses and aspects with examples.

Verb Tense and Aspect Chart

This information is pretty esoteric, so don’t get too distracted by it. The main thing to remember is that verbs show action and states of being.

Adjectives describe nouns. 

When you’re telling someone about your favorite English language blog, you would use adjectives to describe it. Smart, witty, clever, helpful, accessible, and concise are all adjectives. 

And were you to describe the writer of that blog you would continue to use adjectives. Smart, witty, clever, helpful, handsome, kind, approachable, and single are also adjectives.

Adverbs are like adjectives, except that they don’t describe nouns, they describe other parts of speech: verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Adverbs often end in -ly , but not always. They can come before verbs, as in, “she quickly ran,” or after, as in “she ran quickly. ” 

Here are some examples of adverbs in a sentence:

Modifying a verb : He quietly tip-toed through the dark hallway. 

( Quietly modifies the verb tip-toed. )

Modifying an adjective : He quietly tip-toed through the eerily dark hallway. 

( Eerily modifies the adjective dark. )

Modifying another adverb : He totally quietly tip-toed through the eerily dark hallway.

( Totally modifies the other adverb quietly. )

Prepositions

Prepositions link nouns to other words, showing us the relationship between them. They show location or time. For example, “We will meet on the bridge during sunset.”

Prepositions can also be used to show purpose, as in, “I am walking for my heart.”

Prepositions include in, on, toward, with, through, at, upon, toward, via, and many more.

Conjunctions

Conjunctions join words, phrases, and clauses together , so we can create complex sentences and express multiple ideas at once.  

Conjunctions include and, but, or, yet, although, because, and others. 

In this sentence, the conjunction joins two clauses: “I don’t like apples but I do like oranges.” And in this sentence, the conjunction joins just two words: “I like apples and oranges.”

One group of conjunctions (called correlative conjunctions) comes in pairs, like either/or, if/then, not only/but also . Here’s an example:

“ Either you will peel the oranges for me, or I won’t eat them.”

Determiners (Includes Articles)

Back in the day, your English teacher, like mine, may have taught you about articles: the , a , and an . 

Grammarians more and more frequently include these in a group of words called determiners , words that limit or “determine” nouns, which, in addition to articles include that, this, these, those , and others  — showing exactly which noun or nouns are being talked about. This includes possessive pronouns like my, your, their, her, and his.

Think of it this way: determiners often answer the questions What?, Which?, or Whose? For example, “Which article?” “ This article.” “Whose blog?” “ Our blog.” 

Interjections (!)

Consult more than one English grammar guide, and you’re likely to see that there are eight or nine parts of speech. Why the difference? Well, some sources don’t include the interjection as its own part of speech. But some sources do, so you ought to know about it.

Interjections can be, um, tricky to define. They are spontaneous, sometimes emotional, and they come before or between complete thoughts . Sometimes they interrupt a sentence right in its tracks. They include exclamations like Wow!, Yikes!, and Oh! They also include curses ( damn! ), greetings (like hi ) , and filler words (like um ).

Some examples of interjections:

  • Wow! Look at that sunset.
  • Let’s go to the, um, store.
  • I don’t understand why you would— oh! Now I get it.

Sometimes, other parts of speech can be interjections. 

  • Fantastic ! Let’s do it! (Here the adjective fantastic serves as an interjection.)
  • I’m just going to open the blinds and— snow! It’s snowing now! (The noun snow serves as an interjection.)

The Parts of Speech in Sum

There you have it — the nine parts of speech. Noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, determiner, and interjection. 

Got an exam coming up? Working on your writing? Consult this guide anytime you need a refresher.

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English Study Online

Parts of Speech: A Guide to Learning English Grammar

By: Author English Study Online

Posted on Last updated: December 27, 2023

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In this page, we will break down each part of speech and provide examples to help you understand their usage. We will also discuss how to identify the different parts of speech in a sentence and provide tips on how to use them correctly. Whether you are a beginner or an advanced English learner, this article will provide valuable insights into the parts of speech and improve your language skills. Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

Overview of Parts of Speech

In this section, we will provide a brief overview of the eight parts of speech in English. Understanding the parts of speech is essential for anyone learning the English language, as it enables them to construct meaningful sentences and communicate effectively.

The eight parts of speech are:

Prepositions

Conjunctions, interjections.

Each part of speech has a specific function in a sentence. For example, nouns are used to name people, places, things, or ideas, while verbs are used to describe an action or state of being. Adjectives are used to describe nouns, while adverbs are used to describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.

Pronouns are used to replace nouns in a sentence, while prepositions are used to indicate the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence. Conjunctions are used to connect words, phrases, or clauses, while interjections are used to express emotions or feelings.

Parts of Speech: A Guide to Learning English Grammar

Nouns are words that represent people, places, things, or ideas. They are one of the most important parts of speech in English and are used in nearly every sentence. In this section, we will explore the different types of nouns and their functions.

Common Nouns

Common nouns are general names for people, places, or things. They are not capitalized unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence.

  • Examples of common nouns include “book,” “city,” and “teacher.”

Proper Nouns

Proper nouns are specific names for people, places, or things. They are always capitalized.

  • Examples of proper nouns include “Harry Potter,” “New York City,” and “Ms. Johnson.”

Abstract Nouns

Abstract nouns are names for ideas, concepts, or emotions. They are intangible and cannot be seen, heard, or touched.

  • Examples of abstract nouns include “love,” “happiness,” and “freedom.”

Collective Nouns

Collective nouns are names for groups of people or things. They can be singular or plural, depending on the context.

  • Examples of collective nouns include “team,” “family,” and “herd.”

In this section, we will discuss the different types of pronouns used in English grammar. Pronouns are words that replace nouns in a sentence. They help to avoid repetition and make sentences more concise.

Personal Pronouns

Personal pronouns refer to specific people or things. They can be used as the subject or object of a sentence. Here are the personal pronouns in English:

Demonstrative Pronouns

Demonstrative pronouns are used to point to specific people or things. They can be used to indicate distance or location. Here are the demonstrative pronouns in English:

Interrogative Pronouns

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions. They are typically used at the beginning of a sentence. Here are the interrogative pronouns in English:

Indefinite Pronouns

Indefinite pronouns refer to non-specific people or things. They can be used as the subject or object of a sentence. Here are the indefinite pronouns in English:

Verbs are one of the most important parts of speech in English. They are used to describe an action, state, or occurrence. In this section, we will cover the three types of verbs: action verbs, linking verbs, and helping verbs.

Action Verbs

Action verbs are used to describe an action that is being performed by the subject of the sentence. They can be used in the present, past, or future tense. Here are a few examples of action verbs:

Linking Verbs

Linking verbs are used to connect the subject of the sentence to a noun, pronoun, or adjective that describes it. They do not show action. Here are a few examples of linking verbs:

Helping Verbs

Helping verbs are used in conjunction with the main verb to express tense, voice, or mood. They do not have a meaning on their own. Here are a few examples of helping verbs:

In conclusion, verbs are an essential part of English grammar. Understanding the different types of verbs and how they are used in a sentence can help you communicate more effectively in both written and spoken English.

In this section, we will discuss adjectives, which are an important part of speech in English. Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns or pronouns. They provide more information about the noun or pronoun, such as its size, shape, color, or quality.

Descriptive Adjectives

Descriptive adjectives are the most common type of adjectives. They describe the physical or observable characteristics of a noun or pronoun. For example, in the sentence “The red car is fast,” “red” is a descriptive adjective that describes the color of the car, and “fast” is another descriptive adjective that describes its speed.

Here are some examples of descriptive adjectives:

Quantitative Adjectives

Quantitative adjectives are used to describe the quantity or amount of a noun or pronoun. They answer the question “how much” or “how many.” For example, in the sentence “I have two apples,” “two” is a quantitative adjective that describes the number of apples.

Here are some examples of quantitative adjectives:

Demonstrative Adjectives

Demonstrative adjectives are used to point out or indicate a specific noun or pronoun. They answer the question “which one” or “whose.” For example, in the sentence “This book is mine,” “this” is a demonstrative adjective that indicates the specific book that belongs to the speaker.

Here are some examples of demonstrative adjectives:

In conclusion, adjectives are an important part of speech in English. They provide more information about nouns and pronouns, and they help to make our language more descriptive and precise. By understanding the different types of adjectives, we can use them effectively in our speaking and writing.

In this section, we will discuss adverbs, which are words that modify or describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. Adverbs give more information about the action, manner, place, time, frequency, degree, or intensity of a verb.

Adverbs of Manner

Adverbs of manner describe how an action is performed. They answer the question “how?” and usually end in “-ly”, but not always. Here are some examples:

  • She sings beautifully.
  • He speaks softly.
  • They ran quickly.
  • The dog barked loudly.

Adverbs of manner can also be formed by adding “-ly” to some adjectives. For example:

  • She is a quick learner. (adjective: quick)
  • He is a careful driver. (adjective: careful)

Adverbs of Place

Adverbs of place describe where an action takes place. They answer the question “where?” and usually come after the verb or object. Here are some examples:

  • She looked everywhere.
  • He lives nearby.
  • They went outside.
  • The cat hid underneath the bed.

Adverbs of Time

Adverbs of time describe when an action takes place. They answer the question “when?” and can come at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. Here are some examples:

  • She wakes up early every day.
  • He arrived yesterday.
  • They will leave soon.
  • The concert starts tonight.

Adverbs of time can also be used to show the duration of an action. For example:

  • She studied for hours.
  • He worked all day.
  • They talked for a long time.

In this section, we will discuss prepositions and their usage in English. Prepositions are words that show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence. They usually indicate the position or direction of the noun or pronoun in relation to other elements in the sentence.

Prepositions of Time

Prepositions of time are used to indicate when an action took place. They include words such as “at,” “in,” and “on.”

  • “At” is used for specific times, such as “at 2 pm” or “at midnight.”
  • “In” is used for longer periods of time, such as “in the morning” or “in October.”
  • “On” is used for dates, such as “on Monday” or “on July 4th.”

Prepositions of Place

Prepositions of place are used to indicate where something is located. They include words such as “in,” “on,” and “at.”

  • “In” is used for enclosed spaces, such as “in the house” or “in the car.”
  • “On” is used for surfaces, such as “on the table” or “on the floor.”
  • “At” is used for specific locations, such as “at the park” or “at the beach.”

Prepositions of Direction

Prepositions of direction are used to indicate movement. They include words such as “to,” “from,” and “towards.”

  • “To” is used to indicate movement towards a specific destination, such as “I am going to the store.”
  • “From” is used to indicate movement away from a specific location, such as “I am coming from the park.”
  • “Towards” is used to indicate movement in the direction of a specific location, such as “I am walking towards the museum.”

In this section, we will discuss the different types of conjunctions and their functions in English grammar. Conjunctions are words that connect words, phrases, or clauses in a sentence. They are essential in creating complex sentences and conveying relationships between ideas.

Coordinating Conjunctions

Coordinating conjunctions join words, phrases, or clauses that are of equal importance. They are easy to remember using the mnemonic device FANBOYS: for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so. Here are some examples:

  • I like pizza and pasta.
  • She is neither tall nor short.
  • He wanted to go to the beach, but it was raining.

Subordinating Conjunctions

Subordinating conjunctions connect dependent clauses to independent clauses and establish a relationship between them. They are used to show cause and effect, time, condition, and contrast. Some examples of subordinating conjunctions are:

Here are some examples:

  • Because it was raining, we stayed inside.
  • Although she was tired, she stayed up to finish her work.
  • While I was studying, my roommate was watching TV.

Correlative Conjunctions

Correlative conjunctions are pairs of words that work together to connect words, phrases, or clauses. They are used to show a relationship between two elements. Here are some examples:

  • both…and
  • either…or
  • neither…nor
  • not only…but also
  • Both my sister and I like to read.
  • Either you come with us or you stay here.
  • Not only was he late, but he also forgot his homework.

In conclusion, conjunctions are important in creating complex sentences and conveying relationships between ideas. By understanding the different types of conjunctions and their functions, you can improve your writing and communication skills.

In English grammar, interjections are words or phrases that express strong emotions or feelings. They are also known as exclamations and are one of the eight parts of speech in English. Interjections are grammatically independent from the words around them, and they can often be removed from a sentence or context without affecting its basic meaning.

Interjections can be used to express a wide range of emotions, including surprise, joy, anger, frustration, and pain. Some common examples of interjections include “ wow ,” “ ouch ,” “ yay ,” “ oh no ,” and “ oops .” They can be used to add emphasis to a sentence or to convey a particular tone or mood.

It is important to note that interjections do not have any grammatical function in a sentence. They are not nouns, verbs, adjectives, or any other part of speech. Instead, they simply stand alone as a way to express emotion.

When using interjections in writing, it is important to consider the context in which they are being used. While they can be a useful tool for adding emphasis or conveying emotion, they can also be overused or misused, which can detract from the overall effectiveness of the writing.

Articles/Determiners

In English grammar, articles and determiners are words that are used with nouns to provide more information about them. They help us to understand the context and meaning of a sentence.

There are three articles in the English language: “ the ,” “ a, ” and “ an. ” “The” is known as the definite article because it refers to a specific noun that has already been mentioned or is known to the reader. For example, “The cat is sleeping on the sofa.” In this sentence, “the” refers to a specific cat that has already been mentioned or is known to the reader.

“A” and “an” are known as indefinite articles because they refer to any member of a group or class of nouns. “A” is used before words that begin with a consonant sound, while “an” is used before words that begin with a vowel sound. For example, “I need a pen” and “She ate an apple.”

Determiners

Determiners are words that come before a noun to provide more information about it. They can include articles, as well as words like “ this ,” “ that ,” “ these ,” and “ those .”

In addition to these, there are other types of determiners such as possessive determiners (e.g. “my,” “your,” “his,” “her,” “its,” “our,” and “their”), demonstrative determiners (e.g. “this,” “that,” “these,” and “those”), and quantifying determiners (e.g. “some,” “any,” “many,” “few,” “several,” etc.).

Determiners can also be used with adjectives to provide more information about a noun. For example, “She ate the delicious apple” and “I saw that beautiful sunset.”

Understanding articles and determiners is crucial for mastering English grammar. By using them correctly, you can convey your thoughts and ideas more clearly and effectively.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the 8 parts of speech in English?

In English, there are eight parts of speech: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. Each part of speech serves a different function in a sentence and helps to convey meaning.

What are some examples of different parts of speech?

Here are a few examples of different parts of speech:

  • Noun: dog, cat, book, table
  • Pronoun: he, she, it, they
  • Verb: run, jump, sing, dance
  • Adjective: happy, sad, tall, short
  • Adverb: quickly, slowly, loudly, softly
  • Preposition: in, on, at, under
  • Conjunction: and, but, or, so
  • Interjection: wow, oh, ouch, hooray

What is the difference between a noun and a verb?

A noun is a word that represents a person, place, thing, or idea. A verb is a word that represents an action, occurrence, or state of being. In other words, a noun is a subject or object in a sentence, while a verb is the action or occurrence that takes place.

What are the different types of nouns?

There are several different types of nouns, including:

  • Common nouns: refer to general, non-specific people, places, things, or ideas (e.g. dog, city, book)
  • Proper nouns: refer to specific people, places, things, or ideas and are always capitalized (e.g. John, Paris, The Great Gatsby )
  • Concrete nouns: refer to tangible, physical objects (e.g. table, chair, car)
  • Abstract nouns: refer to intangible concepts or ideas (e.g. love, happiness, freedom)
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English Study Online

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  • Compound Nouns: How to Use Them Effectively in English - November 9, 2023
  • English Tenses: A Beginner’s Guide in English - November 6, 2023

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Meaning of my, (oh, my) in English

My, (oh, my).

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The Eight Parts of Speech

  • Prepositions
  • Conjunctions
  • Interjections
  • Basic Sentence Structure
  • Sentence Fragments
  • Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices
  • Sentence Type and Purpose
  • Independent and Dependent Clauses: Coordination and Subordination
  • Subject Verb Agreement
  • Consistent Verb Tense
  • Other Phrases: Verbal, Appositive, Absolute
  • Pronoun Reference
  • Relative Pronouns: Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses
  • Avoiding Modifier Problems
  • Transitions
  • Would, Should, Could
  • Achieving Parallelism
  • Definite and Indefinite Articles
  • Two-Word Verbs

TIP Sheet THE EIGHT PARTS OF SPEECH

There are eight parts of speech in the English language: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. The part of speech indicates how the word functions in meaning as well as grammatically within the sentence. An individual word can function as more than one part of speech when used in different circumstances. Understanding parts of speech is essential for determining the correct definition of a word when using the dictionary.

1. NOUN

  • A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea.

man... Butte College... house... happiness

A noun is a word for a person, place, thing, or idea. Nouns are often used with an article ( the , a , an ), but not always. Proper nouns always start with a capital letter; common nouns do not. Nouns can be singular or plural, concrete or abstract. Nouns show possession by adding 's . Nouns can function in different roles within a sentence; for example, a noun can be a subject, direct object, indirect object, subject complement, or object of a preposition.

The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher , and then she quickly disappeared. Oh my!

See the TIP Sheet on "Nouns" for further information.

2. PRONOUN

  • A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun.

She... we... they... it

A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. A pronoun is usually substituted for a specific noun, which is called its antecedent. In the sentence above, the antecedent for the pronoun she is the girl. Pronouns are further defined by type: personal pronouns refer to specific persons or things; possessive pronouns indicate ownership; reflexive pronouns are used to emphasize another noun or pronoun; relative pronouns introduce a subordinate clause; and demonstrative pronouns identify, point to, or refer to nouns.

The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared. Oh my!

See the TIP Sheet on "Pronouns" for further information.

3. VERB

  • A verb expresses action or being.

jump... is... write... become

The verb in a sentence expresses action or being. There is a main verb and sometimes one or more helping verbs. (" She can sing." Sing is the main verb; can is the helping verb.) A verb must agree with its subject in number (both are singular or both are plural). Verbs also take different forms to express tense.

The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared . Oh my!

See the TIP Sheet on "Verbs" for more information.

4. ADJECTIVE

  • An adjective modifies or describes a noun or pronoun.

pretty... old... blue... smart

An adjective is a word used to modify or describe a noun or a pronoun. It usually answers the question of which one, what kind, or how many. (Articles [a, an, the] are usually classified as adjectives.)

See the TIP Sheet on "Adjectives" for more information.

5. ADVERB

  • An adverb modifies or describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

gently... extremely... carefully... well

An adverb describes or modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, but never a noun. It usually answers the questions of when, where, how, why, under what conditions, or to what degree. Adverbs often end in -ly.

See the TIP Sheet on "Adverbs" for more information.

6. PREPOSITION

  • A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase modifying another word in the sentence.

by... with.... about... until

(by the tree, with our friends, about the book, until tomorrow)

A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase modifying another word in the sentence. Therefore a preposition is always part of a prepositional phrase. The prepositional phrase almost always functions as an adjective or as an adverb. The following list includes the most common prepositions:

See the TIP Sheet on "Prepositions" for more information.

7. CONJUNCTION

  • A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses.

and... but... or... while... because

A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses, and indicates the relationship between the elements joined. Coordinating conjunctions connect grammatically equal elements: and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet. Subordinating conjunctions connect clauses that are not equal: because, although, while, since, etc. There are other types of conjunctions as well.

The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared. Oh my!

See the TIP Sheet on "Conjunctions" for more information.

8. INTERJECTION

  • An interjection is a word used to express emotion.

Oh!... Wow!... Oops!

An interjection is a word used to express emotion. It is often followed by an exclamation point.

The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared. Oh my !

See the TIP Sheet on "Interjections" for more information.

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Parts of Speech in English

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Learning English can be a challenge, especially if it's not your native language. One of the hardest concepts to grasp is the role of words in sentences. It's important to understand any part of speech and how it’s used. This article will provide a handy reference on the different parts of speech with examples to help you better understand the ideas.

Parts of Speech Chart

The first step to understanding the different parts of speech is to know what they are and how they are used. The parts of speech chart is a great tool for understanding different words and how they interact with each other.      

Use it as your reference for parts of speech examples!

Now that you can identify the different parts of speech, let's dive a little deeper into each one.

Adjectives help us describe or modify a noun or pronoun. For example, in the sentence "The big, red balloon," the words "big" and "red" are adjectives because they are used to describe the noun “balloon.”

Examples of using adjectives :

  • Compare two things. For example, in the sentence "She is taller than her brother," the word "taller" is an adjective because it is used to compare two people. 
  • Describe the quantity of something. For example, in the sentence "She ate five cookies," the word "five" is an adjective used to describe the quantity of cookies.
  • Describe feelings or emotions. For example, in the sentence "He was angry," the word "angry" is an adjective that is used to describe the feeling of anger.
  • Show the size of something. For example, in the sentence "The elephant was huge," the word "huge" is an adjective because it describes the size of the elephant.
  • Show the shape of something. For example, in the sentence "The triangle was sharp," the word "sharp" is an adjective because it is used to describe the shape of the triangle.
  • Show the color of something. For example, in the sentence "The sky was blue," the word "blue" is an adjective because it is used to describe the color of the sky.

Adverbs help us describe or modify a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. For example, in the sentence "She quickly ran to the store," the word "quickly" is an adverb because it is used to describe the verb “ran.”

Examples of using adverbs :

  • Describe the manner in which something is done. For example, in the sentence "He spoke softly," the word "softly" is an adverb that describes the manner in which he spoke.
  • Describe the frequency of something. For example, in the sentence "He often goes to the store," the word "often" is an adverb used to describe the frequency with which he goes to the store.
  • Describe the degree of something. For example, in the sentence "He was very tired," the word "very" is an adverb used to describe the degree of his tiredness.
  • Describe the time of something. For example, in the sentence "She arrived late," the word "late" is an adverb used to describe the time of her arrival.

Verbs are words that are used to express an action, occurrence, or state of being. For example, in the sentence "She walked to the store," the word "walked" is a verb because it is used to express the action of walking.

Examples of using verbs:

  • Express a physical sensation. For example, in the sentence "He felt sick," the word "felt" is a verb because it is used to express the physical sensation of being sick.
  • Express a mental state. For example, in the sentence "She was confused," the word "was" is a verb because it is used to express the mental state of confusion.
  • Express an opinion. For example, in the sentence "They thought it was a good idea," the word "thought" is a verb used to express the opinion that it was a good idea.
  • Express a desire. For example, in the sentence "He wanted to go home," the word "wanted" is a verb because it is used to express the desire to go home.

Nouns are words that help us identify a person, place, thing, or idea. For example, in the sentence "The store was busy," the word "store" is a noun because it is used to identify a place.

Examples of using nouns:

  • Refer to a specific object. For example, in the sentence "She bought a book," the word "book" is a noun because it is used to refer to a specific object.
  • Refer to an abstract concept or idea. For example, in the sentence "He wanted freedom," the word "freedom" is a noun because it is used to refer to an abstract concept.
  • Refer to a person's occupation. For example, in the sentence "She is a teacher," the word "teacher" is a noun because it is used to refer to a person's occupation.
  • Refer to a feeling or emotion. For example, in the sentence "He felt sadness," the word "sadness" is a noun because it is used to refer to a feeling or emotion.

Pronouns are words used instead of a noun or noun phrase. For example, in the sentence "She went to the store," the word "she" is a pronoun because it is used in place of the noun “woman.”

Examples of using pronouns:

  • Refer to a specific person or thing. For example, in the sentence "He gave it to them," the word "it" is a pronoun because it refers to a specific thing.
  • Refer to groups of people or things. In the sentence "They went to the store," the word "they" is a pronoun because it refers to a group.
  • Refer to a place or thing that has already been mentioned. For example, in the sentence "She went to the store and then came back," the word "it" is a pronoun because it is used to refer to the store that has already been mentioned.
  • Refer to a person or thing whose gender is unknown. For example, in the sentence "Someone left their bag," the word "their" is a pronoun because it refers to a person or thing whose gender is unknown.

Articles are words that are used to introduce a noun or noun phrase. For example, in the sentence "A store was busy," the word "a" is an article because it is used to introduce the noun “store.”

Examples of using articles:

  • Refer to a specific person or thing. For example, in the sentence "She bought the book," the word "the" is an article because it is used to refer to a specific book.
  • Refer to groups of people or things. For example, in the sentence "The students went to the store," the word "the" is an article because it refers to a group of people.
  • Refer to a place or thing that has already been mentioned. For example, in the sentence "He went to the store, but I didn't," the word "the" is an article because it is used to refer to the store that has already been mentioned.

Prepositions

Prepositions are words that are used to express a relationship between two other words in a sentence. For example, in the sentence "She went to the store," the word "to" is a preposition because it is used to express the relationship between the words "she" and “store.”

Examples of using prepositions:

  • Express a location. For example, in the sentence "The store is across the street," the word "across" is a preposition because it is used to express the location of the store.
  • Express time. For example, in the sentence "She went to the store yesterday," the word "yesterday" is a preposition because it is used to express the time that she went to the store.
  • Express the direction of something. For example, in the sentence "She walked up the stairs," the word "up" is a preposition because it is used to express the direction of her walk.
  • Express a cause. For example, in the sentence "She was late because of the traffic," the word "because" is a preposition because it is used to express the cause of her lateness.

Conjunctions

Conjunctions help us connect words or groups of words. For example, in the sentence "She went to the store and then came back," the word "and" is a conjunction because it helps us connect the two clauses.

Examples of using conjunctions:

  • Show contrast. For example, in the sentence "He wanted to go home, but he stayed," the word "but" is a conjunction that we use to show contrast between the two clauses.
  • Express a cause or purpose. For example, in the sentence "She was late because she missed the bus," the word "because" is a conjunction that we use to express the cause of her lateness.
  • Express an alternative. For example, in the sentence "She went to the store or she went to the park," the word "or" is a conjunction because it is used to express an alternative.
  • Express a result. For example, in the sentence "She was tired so she went to bed," the word "so" is a conjunction that helps express the result of her being tired.

Interjections

Interjections are words that express emotion or surprise. For example, in the sentence "Wow, the store was really busy!" the word "wow" is an interjection because it is used to express surprise.

Examples of using interjections:

  • Express joy. For example, in the sentence "Yay, I got an A!" the word "yay" is an interjection because it is used to express joy.
  • Express disappointment. For example, in the sentence "Oh, I didn't get the job," the word "oh" is an interjection because it is used to express disappointment.
  • Express surprise. For example, in the sentence "Oh my gosh, I can't believe it!" the phrase "oh my gosh" is an interjection because it is used to express surprise.
  • Express excitement. For example, in the sentence "Yippee, I got the job!" the word "yippee" is an interjection because it is used to express excitement.

Parts of Speech in English

Learning English can be a challenge, but understanding the different parts of speech is an important step in becoming a proficient speaker. After enough practice, you will be able to easily identify what are some parts of speech in English without having to think about them. 

Check out specific references for each part you’re interested in to learn more about them!

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Understanding Parts of Speech (9 Types With Examples)

parts of speech

What are parts of speech? In the American English language, parts-of-speech is a category to which a word is assigned in accordance with its syntactic functions. They exist under the verb , noun, pronoun, interjection , adjective , conjunction, adverb, and preposition forms.

Learn more about parts of the speech in this comprehensive worksheet…

What are parts of speech?

“Parts of speech” refers to the essential words used in sentence formation in the English language.

Every word used in a sentence structure plays an important role in defining the sentence’s meaning. These words use and placement give proper intentions in sentence structures.

Parts of speech are the basic grammar lessons taught during the primary phases of learning English.

Any word used in sentence formation falls into one of these categories for proper sentence structure.

Some of those words can be a part of one or more parts of speech. This topic further explores the essential parts of speech used in the English language.

Watch this as a video lesson

In total, there are nine categories of parts of speech

These nine parts of speech are namely: Verbs, Nouns , Adjectives, Determiners, Adverbs , Pronouns, Prepositions , Conjunctions, and Interjections.

Another additional classification is used as a part of speech, i.e. , Articles, a subprogram of determiners.

To comprehend the meaning and use of each word in the English language, it is essential to clearly understand the various parts of speech and select the right parts of speech form at the appropriate place in the sentence.

What are the 9 parts of speech with their functions?

Here are the nine parts of speech and how they impact the English language.

‘Verbs’ are the words used in a sentence to define the action/state of action being performed. Most of the sentences in sentence formation require the inclusion of verbs.

Some examples of verbs used in the English language are Love, Break, Fall , and Cry . These are the basic forms of verbs and are known as infinitives .

Most of the verbs used have two other major forms called participles . The use of these participles is for the formation of various verb-tense combinations.

These participles define the forms of verbs concerning the time of action/performance. These verb-tense combinations can be used in two types: Active voice and passive voice .

A ‘noun’ are words used in a sentence to give recognition or the name of an object, individual, or animal.

Nouns can be sub-classified into two major categories: Common nouns , which give generic descriptor names to things, and common items, such as a bat, a bicycle , etc. The other category of nouns is Proper nouns , which have specific descriptor names to refer to a specialized object, place, or individual, such as Charley, The Empire State Building, The Telegraph , etc.

Additionally, nouns can be classified as singular nouns and plural nouns based on the number of individuals/objects.

Singular Nouns

The definition of a Singular Noun is the same as that of a noun when used commonly. It carries the same definition as the noun: “A word referring towards an individual/object/event/material/place.”

Plural Nouns

The word plural relates to “more than one in certain languages or more than two in certain languages.”

Thus singular nouns can be converted to their plural noun format when there is an implication of more than one or two objects/individuals/places.

A general Singular/Common Noun can be turned into the appropriate form of a Plural Noun by adding a ‘s’/’es’/’ ies’/’ves.’ It is also initiated by changing ‘us’ to ‘i’, ‘is’ to ‘es’ , or ‘on’ to ‘a’ .

Some common nouns do not change when interchanged between their singular and plural noun forms. Some other common nouns do not fall under plural nouns and are called irregular nouns, which are made plural by changing the spelling or adding a suffix to the word.

‘Adjectives’ are words that give a description or modify the scope of nouns/pronouns by being specific. For example, adjectives used to define a noun can be red, small, hot, common, etc.

An adjective is usually placed before a noun or after the verb that it modifies. Three forms of adjectives are used to compare similar characteristics of different individuals/objects. These three degrees of comparison are:

  • Positive/Absolute form

This comparison of adjectives defines the original form of the adjective as stated in English. For example, “this candy is tasty .” This degree of comparison states that no relative subject is available for comparison.

  • Comparative form

This form of the adjective gives a relative comparison between two objects performing similar actions with identical characteristics. For example, “the candy we had today is tastier than the one we received yesterday.”

  • Superlative form

This form of the adjective gives the superiority declaration of one object over similar objects possessing similar characteristics. For example, “this candy is the tastiest I have ever had in the last two years .”

Adjectives can be sub-classified based on their function in sentence formation. This sub-classification is:

  • Possessive Adjectives

These adjectives show/represent the possessiveness of an object. For example, mine, my, his/her, their, its, etc.

  • Interrogative Adjectives

These adjectives modify the noun/pronoun by interrogation. Only a select few adjectives are available in this form. For example, whose, which, what, and where.

  • Demonstrative Adjectives

These adjectives describe the current state/position of the noun/pronoun concerning space/time. For example, this, these, those, that.

  • Compound Adjectives

These adjectives are a result of the combination of two or more adjectives. The resulting adjective modifies the subject in the sentence. For example, hand-dried, heavy-weighted, spike-haired, etc.

‘Determiners’ are the words placed before a noun/pronoun group terms to refer to a single/multiple things. Some commonly used determiners in English are ‘a’, ‘the’, ‘some’, ‘any’, and ‘this.’ Determiners are generally placed before descriptive adjectives . It tells the reader more about the description of the noun being referred to.

Determiners are classified into sub-categories, articles, and demonstratives.

An ‘Article’ can be either definite or indefinite. An article modifies a noun/pronoun without specifying any description of the object. In English, an example of a ‘definite article’ is the , whereas examples of two ‘indefinite articles’ are a and an .

Here, the refers to specific things or things that are identified beforehand. A or a refer to non-specific things that have not been identified beforehand.

Demonstratives

A ‘Demonstrative’ is defined as a demonstrative adjective/pronoun based on its usage in the sentence. Some examples of demonstratives are ‘this’, ‘that’, and ‘those’ .

A determiner has the same rules of use as in the case of adjectives in sentence formation. Thus, confusion takes place when carefully choosing the type of parts of speech to assign when given a choice of either a determiner or adjective.

An ‘Adverb’ defines essential information about the verb, similar to what an adjective is to a noun. It provides a descriptor for a verb used in a sentence and some cases, can also describe an adjective or another adverb.

Some adverbs used in sentences with verbs are ‘slowly’, ‘hastily’, ‘unfortunately’, and ‘angrily’.

Adverbs are further sub-classified into various types based on their application in a sentence.

  • Adverbs of Time (to inform about the occurrence of a verb), For example, ‘now’, ‘tomorrow’, and ‘soon’.
  • Adverbs of Manner (to describe the action of a verb), For example, ‘hastily’, ‘slowly’, and ‘minutely’.
  • Adverbs of Place (to indicate the place of action of the verb),
  • Adverbs of Frequency (to describe the frequency of a verb action),
  • Adverbs of Degree (to describe the intensity of an action),
  • Conjunctive Adverbs (are used to link/act as a conjunction to two sentences).

A ‘Pronoun’ is a word used in specifically providing an alternate name for a non/noun phrase. They are alternate words for referring to an object/individual when the requirement of a noun is unnecessary, as the noun has been mentioned previously in some parts of the sentence.

Some examples of pronouns are ‘it’, ‘he/she’, and ‘himself/herself’.

Pronouns are sub-classified into different categories based on their use in the sentence.

Some of these sub-categories are:

  • Relative Pronouns (to relate a part of a sentence with the other)
  • Possessive Pronouns (to show possessiveness)
  • Reflexive Pronouns (to refer back to the subject of discussion)
  • Demonstrative Pronouns (to refer to specific objects/individuals)
  • Interrogative Pronouns (to ask questions)
  • Indefinite Pronouns (to avoid reference to any specific object/individual/place)
  • Personal Pronouns (to use as substitutes for proper names)
  • Subject Pronouns (to assign acting on an object)
  • Object Pronouns (to assign receiving action towards an object)
  • Reciprocal Pronouns (to express two-way/mutual relationship)
  • Preposition

A ‘Preposition’ is a word used as a connective between a noun, a noun phrase, or a pronoun with another word.

Prepositions are used in sentence formations to convey these meanings:

  • To show the direction towards/of something/someone
  • To refer to the period of an action taking place
  • To specify the location/position of an object
  • To present the space and time relationship between objects

Based on their use and function, prepositions are classified into four subtypes:

  • Prepositions of Time (to indicate the happening of an action/event)
  • Preposition of Place (to indicate the location of an object)
  • Preposition of Direction (to indicate the direction/orientation of an object)
  • Prepositions of Spatial Relationship (to indicate an object moving away/towards a source)
  • Conjunction

A ‘Conjunction’ is a word that combines two/more objects and behaves as connectives in a sentence. These can appear in the beginning/middle/end of the sentence following the location of the objects.

There are three types of conjunctions used in sentence formation:

  • Coordinate conjunction (to combine two independent clauses )
  • Subordinate conjunction (to combine an independent with a dependent clause)
  • Correlation conjunction (to combine two phrases having equal weightage)

Interjection

An ‘Interjection’ is a word to convey the expression of a variety of emotions/feelings. As such, there is no specific rule for the use of interjection and where it is to be placed.

However, in most cases, it is placed at the beginning of the sentence. For example, some of the most commonly used interjections are ‘ouch’, ‘phew’, and ‘well’.

Parts of speech examples

Here are some examples of the parts of speech used in sentences. Note the placement and its relation with other parts of speech present in the sentence format.

  • John is  cutting  a pipe.
  • John intends to  come  to the office this Monday .
  • Jogging  regularly is good for health.
  • Drinking  and  driving  put other motorists in danger.
  • Would you want to wear  a suit?
  • I love  to sing  in between classes.

See another example in the image below.

Sentence example

  • Juno  ran towards the classroom.
  • The janitor  requested the students to clear their lockers.
  • The monkey  was caged after being sedated.
  • I gifted my brother a  phone .
  • Why did you purchase the  book ?
  • I misplaced the  manuscript .
  • Do you want to eat some  ice cream ?
  • Mum loved my new car .
  • Daniel gifted  his brother  a Porsche.

Sentence example

  • I purchased a blue suit for the reception.
  • Mary purchased two oranges from the fruit seller.
  • The curry is tasty .
  • Juno’s brother is arrogant .
  • The documentary that premiered on television was fascinating .
  • Giovanni Giorgio is a great music composer.

Sentence example

  • My house is currently under lease.
  • This novel is lengthy.
  • I purchased some fruits and vegetables.
  • She sent me an expensive watch.
  • Velma loved  the  dress gifted by her parents.
  • Joyce and Jill watched  a  movie together.
  • Grandma gave us materials to prepare  the   dessert.

Sentence example

  • Typically , we visit Mom on Mondays.
  • Don’t you taste the coffee to be  too  bitter?
  • Do not be nervous. You will  eventually get the hang of it.
  • The movie I watched was  very  scientific.
  • It is  scorching hot inside the workshop.
  • Can I visit the office  today ?

Sentence example

  • His aunt will be staying at the apartment for a while .
  • He is the man I was referring to.
  • I found my missing luggage outside the airport.

Sentence example

  • I won’t be coming  to  the office  in  the afternoon.
  • He arranged the cutlery  on  the table.
  • Bhaskar made the dog hide  under  its bed.
  • I enjoy strolling by the lake in the mornings.

Sentence example

  • James  and  I trekked to the hilltop today.
  • I stayed back home  because  I felt uneasy.
  • He did not enjoy the yogurt ,  yet  he finished it.

Sentence example

  • Interjection
  • Hurray!  We got the funding.
  • Ouch!  That wound looks severe.
  • Wow!  You look great in the wedding gown.
  • Oh my God !  I hope he is safe.

See an example in the image below.

Sentence example

Words with more than one job

Many parts of speech can have more than one function/job in the sentence. This improves the versatility of the words being used and makes the use more situational in its placement and conveyance of meaning.

  • Myers can shift for herself (Preposition)
  • Give prayers to the Almighty; for He is the one above all (Conjunction)
  • We require more women to have the same vigor. (Adjective)
  • More of the women died in the operating room than in the cabin. (Pronoun)
  • Agatha needs to shut the gossiping and work more (Adverb)

To see how all the objects work together, see the table below.

Here is a chart showing the parts of speech:

Parts of speech chart.

How to identify parts of speech

In sentence formation, it often becomes difficult to ascertain the parts of speech represented by each word. To help out and to make the process of identification easier, follow these steps:

  • Identify any word which names an object/individual/place in a generalized form as a noun .
  • To identify a specific noun, use pronouns .
  • Any words which describe/identify actions/performance are verbs .
  • Any word that modifies or gives a greater definition to nouns is an adjective.
  • Any word that modifies or gives meaning to the actions of verbs, are adverbs.
  • It is easy to pick out prepositions as they describe relationships between a noun/pronoun with other nouns/pronouns.
  • Any joiner used to join two clauses is a conjunction .
  • Exclamations generally follow any interjections in the text.

Parts of speech infographic

  • Parts of speech

More parts of speech:

  • Conjunctions
  • Prepositions
  • Possessive nouns
  • Irregular plural nouns
  • Proper nouns
  • Concrete nouns
  • Collective nouns
  • Possessive and plural nouns
  • Verbs: The Definitive Guide
  • Nouns | Explore Definition, Examples & Types with Examples
  • What Are Pronouns? Definitions and Examples
  • What Are Adverbs? (with Examples)
  • Interjections – Explore Meaning, Definition, Usage and Examples
  • What Is A Conjunction? Types & Examples
  • The 9 Parts of Speech: Definitions and Examples
  • What Is a Determiner?
  • The 8 Parts of Speech: Examples and Rules
  • Adverbs – What is It? Explore the Meaning, Definition, Types, Usage and Examples

Inside this article

oh my part of speech

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oh my part of speech

About the author

Dalia Y.: Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. She covers English, ESL, and all things grammar on GrammarBrain.

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  • Adjective Phrase
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  • Appositive Phrase
  • Body Paragraph
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  • Possessive Adjective
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  • Slash Symbol
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Popular lessons

oh my part of speech

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oh my part of speech

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Part of Speech

What part of speech is “my”.

The word “ my ” has multiple functions in English texts and verbal communication. It can be classified as a determiner, an adjective , an interjection , or a pronoun .

This word is categorized under determiners when it is placed before noun , in order to express possession and show the specific example that is being referred to in the sentence. In the sample sentence below:

My science book is in the shelf.

The word “ my ” precedes the noun “science book” to show ownership and emphasize the particular example that is being talked about in the text.

Definition:

a.  belonging to or associated with the speaker

  • My name is Karla.

In some cases, the word “ my ” is classified as an adjective because it can be used to modify a noun. Take for example, the sentence below:

When I woke up, my throat was sore.

The word “ my ” is considered as an adjective that modifies the noun “throat.”

a.  relating to or belonging to me; made or done by me

  • I enjoy my job very much.
  • Interjection

There are also other times wherein the word “ my ” is considered as a an interjection because it can be used to exclaim or express sudden bursts of emotions. For example, in the sentence below:

My!  What a big farm this is!

The word “ my ” is an interjection that somehow suggests surprise.

a.  used as an exclamation of mild surprise or dismay

  • My!  how old he looks!

Sometimes, it is also considered as a possessive pronoun, which can be used instead of the name of the speaker. For instance, in this sample sentence:

My soup is cold.

The word “ my ” substitutes the noun that owns the “soup.”

a.  a form of the possessive case of “I,” used as an attributive adjective

  • My bag is full.

Oh is what part of speech?

User Avatar

Oh is an interjection.

"Oh! I have to go now."

Harshitha Ravi Sri G... ∙

"Oh! I have to go now."

"Oh" is an interjection. It is used to express emotions or sentiments such as surprise, exclamation, or agreement in a sentence.

Josi Afework ∙

Add your answer:

imp

What part of speech is oh my gosh?

&quot;Oh my gosh&quot; is an interjection, expressing surprise, shock, or excitement.

What is the part of speech for oh?

&quot;Oh&quot; is an interjection. It is used to express emotions like surprise, excitement, or disappointment.

What part of speech is oh ah and wow?

&quot;Oh,&quot; &quot;ah,&quot; and &quot;wow&quot; are interjections. They are used to express emotions or reactions and are not grammatically linked to the rest of the sentence.

What is the part of speech is answer?

The part of speech for &quot;answer&quot; is a noun.

What is the part of speech of momentous?

The part of speech for this particular word is a noun.

What part of speech is oh no?

interjection

What part of speech oh?

Oh is an interjection. Example: "Oh! I have to go now."

What part of speech is oh my.?

What part of speech is the word wow.

"Oh" and "Wow" are interjections.

What is a in parts of speech?

The Part of Speech that either expresses a feeling or sensation (Wow, ouch, oh), or imitates a sound (splash, whoosh, ssht).

What is the part of speech and definition of manufacture?

part of speech

What part of speech Without?

what part of speech is beneath

imp

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  • English Grammar
  • Grammar Exercises
  • Parts Of Speech Exercises

Parts of Speech Exercises with Answers

Every topic in English grammar requires good understanding and a lot of practice. A thorough knowledge of the various grammatical components and their application is necessary to master the English language . This article provides you with a few practice exercises for parts of speech . Check it out.

Table of Contents

Exercise 1 – identify the adverb, exercise 2 – use the appropriate pronoun.

  • Exercise 3 –  Underline the Preposition

Exercise 4 – Identify the Part of Speech

Frequently asked questions on parts of speech exercises.

Give below are a few exercises. Try them out and assess your understanding of the different parts of speech.

Go through the given sentences and identify the adverb.

  • We have seen this before.
  • The postman comes to her daily.
  • The man repeated the same thing thrice.
  • Your friend called again.
  • Please walk forward.
  • The horse ran away.
  • My brother writes clearly.
  • The army fought bravely.
  • The mangoes are almost ripe.
  • Are you keeping well?

Fill the blanks with correct pronouns.

  • Shyam is my brother. ___ study in the same class
  • Between Ritu and me, __ am the younger one.
  • Do you see this book with my name on it? It is ___.
  • Miss Gwen is our new class teacher. ___ is very sweet.
  • While cutting vegetables, Mitu cut ___.
  • The jury got divided among ___.
  • I’m coming too. Please wait for __.
  • Nobody but ___ was present.
  • ___ book is better than the other.
  • Is the mug ___? It was on your table.

Exercise 3 – Underline the Preposition

Identify the prepositions in the following passage.

Goldilocks used to live with her parents in a cabin near the forest. One day, she decided to go for a walk. She strolled down the lane that led to the forest and came across a cottage. Feeling intrigued, she decided to check whose house it was. She knocked on the door, but no one answered. Then she decided to go in and check. Once she came into the cottage, she saw three soup bowls kept on the table. Feeling hungry, she drank the soup out of the smallest bowl. She saw a flight of stairs that led to a room above. She decided to go and see the rooms. On reaching the rooms, she saw there were three beds. Feeling sleepy with all the walking and hot soup, she decided to take a nap and slept on the smallest bed. When she woke up, she saw three bears standing in front of her, and the smallest bear among them crying loudly. Terrified, she started screaming and ran past the bear family to reach her home.

Goldilocks used to live with her parents in a cabin near the forest. One day, she decided to go for a walk. She strolled  down the lane that led to the forest and came across a cottage. Feeling intrigued, she decided to check whose house it was. She knocked on the door, but no one answered. Then she decided to go in and check. Once she came into the cottage, she saw three soup bowls kept on the table. Feeling hungry, she drank the soup out of the smallest bowl. She saw a flight of stairs that led to a room above . She decided to go and see the rooms. On reaching the rooms, she saw there were three beds. Feeling sleepy with all the walking and hot soup, she decided to take a nap and slept on the smallest bed. When she woke up, she saw three bears standing in front of her, and the smallest bear among them crying loudly. Terrified, she started screaming and ran past the bear family to reach her home.

Go through the following sentences and identify the part of speech of the underlined words.

  • Namitha is not coming today.
  • My mom will be leaving to Bangalore tomorrow .
  • The teacher asked the students to stand.
  • He is my brother.
  • There is a cat under the table.
  • The clothes did not dry as it was raining all night.
  • Sheena and her sister dance well .
  • I am wearing a green dress for the party.
  • Oh ! That is really sad.
  • She is coming with me.
  • Verb, adverb
  • Preposition
  • Conjunction
  • Conjunction, adverb
  • Interjection

What are parts of speech?

Words are classified into different classes called parts of speech depending on their usage.

What comes under parts of speech?

Noun, adjective, pronoun, verb, adverb, preposition, conjunction and interjection come under parts of speech.

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  1. How to Use O vs. oh Correctly

    Let's start with the more common of the two, "Oh.". It's an interjection we use to express a bunch of different emotions, like a sense of surprise, excitement, or even disappointment. You could say, "I can't believe I won," but you could also say, "Oh my gosh! I can't believe I won!". Adding the extra expression with the ...

  2. How To Use "Oh" In A Sentence: Guidelines and Tricks

    1. Interjection: One of the primary roles of "oh" is to express a range of emotions or reactions. As an interjection, it serves as a standalone word or phrase that conveys surprise, excitement, disappointment, or any other sentiment. For example: "Oh, I can't believe you did that!". "Oh, what a beautiful sunset!".

  3. Oh

    Oh - English Grammar Today - a reference to written and spoken English grammar and usage - Cambridge Dictionary

  4. The 8 Parts of Speech in English Grammar

    These parts play a crucial role in sentence construction by conveying specific meanings and relationships between words. In English, there are eight parts of speech: Verbs. Nouns. Adjectives. Adverbs. Pronouns. Interjection. Conjunction.

  5. Parts of Speech: Explanation and Examples

    The 9 parts of speech are adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, determiners, interjections, nouns, prepositions, pronouns, and verbs. (These are also known as "word classes.") A Formal Definition. A "part of speech" is a category to which a word is assigned in accordance with its syntactic functions. In English, the main parts of speech are noun ...

  6. English Parts of Speech

    The eight parts of speech are nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections. You just learned about all of the parts of speech. Give yourself a high five! If you'd like to teach or learn grammar the easy way—with sentence diagrams—check out our Get Smart Grammar Program.

  7. The 8 Parts of Speech

    A part of speech (also called a word class) is a category that describes the role a word plays in a sentence.Understanding the different parts of speech can help you analyze how words function in a sentence and improve your writing. The parts of speech are classified differently in different grammars, but most traditional grammars list eight parts of speech in English: nouns, pronouns, verbs ...

  8. LibGuides: Grammar and Writing Help: Parts of Speech

    There are eight parts of speech in the English language: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. The part of speech indicates how the word functions in meaning as well as grammatically within the sentence. An individual word can function as more than one part of speech when used in different ...

  9. The 9 Parts of Speech: Definitions and Examples

    Also known as word classes, these are the building blocks of grammar. Every sentence you write or speak in English includes words that fall into some of the nine parts of speech. These include nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, articles/determiners, and interjections. (Some sources include only eight parts ...

  10. What part of speech is the word oh-my?

    Dive deep into the multifaceted usage of the word oh-my in English. Discover how it functions as an adverb, pronoun, noun, interjection, and adjective, complete with definitions and illustrative examples. ... Learn all the parts of speech for different words and understand how to use them in the English language. Interjection.

  11. oh my Meaning & Origin

    Elite Daily. Recorded as an exclamation of surprise in the early 1700s, oh my is probably shortened from oh my god and oh my lord. While these expressions begin as sincere religious invocations, they spread as general interjections of strong emotion. Such uses were historically deemed blasphemous by Christians if used in vain, and so people ...

  12. Your Guide to the 9 Parts of Speech

    The parts of speech we will cover are: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, determiner, and ; interjection. I've also put together a table with all the parts of speech and examples of their use in sentences. Below the table, you'll find a breakdown of each part of speech with further examples.

  13. Parts of Speech: A Guide to Learning English Grammar

    Overview of Parts of Speech. In this section, we will provide a brief overview of the eight parts of speech in English. Understanding the parts of speech is essential for anyone learning the English language, as it enables them to construct meaningful sentences and communicate effectively. The eight parts of speech are: Nouns. Verbs.

  14. MY, (OH, MY) definition

    MY, (OH, MY) meaning: used to express surprise or pleasure: . Learn more.

  15. Parts of Speech

    It's quite important to recognize parts of speech. This helps you to analyze sentences and understand them. It also helps you to construct good sentences. Parts of Speech Table; Parts of Speech Examples; Parts of Speech Quiz; Parts of Speech Table. This is a summary of the 9 parts of speech*. You can find more detail if you click on each part ...

  16. The Eight Parts of Speech

    The part of speech indicates how the word functions in meaning as well as grammatically within the sentence. An individual word can function as more than one part of speech when used in different circumstances. Understanding parts of speech is essential for determining the correct definition of a word when using the dictionary. 1. NOUN

  17. Parts of Speech

    8 Parts of Speech Definitions and Examples: 1. Nouns are words that are used to name people, places, animals, ideas and things. Nouns can be classified into two main categories: Common nouns and Proper nouns. Common nouns are generic like ball, car, stick, etc., and proper nouns are more specific like Charles, The White House, The Sun, etc.

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    Parts of Speech Chart. The first step to understanding the different parts of speech is to know what they are and how they are used. The parts of speech chart is a great tool for understanding different words and how they interact with each other. Use it as your reference for parts of speech examples! Part of Speech. Definition.

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    These nine parts of speech are namely: Verbs, Nouns, Adjectives, Determiners, Adverbs, Pronouns, Prepositions, Conjunctions, and Interjections. Another additional classification is used as a part of speech, i.e., Articles, a subprogram of determiners. To comprehend the meaning and use of each word in the English language, it is essential to ...

  20. What Part of Speech is "MY"

    The word " my " is an interjection that somehow suggests surprise. Definition: a. used as an exclamation of mild surprise or dismay. Example: My! how old he looks! Pronoun. Sometimes, it is also considered as a possessive pronoun, which can be used instead of the name of the speaker.

  21. Oh is what part of speech?

    What part of speech is oh my gosh? "Oh my gosh" is an interjection, expressing surprise, shock, or excitement. What is the part of speech for oh? "Oh" is an interjection. It is ...

  22. Parts of Speech Exercises with Answers

    Exercise 4 - Identify the Part of Speech. Go through the following sentences and identify the part of speech of the underlined words. Namitha is not coming today. My mom will be leaving to Bangalore tomorrow. The teacher asked the students to stand. He is my brother. There is a cat under the table. The clothes did not dry as it was raining ...