English· 5 min read
The 8 Parts of Speech Explained With Examples
The "parts of speech" are the categories every word falls into based on the job it does. Knowing them makes grammar, writing and learning other languages much easier.
The eight parts of speech
Here is each one with a quick example.
- •Noun: a person, place, thing or idea — dog, London, freedom.
- •Pronoun: replaces a noun — he, she, it, they.
- •Verb: an action or state of being — run, is, think.
- •Adjective: describes a noun — happy, blue, tall.
- •Adverb: describes a verb, adjective or adverb — quickly, very.
- •Preposition: shows position or relationship — in, on, under, before.
- •Conjunction: joins words or clauses — and, but, because.
- •Interjection: a short exclamation — wow!, ouch!
Why it matters
The same word can change its part of speech depending on how it is used. "Book" is a noun in "read a book" but a verb in "book a ticket". Looking at the job a word does in the sentence — not just the word itself — is the key skill.
Frequently asked questions
How many parts of speech are there?
Eight: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction and interjection.
Can a word be more than one part of speech?
Yes. A word’s part of speech depends on its job in the sentence — "book" can be a noun or a verb.