Parts of Speech

Parts of Speech

Published in : relt.me

In  English Grammar, Parts of Speech is a very important factor.

Without learning Parts of Speech none can use or arrange words correctly or properly to form a correct Sentence. Even none can use the words in right forms.

1. He walks slow.            Correct. He walks slowly.
2. She dances good.        Correct. She dances well.
3. He is a well boy.          Correct. He is a good boy.
4. I go to home.               Correct. I go home.

Each of the above 4 sentences is incorrect. In Sentence no. 1. ‘slow’ is  in Adjective form. As it modifies the Verb ‘walk’, it should be in Adverb form ‘slowly’.

In no. 2. ‘good’ is in Adjective form. As it modifies the Verb ‘dances’, it should be in Adverb form ‘well’.

In no. 3. ‘well’ is in Adverb form. As it qualifies the Noun ‘boy’, it should be in Adjective form ‘good’.

In 4. ‘home’ is Adverb and adverb never takes a Preposition to be connected with any other word in a sentence. So the Preposition must be omitted. 

 So to use the right form of words in sentences, we must know or learn Parts of Speech well.

Words are the founding elements of a sentence. If we do not know the character of words we cannot be able to use the right form of words to form a correct sentence.

 Words, being used in a sentence, play a role in the sentence. Part of Speech deals with the role and character of words in sentences. So, to understand English Grammar well it is very much necessary to understand Parts of Speech well.

Follow the sentences:

 i) It is fine (adj.).              ‘ fine’ is an Adjective.

 ii) It is your fine (n.).        ‘fine’ is Noun

And also their meanings are not same. The same word used as different Parts of Speech gives different meaning.

 Again, a) I am well (adj.).      Here, ‘well’ is Adjective. Its meaning = not ill

b) She dances well (adv.).       Here, ‘well’ is the Adverb form of the Adjective good.

c) We have a well (n.).             Here, ‘well’ is the Object of the Verb ‘have’. So it is Noun. Like tube-well.

So, we can say when a word changes its Part of Speech --- that means changes its role, may also change it meaning.

If you do not know the Parts of Speech well, sometimes you will not be able to make the meaning of a sentence. So it is most essential to have a clear concept of Parts of Speech to learn English well.

Part of Speech means ‘a part of a speech or a sentence’. Each and every word used in a sentence is a part of the speech.

So long a word is not used in a Sentence it cannot be a Part of Speech. Let us take the word ‘water’. What Part of Speech does it belong? Maybe the common answer is ‘Noun’.

But if we use it in a sentence: I water the plant. According to the structure of a sentence, ‘water’ takes the position of verb here. So we cannot call it Noun. Here it is Verb.

Again, in another sentence: I drink water. Here, ‘water’ is the Object of the verb ‘drink’. So water is Noun.

Again, in another sentence: I like water color. Here ‘color’ is the Object and Noun and ‘water’ qualifies ‘color (N)’. So in the sentence ‘water’ is Adjective.

So ‘water’, without being used in a sentence, cannot be called a Noun. What Part of Speech does a word belong depends on its role in a sentence. We must keenly observe how a word behaves in a sentence. Then we will know what Part of Speech it belongs.

Words play 8 kinds of roles in sentences. So there are 8 kinds of Parts of Speech. Some Grammarians opined ‘All words are classified into 8 classes, so there are 8 kinds of Parts of Speech. If so, what class does the isolated single word ‘water’ belong?

Again, I read a book.              Here, ‘book’ is Noun.

In I shall book a ticket.            Here, ‘book’ is Verb.

In He is a book worm.            Here, ‘book’ is Adjective.

So, what class does the word ‘book’ belong? So many examples can be cited in this way.

In fact, it depends on what role the word ‘book’ plays in a particular sentence or in what manner or how ‘book’ behaves in a particular sentence.

So no word can be entitled with any particular Part of Speech only by judging its face. Rather a word should be entitled with a particular Part of Speech by judging its role played in a sentence.

A word can play different roles in different sentences. So a word can be entitled with different Parts of Speech in different sentences.

There are different opinions of different Grammarians about Parts of Speech. They necessarily not coincide with any logical argument.

So I like to say that all words are not classified into 8 classes, rather the roles of words in sentences are classified into 8 classes and a same word playing different roles in different sentences can be entitled with different Parts of Speech.

I am a teacher when I deliver my lecture for the learners in a class.

But I am a passenger when I travel in a public bus.

And I am a customer when I go into a shop to buy something.

What I am depends on the role I play.

Likewise, what Part of Speech a word belong, depends on the role it plays in a Sentence.

Noun is defined as ‘A Noun is the name of any thing’. A word merely bearing a name cannot be called a Noun.

Suppose, Bangladesh. Is ‘Bangladesh’ a Noun?

In the sentence: ‘A Bangladesh delegate went to talk to the British Prime –minister.’ Here, the word ‘Bangladesh’, even being a Proper Name, qualifies the Noun ‘delegate’ and that is why the word ‘Bangladesh’ is obviously an Adjective. So it is not proper to say ‘A Noun is the name of any thing’.

Actually to identify a Noun we have to know the functions of a Noun in a sentence, i.e., what role a Noun plays in a sentence and only knowing that, we can identify a Noun properly.

When we say, ‘Please come in’, here ‘in’ apparently seems to be a Preposition.

So the learners may make a gross mistake by identifying it as a Preposition.

We know well that a Preposition always connects either a Noun or a Pronoun. So there must be a Noun or Pronoun after any Preposition. But that Noun or Pronoun must be neither a Subject nor an Object of any verb in a sentence.

In the above sentence, after the word ‘in’ there is no word. That means it does not connect any word let alone a Noun or a Pronoun. On the other hand, I like to say, ‘in the above sentence the word ‘in’ itself is related to the verb ‘come’. That means it modifies the verb. So it must be an Adverb.’

Suppose, in an MCQ test, a question is set as: Identify the Part of Speech of the underlined word.

1. Please, come in.

a. Noun   b. Adjective   c. Adverb   d. Preposition   e. None

Most examinees will choose (d) with a great confidence as the correct answer. But what will be the result for them!

There are so many wrong concepts in our learners about Parts of Speech. They learn it from most of the traditional books available in the market. And also the teachers of their respective institutions teach them the same. Because most of the teachers are not innovative and do not think every thing logically. They also just follow the available books. 

Again, ‘A word used instead of a name is called Pronoun.’ It is not also a perfect definition of Pronoun. Let us examine the Sentence:

I know John’s   father. Here, the word John’s qualifies the Noun ‘father’ which is the object of the verb ‘know’. So‘John’s is an Adjective.

Again, I know his brother too. Here, the word ‘his’ is used in stead of the name ‘John’. But it is never a Pronoun. Because, it qualifies the Noun ‘brother’ which is the Object of the verb ‘know’.

Most books and teachers also identify the word ‘my’ as a Pronoun. But ‘my’ is never a Pronoun. The very single word ‘my’ is even not a Part of Speech.

Because a word cannot be a part of any speech or sentence so long it is not used in a sentence and it does not play any role in a sentence.

But when we use it in a sentence, it becomes a Part of Speech like, I love my country. Here, ‘my’ is related to ‘country’. That means ‘my’ qualifies the noun ‘country’ which is the Object of the Verb ‘love’. So ‘my’ is an Adjective. ‘My’ can never be used as a Pronoun. Rather it can be used as Noun. Notice the sentence:

‘My’ is never a Pronoun. Here, ‘My’ is the subject of the Verb ‘is’. So it is a Noun here.

All the possessive forms of Noun and Pronoun, when they are used in a sentence, always come with a Noun and always qualify the Noun. So, all the possessive forms of Noun as well as Pronoun, whenever they are used in a sentence, are always Adjectives. So they are called Possessive Adjective.

But so long they are not used in a sentence, they are never Parts of Speech at all.

We can conclude, “All the Parts of Speech are words but all the words are not Parts of Speech.”

So the face or appearance of a word is not important to identify Part of Speech. Rather it is important to know in what way the word is used in a sentence, how it behaves in a sentence and what role it plays in a sentence.

A learner must have a clear concept of Parts of Speech. If he knows Parts of Speech well, it may be said that he has already learnt 50% of English Grammar, as I think.

I think I am very much clear to the readers. Now they can understand or realize well what I want to say.

Maybe they also now realize that Part of Speech is not a negligible item in English Grammar. Rather it is the first and foremost item of English Grammar.

I will discuss about Parts of Speech details in my next post. I hope you all will keep your eyes on the page.

Thank you.