The 8 Parts of Speech
ScholarSkills Definitions of the Parts of Speech
A noun is a naming word: nouns name persons, places, things, or ideas.
A pronoun takes the place of a noun.
A verb is an action, being, or helping word.
A subject is a word or group of words that answers the question: who or what verb?
The predicate is a word or group of words that tells us what the subject is doing or being.
An object is a word or group of words that answers the question: verb who or what?
An indirect object is a word that answers the question verb to whom or for whom?
A subject complement is a word or group of words that answers the question “verb who or
what?” when the verb is a linking word.
When the complement is an adjective it is called a predicate adjective.
When the complement is a noun or pronoun it is called a predicate nominative.
An adverb is a word or group of words that answers the following questions:
verb where? verb when? verb why? verb how?. Adverbs also answer “how?” and “to what
extent?” about adjectives and other adverbs.
An adjective is a word or group of words that answers the following questions:
what kind? which one? how many nouns?
A phrase is a group of words without a subject-verb relationship.
Prepositions are words which begin phrases that end with a noun or pronoun and act like
adverbs or adjectives.
Conjunctions connect. They help us to create and understand the relationships between
words and groups of words in sentences.
Coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS—For,And,Nor,But,Or,Yet,So) connect words and help
to create compound sentences.
Subordinating conjunctions create dependent clauses and complex sentences.
A clause is a group of words with a subject-verb relationship.
Dependent clauses are incomplete thoughts.
Independent clauses are complete sentences.
A noun is a naming word: nouns name persons, places, things, or ideas.
A pronoun takes the place of a noun.
A verb is an action, being, or helping word.
A subject is a word or group of words that answers the question: who or what verb?
The predicate is a word or group of words that tells us what the subject is doing or being.
An object is a word or group of words that answers the question: verb who or what?
An indirect object is a word that answers the question verb to whom or for whom?
A subject complement is a word or group of words that answers the question “verb who or
what?” when the verb is a linking word.
When the complement is an adjective it is called a predicate adjective.
When the complement is a noun or pronoun it is called a predicate nominative.
An adverb is a word or group of words that answers the following questions:
verb where? verb when? verb why? verb how?. Adverbs also answer “how?” and “to what
extent?” about adjectives and other adverbs.
An adjective is a word or group of words that answers the following questions:
what kind? which one? how many nouns?
A phrase is a group of words without a subject-verb relationship.
Prepositions are words which begin phrases that end with a noun or pronoun and act like
adverbs or adjectives.
Conjunctions connect. They help us to create and understand the relationships between
words and groups of words in sentences.
Coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS—For,And,Nor,But,Or,Yet,So) connect words and help
to create compound sentences.
Subordinating conjunctions create dependent clauses and complex sentences.
A clause is a group of words with a subject-verb relationship.
Dependent clauses are incomplete thoughts.
Independent clauses are complete sentences.
