Parts of speech are the basic categories into which words are classified based on their function in
a sentence. Below is an explanation of each part of speech along with its subcategories:
1. Nouns
Nouns are words that name a person, place, thing, or idea.
Subcategories:
Proper Nouns: Specific names (e.g., Bangladesh, John).
Common Nouns: General names (e.g., city, man).
Concrete Nouns: Tangible objects (e.g., book, apple).
Abstract Nouns: Ideas or qualities (e.g., happiness, freedom).
Countable Nouns: Can be counted (e.g., car, apple).
Uncountable Nouns: Cannot be counted (e.g., water, sugar).
Collective Nouns: Represent a group (e.g., team, herd).
2. Pronouns
Pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition.
Subcategories:
Personal Pronouns: Refer to people (e.g., I, you, they).
Possessive Pronouns: Indicate ownership (e.g., mine, yours).
Reflexive Pronouns: Refer back to the subject (e.g., myself, herself).
Demonstrative Pronouns: Point out specific items (e.g., this, those).
Relative Pronouns: Introduce dependent clauses (e.g., who, which).
Interrogative Pronouns: Used in questions (e.g., who, what).
Indefinite Pronouns: Refer to non-specific items (e.g., someone, anything).
3. Adjectives
Adjectives describe or modify nouns and pronouns.
Subcategories:
Descriptive Adjectives: Describe qualities (e.g., beautiful, tall).
Quantitative Adjectives: Indicate quantity (e.g., many, few).
Demonstrative Adjectives: Point to specific items (e.g., this, that).
Possessive Adjectives: Show possession (e.g., my, their).
Interrogative Adjectives: Used in questions (e.g., which, whose).
Comparative and Superlative Adjectives: Show degrees (e.g., better, best).
4. Verbs
Verbs denote actions, states, or occurrences.
Subcategories:
Action Verbs: Express actions (e.g., run, eat).
Linking Verbs: Connect the subject to a complement (e.g., is, seem).
Auxiliary Verbs: Help main verbs (e.g., be, have, do).
Modal Verbs: Express necessity or possibility (e.g., can, must).
Transitive Verbs: Require a direct object (e.g., write a letter).
Intransitive Verbs: Do not require a direct object (e.g., sleep).
5. Adverbs
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs.
Subcategories:
Manner: How? (e.g., quickly, silently).
Place: Where? (e.g., here, everywhere).
Time: When? (e.g., now, later).
Frequency: How often? (e.g., always, never).
Degree: To what extent? (e.g., very, too).
6. Prepositions
Prepositions show the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word.
Subcategories:
Simple Prepositions: Single words (e.g., in, on, at).
Compound Prepositions: Two or more words (e.g., because of, out of).
Phrase Prepositions: Groups of words acting as prepositions (e.g., in front of, due to).
7. Conjunctions
Conjunctions connect words, phrases, or clauses.
Subcategories:
Coordinating Conjunctions: Link similar elements (e.g., and, but, or).
Subordinating Conjunctions: Introduce dependent clauses (e.g., because, although).
Correlative Conjunctions: Work in pairs (e.g., either…or, neither…nor).
8. Interjections
Interjections are words or phrases that express emotions.
Examples:
Surprise: Wow! Oh!
Pain: Ouch!
Joy: Hooray!
Here’s the classification of the given words as countable or uncountable:
1. News - Uncountable
(News is considered a singular, uncountable noun in English.)
2. Library - Countable
(Library can be counted, e.g., one library, two libraries.)
3. Father - Countable
(Father refers to a person and can be counted, e.g., one father, two fathers.)
4. Teacher - Countable
(Teacher refers to a person and can be counted, e.g., one teacher, two teachers.)
5. Breakfast - Uncountable
(Breakfast is treated as a meal or concept, not individual items.)
6. Bread - Uncountable
(Bread refers to the substance as a whole. For individual pieces, use slices or loaves of
bread.)
Key Points:
Uncountable nouns typically refer to things that cannot be counted individually (e.g.,
ideas, substances, or concepts).
Countable nouns can be counted and usually have a singular and plural form.
words ending in -s, -ss, -sh, -ch, and –x then add -es:
"The bus passes a fish near the church with a jazz box."
Consonant + y then –ies
Vowel + y then -s
Here’s a list of common irregular noun plurals in English:
1. Change of Vowel Sound
man → men
woman → women
foot → feet
tooth → teeth
goose → geese
2. No Change
sheep → sheep
deer → deer
fish → fish (sometimes fishes is used to refer to multiple species)
species → species
aircraft → aircraft
3. -en Ending
child → children
ox → oxen
4. Foreign Origin Plurals
cactus → cacti or cactuses
fungus → fungi or funguses
focus → foci or focuses
analysis → analyses
crisis → crises
thesis → theses
phenomenon → phenomena
criterion → criteria
5. Unusual Changes
mouse → mice
louse → lice
person → people (formal plural: persons)
die → dice (for gaming; dies in technical contexts)
1. woman → women (irregular)
2. tooth → teeth (irregular)
3. glass → glasses (add -es because it ends in -ss)
4. wish → wishes (add -es because it ends in -sh)
5. truck → trucks (add -s)
6. pencil → pencils (add -s)
7. friend → friends (add -s)
8. monkey → monkeys (add -s, as it ends in a vowel + y)
9. tomato → tomatoes (add -es because it ends in -o)
10. way → ways (add -s, as it ends in a vowel + y)
11. eye → eyes (add -s)
Summary of Rules:
Add -s to most nouns.
Add -es if the noun ends in -s, -sh, -ch, -x, -z, or some -o.
Change the word form for irregular nouns.
For nouns ending in vowel + y, add -s.
D. Rewrite these sentences using plural nouns.
1. A bus is quicker than a rickshaw. → Buses are quicker than rickshaws.
2. A tiger is a ferocious animal. → Tigers are ferocious animals.
3. A banker earns more money than a teacher. → Bankers earn more money than teachers.
4. A laptop is an expensive piece of equipment. → Laptops are expensive pieces of equipment.
5. A student has to work hard. → Students have to work hard.
6. A good book helps to pass time. → Good books help to pass time.
E. Complete these sentences with a singular or plural noun.
1. The car stops outside our house. (car/cars)
2. The children were waiting for me. (child/children)
3. The books are in the shelf. (book/books)
4. Do you know the man that lives next door? (man/men)
5. The dentist pulled out the tooth that was hurting. (tooth/teeth)
6. The boy who was waiting here has gone home. (boy/boys)
F. Complete these sentences with a singular or plural verb.
1. The children are getting ready for school. (is getting/are getting)
2. My uncle is in the army. (is/are)
3. The flower smells sweet. (smell/smells)
4. The chocolates we bought were very expensive. (was/were)
5. The letters you posted yesterday were confidential. (was/were)
6. The young man you met yesterday has been transferred to this office recently. (has been/have
been)
