8 Parts of Speech in English: Definitions and Examples

Every word in an English sentence has a specific job. These jobs are known as the parts of speech. Knowing how each part works helps you form clear, natural, and grammatically correct sentences in both writing and speaking.

Parts of Speech

Noun

Names a person, place, thing, or idea (lady, road, tree, love, Bob, Mary).

• The lady put her wallet in her purse.
• The road was wet and slippery.
• I saw Bob in town.
• Love is the true price of happiness.
• Her dream to enter a famous university came true.

Pronoun

Used instead of a noun to avoid repetition (he, she, it, I, you, we, they).

• He is optimistic about the future.
• You cannot clap with one hand.
• They are preparing for the presentation.
• She arranged an appointment for Friday afternoon.
• We should push our work, not let the work push us.

Verb

Shows an action or a state of being (run, fly, work, show, is, become, bring, write).

• I can run a mile in five minutes.
• The boy decided to become a sailor.
• He could barely read and write.
• I’ll show you how to load the software.
• Will you bring the tea things into the garden?

Adverb

Describes how, when, where, or to what extent something happens (quickly, gently, extremely, carefully, well, fast, beautifully).

• I ate too quickly and got hiccups.
• We compared the two reports carefully.
• He felt extremely frustrated.
• The new curtains blend beautifully with the carpet.
• “You miss them, don’t you?” he asked gently.

Adjective

Describes or gives more information about a noun (new, fat, pretty, old, blue, smart, intelligent, young).

• That’s a pretty hat you’re wearing.
• You look very smart in your new suit.
• You’re a very capable young woman.
• Jack is an intelligent pupil.
• The sun glared out of the blue sky.

Conjunction

Connects words, phrases, or clauses (and, but, or, because, while, so, yet).

• Our bus won’t start because the battery is flat.
• You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.
• Other men live to eat, while I eat to live.
• I was tired, so I went to bed early.

Preposition

Shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word (in, on, at, about, with, over, around, through, during, above).

• He raised his arms above his head.
• I can hear voices through the wall.
• You’re not allowed to talk during the exam.
• I want to make an inquiry about train times.
• She hit him with a frying pan.

Interjection

Expresses emotion or reaction (Oh!, Wow!, Oops!, Hey!, Ah!).

• Wow! That car certainly goes fast.
• Hey! Can I ask you something?
• Oops! I nearly dropped my cup of tea.
• Oh! I completely forgot about that.

Last Updated on January 23, 2026