Parts of Speech

What Is a Noun?

Nouns are a part of speech that comprise words that are used to name people, places, animals, objects and ideas. Almost every sentence will definitely have a noun, and they perform different roles in a sentence. Nouns can act as the subject, an indirect object, a direct object, a subject complement and an object complement. Nouns can also function as adjectives and verbs.

Examples of Nouns:

People – Rahul, Sheela, Man, Person, Tommy, Women, Girl, The Prime Minister
Places – Bangalore, India, Mexico, North Pole, South Africa, The Nile River, Classroom, Bedroom, Basketball Court, Cricket Ground, Swimming Pool
Animals/Birds/Aquatic Animals/Reptiles – Lion, Zebra, Snake, Ostrich, Flamingo, Bear, Cat, Fish, Shark
Ideas – Evolution, Invention, Extinction, Argument, Destruction
Objects/Things – Bat, Cycle, Curtains, Paper, Bag, Blackboard, Cupboard

Types of Nouns

Nouns can be broadly classified into:

1. Proper Nouns: Nouns that are used to name a person, place or thing specifically are called a proper noun. Proper nouns always begin with a capital letter.

Examples:

- My name is Rose. (Name of a particular person)
- This is my dog, Bruno. (Name of a specific pet animal owned by someone)
- David came back from Minsk. (Name of a specific place)
- Louis Philippe is a famous brand of men’s clothing. (Name of a particular clothing brand)

2. Common nouns: Common nouns are those nouns that refer to a generic item, group or place. This means that, unlike proper nouns, they are not used to identify specific people, places or objects. Common nouns are not capitalised unless they appear at the beginning of a sentence.

Examples:

- I bought a pen yesterday. (Common object)
- I am going to school. (Common place)
- Only ten employees showed up to work today. (Common group)
- The car is out of fuel. (Common items)

3. Singular nouns: These are words that are used to name a single person, place, animal, bird or object.

Examples:

- There is a little boy in front of our house. (Single person)
- That is my daughter. (Single person)
- I found a wounded sparrow in the bush. (Single bird)
- A red van has been following us for a long time. (Single object)

4. Plural nouns: Plural nouns refer to a number of people, places, animals or things. Nouns are made plural by adding an ‘s’ or ‘es’ or ‘ies’ or ‘ves’ to the existing root word. Nouns that end with an ‘s’ remain the same. Some nouns remain the same in both their singular and plural forms, and some others have totally different spelling.

Examples:

- I need some apples.
- Did you find the boxes you were looking for?
- I bought mangoes from the market.
- We took photos of some deer on our way.

5. Countable nouns are those nouns that can be counted or measured.

Examples:

- Tom brought ten packets of lays for the trip. (specific number – ten)
- Mom asked me to buy a dozen eggs. (specific – dozen means twelve)
- I saw an aeroplane around seven in the morning. (specific – an means one)

6. Uncountable nouns are those nouns that cannot be counted. This category of nouns includes both concrete and abstract nouns.

Examples:

- I have a lot of homework to do. (Not specific)
- I have a cup of tea. (Cannot count)
- We are facing terrible weather today. (Cannot count)

7. Collective Nouns: A collective noun is a naming word that is used to denote a group of objects, animals or people.

Examples:

- Collective nouns for groups of animals
  - A pride of lions
  - A flock of sheep
  - A swarm of bees
  - A herd of elephants
- Collective nouns for groups of people
  - A band of musicians
  - A board of directors
  - A crew of sailors
  - A company of actors
- Collective nouns for a number of things/objects
  - A pair of shoes
  - A chain of mountains
  - A fleet of ships
  - A bunch of grapes

8. Concrete Nouns: A concrete noun refers to objects that are material and can be perceived by the human senses.

Examples:

- The book is on the table.
- I had a cup of coffee.
- Sharon opened the windows.
- Hardy goes to school by bus.

9. Abstract Nouns: Any entity that cannot be perceived by the five senses of the human body are called an abstract noun.

Examples:

Love is a strong emotion.
Honesty is the best policy.
It takes a lot of courage to raise your voice and stand up against injustice.
You should not misuse the freedom you are given.

Also Explore: Compound Nouns | Possessive Nouns | Noun Phrases | Noun Exercises

Nouns Used as Different Components of a Sentence

Nouns Used as a Subject

When used as a subject, a noun mostly appears at the beginning of a sentence. It can be identified by asking the question ‘who’.

Examples:

Bruno went to the playground.
The teacher asked the students to submit their assignments.
The elephant was rescued safely after ten long hours.

Nouns Used as an Object

When nouns are used as objects, they appear in the latter part of a sentence. It can be identified by asking the question ‘what’.

Examples:

I bought a pen.
Where is your book?
I cannot find today’s newspaper.

Nouns can be used as a direct object and an indirect object.

Nouns Used as a Direct Object

You can identify a noun used as a direct object by asking the question ‘what’.

Examples:

Do you want a lollipop? (What do you want? – a lollipop)
I loved my dress. (What did you love? – my dress)

Nouns Used as an Indirect Object

You can ask the question ‘for whom’ to identify a noun used as an indirect object.

Examples:

Dan bought his sister a Mini Cooper. (For whom did Dan buy a Mini Cooper? – his sister)
Megha baked Julie a cake. (For whom did Megha bake a cake? – Julie)

Nouns Used as a Complement

When a noun is used to modify or describe another noun, it acts as a complement.

Nouns Used as a Subject Complement

Professions and positions can perform the role of a subject complement.

Examples:

My brother is an engineer.
Jawaharlal Nehru was the first Prime Minister of India.

Nouns Used as an Object Complement

Object complements are nouns that follow the noun they modify. Names, professions and positions can perform the role of an object complement.

Examples:

We named our dog, Shadow.
The teacher made Tabitha, the class leader.

Multifunctional Nouns

Nouns Used as Verbs

There are some nouns which can also be used as a verb. Some nouns can be used as verbs with a slight change in the spelling of the original word.

Examples:

His divorce is final. (Used as a noun)

I am divorced. (Used as a verb)

Do you like my new dress? (Used as a noun)

I am dressed and ready to go. (Used as a verb)

Derrick had come to collect some ice. (Used as a noun)

My mother iced the fish so that it did not stink. (Used as a verb)

I have dance practice today. (Used as a noun)

Did you practise the song? (Used as an adjective)

Nouns Used as Adjectives

With a slight change in the spelling or adding a suffix to the root word, nouns can sometimes be used as adjectives.

Examples:

I have no money. (Used as a noun)

There has been a change in the monetary policy of the country. (Used as an adjective)

Javed sensed some danger. (Used as a noun)

What you are trying to do is dangerous. (Used as an adjective)

She is excited about magic. (Used as a noun)

The experience was completely magical. (Used as an adjective)

Speaking against another religion is a legal offence. (Used as a noun)

What you did was offensive. (Used as an adjective)

What Are Conjunctions?

Conjunctions are used to combine two or more objects, phrases or clauses. It can also be termed as connectors as they are employed in sentences to make connections. Conjunctions can normally be found in the latter part of a sentence if they are used to connect clauses. If conjunctions are used to connect objects or phrases, they can appear in the beginning, middle or end of the sentence according to the position of the objects or phrases.

Definition of a Conjunction

A conjunction, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is defined as “a word such as ‘and’, ‘but’, ‘while’, or ‘although’ that connects words, phrases, and clauses in a sentence.” The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines a conjunction as “an uninflected linguistic form that joins together sentences, clauses, phrases, or words.”

A conjunction is “word that joins words, phrases or sentences, for example and, but or so”, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary. The Collins Dictionary gives a slightly different definition. According to it, a conjunction is “any word or group of words, other than a relative pronoun, that connects words, phrases, or clauses.”

Types of Conjunctions

Conjunctions are mainly used to join actions, ideas and thoughts. They are categorised into three main types:

Coordinating conjunctions – used to combine two independent clauses. Examples of coordinating conjunctions are for, and, nor, but, or, yet and so.
Subordinating conjunctions – used to combine an independent clause and a dependent clause. Examples of subordinating conjunctions are if, although, though, after, before, because, as if, unless, until, when, while, etc.
Correlative conjunctions – used to combine two phrases or parts of the sentence which have equal importance within a sentence. Examples of correlative conjunctions are not only…but also, either…or, neither…nor, whether…or, rather…or, if…then, etc.

Examples of Conjunctions

Have a look at the following sentences to understand how conjunctions can be employed in sentences.

Sruthi and I visited Gokarna last weekend.
Do you have a rough notebook or at least a rough sheet of paper?
I did not go to work today because I was not keeping well.
She did not like the food, yet she ate it.
I will be leaving tomorrow so I am trying to finish all the pending assignments.

List of Most Commonly Used Conjunctions in Daily Communication

Given below is a list of most commonly used conjunctions that you can use in your daily communication.

Examples of Conjunctions
And	Or	Nor
But	Yet	So
Because	Still	For
Not only…but also	As	When
While	As soon as	If
Unless	In case	In addition to
Whereas	Though	Although
Until	Before	After
Even if	Rather than	So that
Either…or	As if	Neither…or
Both…and	Whether…or	Or else

Check Your Understanding of Conjunctions

Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate conjunctions in the following sentences:

1. Deepak ________ Santhosh are best friends.

2. Make sure you work hard ______ you will not be able to score good marks.

3. _______ Anna does not cook much, she loves baking.

4. Let me know ______ you will be able to make it to the party.

5. I have to go home now ______ I really wish I could stay for some more time.

6. I am not well _______ I decided to take a day off from work.

7. _________ you work out regularly, you will not see any results.

8. He had no money, _____he was prepared to help me

9. I could not find the place ___________ I lost the map.

10. ________ I was walking on the street, I found a wounded dog.

Find out if you have answered it all correctly.

1. Deepak and Santhosh are best friends.

2. Make sure you work hard or you will not be able to score good marks.

3. Although Anna does not cook much, she loves baking.

4. Let me know if you will be able to make it to the party.

5. I have to go home now but I really wish I could stay for some more time.

6. I am not well, so I decided to take a day off from work.

7. Unless you work out regularly, you will not see any results.

8. He had no money, yet he was prepared to help me.

9. I could not find the place since/because I lost the map.

10. While I was walking on the street, I found a wounded dog.

What Is a Preposition?

A preposition is a short word that is employed in sentences to show the relationship nouns, pronouns or phrases have with other parts within the respective sentences. Prepositions are normally found positioned in the latter part of the sentence, but before a noun or pronoun.

Definition of a Preposition

A preposition is defined as “a word that connects a noun, a noun phrase, or a pronoun to another word, esp. to a verb, another noun, or an adjective”, according to the Cambridge Dictionary. The Oxford Learner’s Dictionary says that a preposition is “a word or group of words, such as in, from, to, out of and on behalf of, used before a noun or pronoun to show place, position, time or method.”

The Collins Dictionary defines a preposition as “a word such as ‘by’, ‘for’, ‘into’, or ‘with’ which usually has a noun group as its object.” The Merriam Webster Dictionary provides a slightly different definition. According to it, a preposition is defined as “a function word that typically combines with a noun phrase to form a phrase which usually expresses a modification or predication.”

Uses of Prepositions

Prepositions are seen to show some key characteristics and perform some vital functions when used in sentences. Let us look at the various uses of prepositions in English.

They are used to show the direction of something.
They can refer to the time of something happening.
They can be used to denote the position or location of an object in the sentence.
They are also used to represent spatial relationships.
Prepositional phrases, in particular, can be used to do all of these when used in sentences.

Types of Prepositions

Based on the different uses and functions of prepositions, they can be divided into four main types. They are as follows:

Prepositions of Time – used to show when something is happening.

For example:

We will be meeting on Friday.
The supermarket will be closed from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m.
Can you come after some time?
We have been asked to work from home until the end of May.
The whole country was asked to stay home during the pandemic to ensure safety and well-being.
Prepositions of Place – indicate the place or position of something.

For example:

I have kept the book I borrowed from you on the table.
Henry hid behind the door.
The dog jumped over the fence.
Can you place the red roses in between the white daisies?
He was waiting in front of the EB office.

For example:

The girl ran toward her father the moment she saw him.
Jerry jumped into the river to help his sister.
Veena passed the book to Priya.
When will Salvia be returning from London?
Neena lives across the street.

For example:

Kenny would be staying at his cousin’s place for the weekend.
Make sure you keep all the toys back in its place after you play.
I lay on the floor for a really long time.

For example:

Navya sat leaning against the wall.
The circus was stationed opposite the children’s park.
Lakshmi sat beneath the trees.
Shankar sat beside the stairs.
We spent the evening walking around the lake.

For example:

See to it that you reach the venue on time.
The medicines you asked for are out of stock.
Why don’t we try taking classes outside for a change.
Make sure you fill in all the forms at once.
Salmaan was able to finish it only with the help of his friends.

Examples of Prepositions Used in Sentences

To know how exactly prepositions can be used in sentences, check out the following sentences.

I will be going to church in the morning.
She placed the plates on the dining table.
Baskar found the cat hiding under the bed.
Will you be with Raimy or Mazeeka?
I love sitting on the beach at night.
Rachel met Phoebe by the lake.
Finn stood opposite Lisa.
The grocery store is right in front of the bus stop.
My brother climbed onto the roof.
It feels great to sit beneath the trees and read.

Now that you know what prepositions are and how they are used in sentences, try working out preposition exercises, preposition of time exercises, preposition exercises for class 10, preposition exercises for class 7 and preposition exercises for class 8.

List of Most Popular Prepositions for Everyday Communication

Given below is an extensive list of prepositions that you can make use of in your daily communication.

Examples of Prepositions
On	At	In	Over
Around	Through	Opposite to	In front of
Behind	Beneath	Beside	Above
Below	Under	Underneath	Down
Up	Out	With	Into
Onto	Across	After	Before
Near	Among	Along	Between
Toward	Away	From	To
Next to	By	Until	About

Commonly Confused Prepositions

With the huge number of prepositions in the English language, it almost seems impossible to have no confusion at all. Here is a list of prepositions that cause confusion among the users of the language.

In/On/At

These three prepositions can be used to depict both time and position. Take a look at the table below to have a better understanding of how it works.

Prepositions of Place
In	On	At
Can be used to show general locations like neighbourhoods, cities, countries and places with a boundary	Can be used to refer to more specific locations like streets, avenues, islands, surfaces and large vehicles	Can be used to refer to very specific locations
For example: I live in India.We will be staying in a hotel tonight.	For example: Latha stays on the fourth floor.The book you are looking for is on the rack.	For example: You can find us at the park.She is at home now.

Prepositions of Time
In	On	At
Can be used to depict general timings like months, years, centuries and parts of days	Can be used to refer to dates, days of the week, days of the month and holidays with ‘day’ (for example – Republic day)	Can be used to denote very specific time, times of the day and holidays without ‘day’ (for example – Easter)
For example: Dan was born in 2000.Technological development in the field of science and medicine reached its zenith in the 21st century.	For example: There is a national parade every year on Republic day.All of us will be at home on Christmas day.	For example: We decided to meet at 4 p.m.I wished my brother at midnight.

To/From

To and from are two other prepositions that create confusion.

To	From
Used to denote the end location	Used to denote the starting location
For example: We went to Sri Lanka with my family.I gave my coat to Sandra.	For example: Have you started from Bangalore?I received a letter from my father.

By/With

The prepositions by and with have various meanings. They sometimes appear to be confusing for a second language learner of English

By	With
Near or next to.For example: Is the post office by the bus stop?	In the company ofFor example: Glint went to Chennai with his friends.
A given time or not later thanFor example: See that you reach the exam hall by 8:30 a.m.	In addition toFor example: would you like to have tea with breakfast?
Denotes the doer of the action mentioned in a sentenceFor example: The poem was written by my brother.	By means ofFor example: I cut my birthday cake with a fruit knife.

What Are Interjections?

Interjection are a part of speech used to convey or express sudden feelings and emotions. There are no particular rules as to where interjections should be placed in a sentence, but most often, they are seen to appear in the beginning of a sentence. They are used to form exclamatory sentences. In order to develop a clearer idea of what interjections are exactly, take a look at how different dictionaries define an interjection.

Definition of an Interjection

An interjection, according to the Oxford Learner’s Dictionary, is defined as “a short sound, word or phrase spoken suddenly to express an emotion.” The Cambridge Dictionary defines an interjection as “a word that is used to show a short sudden expression of emotion.” According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, an interjection is defined as “a word or phrase used in exclamation” and according to the Macmillan Dictionary, an interjection is “a word or phrase used for expressing a strong emotion such as surprise or anger.” The Collins Dictionary defines an interjection as “a word or expression which you use to express a strong feeling such as surprise, pain, or horror.”

Examples of Interjections

Here are some examples of interjections to show you how they can be used in sentences effectively.

Hurray! We won the match.
Ouch! That really hurt badly.
Wow! That is a beautiful dress indeed.
Oh my God! That was unexpected.
Whoa! That guy is unbelievably huge.

List of Interjections for Everyday Communication

Now, here is a list of interjections that you can use in your daily communication.

Examples of Interjections
Interjection	Purpose	Example
Alas	To express sadness or pity	Alas! That was so unfortunate.
Ah	To express realisation or surprise	Ah, the magic show at the end was a total surprise!
Eh	To enquire or ask for something to be repeated	Eh! I didn’t quite get it. Can you please repeat it?
Dear	To express pity or surprise	Oh dear! I feel really bad for what happened to you.
Hey	To express surprise or call for attention	Hey! Look out for the car.
Hurray	To express joy	Hurray! We finally cleared the test.
Oh	To express pain or surprise	Oh! I have a really bad headache.
Ouch	To express pain	Ouch! You stepped on my toes.
Phew	To express relief, exhaustion, disgust	Phew! That was an extremely long presentation.
Uh	To express hesitation	Uh! I don’t think I want to be a part of this.
Well	To introduce a remark	Well, what you just did was wonderful.
Wow	To express your admiration for something	Wow! Your new bike is amazing.
Yippee	To express joy	Yippee! Tomorrow is a holiday.

How and When to Use Interjections?

When using interjections, there are some very important punctuation rules that you should keep in mind. Given below are the points you have to remember.

When a short interjection is used in the beginning of a sentence, it should be followed by a comma.
When an interjection forms a sentence by itself, the interjection can be followed by a full stop, a question mark or an exclamation mark.
When an interjection is used in the middle of a sentence, the interjection has to be preceded and followed by a comma.
In a conversation, interjections are sometimes allowed to stand alone.
It is better if you do not use too many or any interjections in a formal context.

Test Your Understanding of Interjections

Fill in the blanks with the most suitable interjection in the following sentences.

(Ouch, yippee, bravo, alas, my God, well, uh, ah, wow, oh no)

1. ______, that is new!

2. ______ That hurt me more than I thought it would.

3. ______ We got the tickets to the movie premier night.

4. ______ I don’t want to do it this way.

5. ______ You did a really great job with that piece of furniture.

6. ______ now I understand what you were trying to say.

7. ______ That should have really upset you.

8. ______ I have not cleared the internal assessment.

9. ______ That was a really brave thing to do.

10. _______ The waiting list for the reservation seats is too long; I don’t think we would get a seat.

Check out if you have filled in the blanks with the right interjections from the answers given below.

1. Well, that is new!

2. Ouch! That hurt me more than I thought it would.

3. Yippee! We got the tickets to the movie premier night.

4. Uh, I don’t want to do it this way.

5. Wow! You did a really great job with that piece of furniture.

6. Ah, now I understand what you were trying to say.

7. Oh no! That should have really upset you.

8. Alas! I have not cleared the internal assessment.

9. Bravo! That was a really brave thing to do.

10. My God! The waiting list for the reservation seats is too long; I don’t think we would get a seat.