Unit 1: Parts of Speech

There are eight parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and
interjections. Keep in mind that some words can function in a number of ways. As a result, you
need to know the definition of each part of speech.

NOUNS: A noun is a word used to name a person, place, thing, or idea.

Examples of a person:____________________________________________________________

Examples of a place:_____________________________________________________________

Examples of a thing:_____________________________________________________________

Examples of an idea:_____________________________________________________________

Common nouns name a class of something, like planets, states, athletes.

Proper nouns name something particular and are capitalized: Venus, Minnesota, Joe Nathan.

Concrete nouns name an object that can be seen, heard, tasted, touched, or smelled: bread, opera,
stubble, chocolate.

Abstract nouns name a concept or an emotion: happiness, independence, honesty, freedom.

Question: Why should writers use more concrete than abstract nouns when writing?
Answer:

Exercise 1--In each of the sentences below, underline the common nouns and circle the proper nouns.

1. A sari is a garment worn by women in India.

2. One book described the crash of the Titanic into an iceberg in the Atlantic.

3. John and Cara are taking the bus to go to a baseball game in the Metrodome.

4. The surprise was four tickets to Jamaica in January.

5. Her attitude was pleasant, but her remarks were not.

6. Mama Mia! is a musical based on songs by Abba and was made into a film.

7. Sponge Bob Squarepants is a cartoon on Nickelodeon.

8. Michael Phelps is a swimmer who won eight gold medals in the Olympics.

9. Harry Potter is the name of the hero in a series by J.K. Rowling.

10. St. Paul has been the host of the Republican Convention.

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Exercise 2--In each of the sentences below, underline the concrete nouns and circle the abstract ones.

1. Our dog loves the freedom of our large yard.

2. Harriet Tubman risked her safety to help runaway slaves.

3. Vincent van Gogh is the artist who painted The Starry Night.

4. James appreciated the patience and kindness shown by his teacher.

5. Ramona needed a tissue after experiencing the sadness of The Notebook.

6. Experts regard Edgar Allan Poe as a master of mystery and imagination.

7. The athlete wept with joy and gratitude when she won the competition.

8. Mrs. Baron refused to allow the noise to ruin her speech.

9. Many causes contributed to the Vietnam War.

10. Sam's father has gained an appreciation of hip hop.

Exercise 3--Using Vocabulary 1 words, write a sentence containing these nouns. Underline the noun.

1. Common noun:

2. Proper noun:

3. Concrete noun:

4. Abstract noun:

PRONOUNS: A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. The word a pronoun stands for
is called its antecedent. There are six types of pronouns.

Personal pronouns (23):_________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Relative pronouns (5):___________________________________________________________

Interrogative pronouns (5):_______________________________________________________

Demonstrative pronouns (4): _____________________________________________________

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Indefinite pronouns (29):_________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Reflexive pronouns (8):__________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 4--Underline the pronouns in the sentences below. Look at the types of pronouns!

1. I asked Frank to bring in the mail when he came inside.

2. He kept two letters for himself and handed me a large envelope.

3. It was a friend of mine in Colorado.

4. The envelope had seven stamps on the outside, and each was different from the others.

5. Among the stamps was one with a picture of Harriet Quimby on its face.

6. She was a female pilot who was also a pioneer in the history of aviation.

7. Quimby is not as famous as Amelia Earhart, who disappeared over the Pacific Ocean.

8. Who is the man pictured on the stamp next to hers?

9. That is Luis Munoz Marin, who served four terms as governor of Puerto Rico.

10. He greatly influenced its history, which is quite an accomplishment.

Exercise 5--Underline the pronouns in the paragraph, and circle the antecedents.

In Charleston, South Carolina, the basket makers visit among themselves as they sit,

weaving their baskets. The basket makers practice an art that is three hundred years old. It

has been passed from one generation of women to another. The baskets themselves were once

made to store rice harvested by slaves. Later, they were used to carry vegetables and fruit.

People who stop to watch a basket being made understand the skill and labor basket weaving

takes. Even the smallest basket requires hours of work, making it expensive. Tourists seem

willing to pay the price without complaining about it. They appreciate the fine workmanship.

The three hundred families who make baskets today are proud of their tradition.

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VERBS: A verb is a word that shows either action or state of being.

Action verbs:___________________________________________________________________

To be verbs:____________________________________________________________________

Linking verbs:_________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 6--Underline the action verb in each sentence.

1. Rudy raked the leaves in the back yard.

2. A cold wind whipped through the trees.

3. Mary expects a college acceptance letter in the mail.

4. The Mustangs hope to win their first home game.

5. Because of the drought, the farmer worried about his crops.

6. Andy poured a glass of lemonade.

7. Corinne recited a poem aloud for the class.

8. The freshmen came to school a day before everyone else.

9. Michael Phelps won eight gold medals and set a new record.

10. Students auditioned for the fall play.

Exercise 7--Underline the linking verb in each sentence and circle the two words linked by the verb.

1. The gymnast was pleased with her performance.

2. Meg feels peaceful after a long run.

3. The tacos smell delicious.

4. Wanda's older brother is my Spanish tutor.

5. That was a childish thing to do.

6. We were too noisy.

7. That story sounds fishy to me.

8. In fairy tales, some animals become humans at night.

9. My neighbor grew taller this summer.

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A verb phrase consists of the main verb and its helping verbs. To be verbs are helping verbs.

Other helping verbs (15)_________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Exercise 8--Underline the entire verb phrase in each sentence and circle the helping verbs.

1. You may have heard of the National Honor Society tutors in the library.

2. They can help students with all kinds of assignments.

3. Students should listen to the announcements for the tutoring times.

4. Many have been helped by NHS members.

5. Tutors can quiz students for tests.

6. Tutors will not make students feel dumb.

7. Everyone should take advantage of these tutors.

8. Some tutors can work with students having difficulty with the English language.

ADJECTIVES: An adjective is a word used to modify a noun or a pronoun and answer one
of three questions--

What kind? Examples___________________________________________________________

Which one?____________________________________________________________________

How many?____________________________________________________________________

A, an, the are adjectives but are usually called articles and will not be used in the exercises.

Exercise 9--Underline the adjectives in each of the following sentences and circle the word each
adjective modifies or describes. Remember to apply the above questions.

1. The small plane made several attempts to land safely.

2. What lucky fishing group caught those trout?

3. Ancient glaciers have created a large wilderness in northern Canada.

4. The fox dashed across the grassy meadow, looking for some food.

5. The prizewinning photographer said his best shots were unusual.

6. Seven generations of my family have lived in this isolated village.

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7. The tired tourists walked around the foggy city but did not mind the bad weather.

8. The audience was surprised when ten members of the cast seemed to fly.

9. That castle is famous for its mahogany walls and stained-glass windows.

10. The new students were lost, but friendly people helped them find their way.

Exercise 10--Classify whether each underlined word is a noun (n), pronoun (pro), verb (v), or
adjective (adj.) Remember what each kind of word does in a sentence. This is a midway review.

A New York City vacation is one your family will always remember. New York City has
so much to see and do that you will be busy from the moment you arrive. When my family and I
visited the Big Apple last summer, we stayed at the Mayflower Hotel. Our rooms were on the
seventh floor, overlooking Central Park. What an ideal place that is to watch people! On
Monday morning we awakened early and took a subway train to Battery Park. There we
purchased tickets for a ferry ride to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. These two attractions
reminded me that America is a land of immigrants. Photographs of some of the twelve million
people that passed through Ellis Island are displayed in its main building, which was recently
renovated. What a memorable experience!

ADVERBS: An adverb is a word used to modify a verb, an adjective or another adverb.

Adverbs answer one of four questions--

Where? Examples______________________________________________________________

When? Examples_______________________________________________________________

How? Examples________________________________________________________________

To what extent? Examples_______________________________________________________

Exercise 11--Underline the adverbs in each of the following sentences. Then circle the verb each
adverb modifies. A sentence may have more than one adverb.

1. The police searched everywhere for the stolen bracelet.

2. The first graders willingly participated in the geography contest.

3. The map of the world was brilliantly painted.

4. Claudia spoke endlessly about her trip to Europe.

5. You left your jacket here.

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6. Today the mail arrived early, something that is unusual.

7. You can completely depend on Joe because he always works hard.

8. Seth exercises frequently and eats well.

9. Diego nearly lost his iPod.

10. Fortunately, school starts late on Wednesday.

Exercise 12--Underline the adverbs in each of the following sentences and circle the adjective each
adverb modifies.

1. After her run, Patsy was thoroughly exhausted.

2. Mark was especially kind to his young cousin.

3. This chili tastes especially spicy.

4. The crowd's reaction to the bad call was not unusual.

5. That is an extremely heavy box; lift with your legs.

6. The usually loud Mustang Stable was suddenly quiet.

7. The overly choosy batter watched the pitches fly by. (TURN THE PAGE AND CONTINUE!)

8. The soloist was slightly flat during the concert.

9. The two year old was completely wild.

10. I was very angry with the way my mother talked to my friends.

Exercise 13--Underline the adverbs in each sentence and draw an arrow from one adverb to the
other it modifies.

1. Kari spoke rather slowly.

2. Juan explained very precisely what had happened.

3. Don leaned alarmingly far over the ledge.

4. The students in the cafeteria complained extremely loudly about the lack of space.

5. I awoke somewhat early, which is unusual for me.

6. Increasingly often I am finding trash along the street.

7. Maren told her story perfectly calmly.

8. John played even better than Justin.

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9. I thank you most sincerely for the gift.

10. Sid was checking the mail almost daily for the package.

Exercise 14--Identify whether the following words are adverbs or adjectives.

1. “How are we supposed to know?” he asked SARCASTICALLY.________________

2. Nobody knows whether he will come HERE or not.________________.
3. The donor remains ANONYMOUS._________________
4. I NEARLY fell off my chair when you sneaked up behind me.___________________
5. The day was LOVELY.__________________________
6. SUDDENLY I no longer cared who had the bigger piece of cake.________________
7. I was TOO angry to speak to anyone.___________________
8. That was the LONGEST speech she’s ever given.____________________
9. Late autumn seems GRIM to those who love summer.______________________
10. Can you skate BACKWARD without a BACKWARD glance?__________________

Exercise 15--Label the adjectives (adj) and adverbs (adv) in each sentence.

1. SnoDaze is quite an interesting week at Mounds View High School

2. First, students are encouraged to dress in crazy costumes to show their school spirit.

3. Participants compete daily in a variety of fun events.

4. Teams decorate their hall extravagantly and often enthusiastically.

5. The pepfest schedule usually confuses students, especially freshmen.

6. Most students going to the pepfest cheer loudly when royalty is crowned.

7. Students going to the dance sometimes spend a large amount of money.

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PREPOSITIONS: A preposition shows the relationship of a noun or a pronoun to some
other word in the sentence. Usually, prepositions are used to show where something is
located or when something happened. They function like adverbs, but they introduce a
prepositional phrase.

Examples of prepositional phrases:

Location Time Action and Movement

above at at

below on by

over by from

under before into

among from on

between since onto

beside for off

in front of during out of

behind to

next to until

with after

in the middle of

on

in

at

Exercise 16--Underline the prepositions, and place parentheses around the entire prepositional
phrase. Some sentences will have more than one prepositional phrase.

1. After the game we decided to go out for pizza.

2. The first day of the semester is usually a long one.

3. Mark's mother asked him to go to the store.

4. Dogs need to go on daily walks.

5. Many people make frequent trips to Target.

6. The ball flew over everyone's head.

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7. Next to pizza, tacos are Jen's favorite food.

8. Ms. Hallberg comes from Fergus Falls.

9. Mrs. Rosin has two children in college.

10. Mr. Morrissette taught at Stillwater High School before he came to Mounds View.

Exercise 17--Determine whether the underlined word is an adverb or a preposition.

1. "Turn the light off," said the teacher.

2. The ball bounced off the wall.

3. The cold children ran into the house.

4. The friendly host urged his guests to come in.

5. "See you around," said Sarah casually.

6. The students ran around the track during gym.

7. "Over the river and through the woods, to grandmother's house we go."

8. John asked us to come over, but we had other plans.

9. Susie grew tired and fell behind during the race.

10. Look behind the door to see who is here.

CONJUNCTIONS AND INTERJECTIONS: A conjunction joins words or groups of

words, and an interjection expresses emotion.

Examples of coordinating conjunctions (7):_________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Examples of correlative conjunctions (5 pairs):______________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Examples of interjections:________________________________________________________

Exercise 18--Identify whether the following underlined words are conjunctions or interjections.

1. Hey! What do you think you're doing?

2. Either you or I need to baby sit tomorrow night.

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3. I'm not sure whether Sally or Kristina will be at the party.

4. Well, what do you think?

5. Not only your brother but also your sister will be at the graduation party.

6. Both Callie and Sam plan to bring pizza tomorrow night.

7. Yikes! Who let that wasp in the room?

8. No, I don't plan to attend the meeting.

9. I had forgotten to do the assignment, so I didn't do so well on the test.

10. I told John we should stay home, but he still wanted to go to the movies.

Exercise 19: Parts of speech review--Identify the part of speech of each underlined word. Label
nouns (n), pronouns (pro), verbs (v), adjectives (adj), adverbs (adv), conjunctions (conj), prepositions
(prep), and interjections (int). Remember that some words can be used in a variety of ways!

College Writing Lab is an extremely important class for students to take. Not only do
they learn how to write better sentences, paragraphs, and papers, but they also learn how to edit
more carefully. Besides reviewing the parts of speech, students will become more intentional
with all the different types of punctuation. They will also work on word choice and parallel
structure while discovering ways to avoid dangling and misplaced modifiers. Students who take
this course seriously will be well prepared for college. In addition, they receive an excellent
review for the ACT and SAT. Wow! Who could ask for anything better than that?
Which words are NOT adverbs?
suddenly lonely stealthily soon
over red friendly tomorrow
outside French quite not

Which words are NOT adjectives?

friendly horrible green well
under focused glum surprisingly
twenty Hawaiian quickly not

Which words are NOT prepositions?

over under between soon
because of however inside
on not among down

Which words are NOT verbs?

freedom fight am work
inch under remain focus
skip bolt eyeball sink

What is the part of speech of the capitalized word? For 10-27, what is being advertised?

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1. The band played LOUDLY.
2. TOMORROW we have a grammar test.
3. Josh carried the ball TWENTY yards.
4. Maria skied DOWN the slope.
5. I want to know WHETHER you’re coming.
6. Erik enjoys KNITTING.
7. Billy Ray Bob came FROM the barn.
8. DOWN came the rain and washed the spider out.
9. Roses are RED; violets are blue.
10. It's the real THING.
11. Can you hear me NOW? Good.
12. Hungry? Why WAIT?
13. Have it YOUR way
14. Be a PEPPER!
15. It's the ULTIMATE bubble.
16. Snap! Crackle! POP!
17. They're G-R-REAT!
18. Betcha can't eat JUST one
19. The milk chocolate MELTS in your mouth - not in your hand
20. You deserve a BREAK today
21. When it rains, it POURS.
22. Obey YOUR Thirst
23. Head FOR the Border
24. Oh, WHAT a feeling
25. Be all that you CAN BE.
26. Breakfast OF Champions

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 Practice Grammar Test
Identify whether the italicized word is (A) a noun, (B) a pronoun, or (C) an adjective.
1. Amanda was proud of her trophy.
2. Students look forward to sitting in the senior section during pepfests.
3. Mrs. Rosin has been a teacher at Mounds View High School since 1993.
4. The backpack under the table belongs to him.
5. Angie cried while watching The Notebook.
6. I am ready to take the test, but I'm a little nervous.
7. Some male teachers like wearing Hawaiian shirts.
8. Yesterday I watched a good movie.
9. About ten years ago, the girls cross country team learned knitting.
10. Most boys prefer action films to "chick flicks."
Identify whether the italicized word is (A) a verb, (B) an adjective, or (C) an adverb.
11. I am not sure whether he plans to apply to the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
12. The team has an impressive record.
13. I plan to watch more documentaries because I like to learn about the world.
14. Yesterday I learned about chemical formulas.
15. Emilio was too tired to finish his homework.
16. The excited girl jumped up and down.
17. Being friendly results in people wanting to get to know you better.
18. Drew Carey tells people to "come on down!"
19. I need to know how many people are coming to the carbo load.
20. She was rather embarrassed when the coach made fun of her.
Identify whether the italicized word is (A) a preposition, (B) a conjunction, or (C) an adverb.
21. The creature under the rock was disgusting.
22. Bring the paper here.
23. Whether or not you are ready, it's still time to go on stage.
24. Around the corner is an awesome deli.
25. The corners of his mouth turned down because he was sad.
26. I am studying hard, so I hope to do well on the test.
27. Todd is applying to ten colleges.
28. Both John and Carson will try out for basketball.
29. Christina Aguilera sings, "Come on Over, Baby."
30. Give the award to the most deserving individual.

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Identify the correct part of speech for each italicized word.
A. noun C. verb E. adverb AC. conjunction
B. pronoun D. adjective AB. preposition AD. interjection

31. Look at what's happening around you and take notice..

32. The second street on the right is Laura Lane.
33. The person who really wants to win is my sister.
34. Mara's best friend moved away last winter.
35. The special effects in that movie are awesome.
36. Not only is Alec an Eagle Scout, but he also works hard in school.
37. The farthest planet from the sun is Venus.
38. Ralph ate his food too quickly.
39. Andrea's passion is knitting.
40. Yikes, I'm not sure where the group will be eating on Saturday.
41. Time management is key for students to experience success.
42. In three weeks the students will have a break.
43. Who is that masked man?
44. What is the name of the game?
45. Riley wanted to go to the mall.
46. Aeli thought she might major in Spanish.
47. Volleyball is a sport that requires discipline.
48. I am not sure whether I want to watch that movie
49. Turn the music down.
50. Hurray! I hope the tests is as easy as this.

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