9 Parts of Speech in English Grammar (Uses & Examples)

Rose Sensei
Oct 25
3 min read

Updated: Oct 29

Have you ever wondered what makes English sentences work so well? Every word plays a special role—and together, they build meaning! These roles are called the parts of speech.

There are nine main parts of speech in English.

Let’s explore them one by one with easy examples and simple explanations so you can master grammar with confidence.

Open notebook labeled "Grammar" on a wooden desk with sticky notes, pens, coffee cup. Text: Parts of Speech in English Grammar. Vibrant colors.

🗣️ 1. Noun — The Name of a Person, Place, or Thing

Function: Nouns give names to people, animals, places, objects, or ideas.

Examples:

Maria loves music.
Singapore is a clean city.

Tip: If you can put “a,” “an,” or “the” before it, it’s usually a noun!

🔗Need to Practise More?

👉A Complete Guide to Nouns in English

💬 2. Pronoun — The Word that Replaces a Noun

Function: Pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition.

Examples:

Lisa is my friend. → She is very kind.
Tom and I went shopping. → We bought snacks.

Common pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they, mine, ours, theirs

Review Pronouns:

👉Types of Pronouns Explained: [Personal, Possesssive, Reflexive etc.]

⚡ 3. Verb — The Action or State of Being

Function: Verbs tell us what someone does or is.

Examples:

She runs every morning.
They are teachers.

Tip: Every sentence needs a verb—it’s the heart of the sentence!

✨ 4. Adjective — The Word that Describes a Noun

Function: Adjectives give more information about nouns.

Examples:

a beautiful garden
an old book
a happy child

Remember: Adjectives often answer What kind? Which one? How many?

🧐 Try this:

👉Comparatives & Superlatives Adjectives MCQ Quiz + Answers

🌈 5. Adverb — The Word that Describes a Verb, Adjective, or Another Adverb

Function: Adverbs tell us how, when, where, or how often something happens.

Examples:

She sings beautifully.
He arrived late.
They study hard.

Hint: Many adverbs end in -ly, but not all!

Adverbs In Real Conversations

📍 6. Preposition — The Word that Shows Relationship

Function: Prepositions show the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and another word in the sentence.

Examples:

The book is on the table.
She walked to the park.
The cat is under the chair.

Common prepositions: in, on, at, to, for, from, with, about, between

✏️Find out more:

👉Prepositions of Time: How to Use ON IN AT SINCE/FOR, BY/UNTIL etc

🧩 7. Conjunction — The Word that Connects

Function: Conjunctions join words, phrases, or sentences.

Examples:

I like tea and coffee.
She’s tired, but she’s happy.
You can come if you want.

Tip: Remember FANBOYS — for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so!

🪞 8. Determiner — The Word that Points Out or Limits a Noun

Function: Determiners come before nouns and help specify which one or how many.

Examples:

This car is fast.
A book, the book, some books, many books

Types: articles (a, an, the), demonstratives (this, that), possessives (my, your), quantifiers (some, many, few)

Try this:

👉The Complete Guide to Articles: a, an, the & zero article

💥 9. Interjection — The Word that Shows Emotion

Function: Interjections express sudden feelings or reactions.

Examples:

Wow! That’s amazing!
Oh no! I forgot my keys!
Hey! Watch out!

Note: Interjections often stand alone and end with an exclamation mark.

🌼 Summary Chart: 9 Parts of Speech

Part of Speech	Function	Example
Noun	Names people, places, or things	cat, city, love
Pronoun	Replaces nouns	she, they, ours
Verb	Shows action or state	run, is
Adjective	Describes a noun	happy, tall
Adverb	Describes verbs/adjectives	quickly, very
Preposition	Shows relationship	in, on, between
Conjunction	Connects words/phrases	and, but, or
Determiner	Points out nouns	the, this, some
Interjection	Expresses emotion	wow, ouch, hey