Eight Parts of Speech in Sixty Seconds

Welcome to the Grammar Minute, where we’re saving the English language sixty seconds at a time! I’m Lauren Smyth, and today, we’ll rapidly define the eight parts of speech. A noun denotes a person, place, or thing. They’re subdivided into proper nouns and common nouns. A proper noun is a name for a specific person, place, or thing that is usually capitalized. A common noun is generally not capitalized and is nonspecific. A pronoun substitutes for a noun to avoid repeating it. These include words like “he” and “this.” A verb shows an action, occurrence, or state of being. The most common verb is “to be” – I am, you are, he/she/it is, et cetera. An adjective describes a noun. An adverb describes a verb, another adverb, or an adjective. A preposition is a word that demonstrates relationship, often by expressing relative location. Words like “by,” “for,” “on,” “beside,” “beneath,” and “to” are prepositions. Conjunctions join words, phrases, or clauses. The most common is “and.” Interjections express feelings, often as exclamations, like wow! Or Uh-oh. That’s your Grammar Minute!