CHAPTER II

THE PARTS OF SPEECH

21. Words gain definiteness of meaning by being grouped with other related words. We have seen (§ 15) that words must be grouped according to certain well defined habits of speech in order to express thought. Each word in a sentence performs a distinct office in defining, limiting, relating, or expressing the thought. Each word plays its part in producing intelligible speech.

All the words in the English language are divided into classes according to their part in the sentence. These classes or groups of words are called parts of speech. The classes are distinguished from one another by the meaning, form, or position of the word. There are eight parts of speech: noun, pronoun, adjective, verb, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection.

22. Every sentence has a subject, a something about which you think or speak. Given the words John, gardens, fire, you can think or say of them respectively that

of

The words about which you speak are the names persons, places, or things and are called nouns.

A noun is the name of a person, place, or thing. It can stand alone or with other words as the subject of a sentence.

23. In the above sentences (§ 22) substitutes may be used for the nouns. He may be used in place of John; they in place of gardens; it in place of fire. The sentences then read,

1. He plays.

2. They are green.

3. It burns.

These substitute words are called pronouns and can perform every office which can be performed in the sentence by a noun. These pronouns designate persons, places, or things without naming them.

A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. It be used, like a noun, as the subject of a sen

may

tence.

24. We have seen that every sentence must have a predicate, expressing what is thought or said of the subject. In the sentences

(1) Kittens/play;

(2) Ice/melts;
(3) Trees/grow;

the words play, melts, grow, express thoughts about the respective subjects. They say something in each case. These words which tell what is going on, are called verbs.

A verb is a word that declares something about the subject. It can stand alone or with other words as the predicate of a sentence.

25. The noun, pronoun, and verb are independent parts of speech, as they can form sentences without the help of other words. But some words describe, limit, or qualify the meaning of other words in the same sentence. Their office in the sentence is to make the thought distinct and specific.

The nouns kittens, gardens, ice have wide and general significance. But when you say "these kittens," "green gardens," "pure ice," you make the meaning at once clear and specific. These limits kittens to a particular group pointed out; green distinguishes between gardens that are green and others that are bare or brown; and pure describes ice, contrasting it with ice that is not hygienic. These limiting words are called adjectives. They always attach themselves closely to some noun.

An adjective is a word used to describe or limit a

noun.

26. Some words qualify the meaning of the verb in regard to the time, place, or manner of the action; or they qualify other limiting and qualifying words in regard to their extent or quality. When you say,

(1) The kittens play now;
(2) The fire burns brightly;
(3) The ice melts here;

(4) The sun shines very brightly;

now tells when the kittens play; brightly tells how the fire burns; here tells where the ice melts; very tells the degree of brightness. Such words are called adverbs and always attach themselves closely to verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs.

An adverb is a word used to qualify a verb, adjective, or other adverb.

27. Nouns and pronouns not only serve as subject of the sentence but are also used, like the adjective, to qualify another noun or pronoun; or, like the adverb, to qualify a verb or adjective. This relationship between two nouns (or pronouns), or between a noun (or pronoun) and a verb or adjective, is shown by words called prepositions. Observe the following sentences:

1. The ice on the wagon melts rapidly.
2. We saw him at his home.

3. The men work in the night.

4. Every moment is good for something.

The words on, at, in, for show the relation between the various words indicated. Thus, on tells where the ice melts; in tells when the men work; for tells in what respect each moment is good.

A preposition is a word used to join a noun or pronoun to some other word in the sentence and to show the relation between them.

28. Words and groups of words may be joined by connecting words called conjunctions. Observe the following sentences:

1. He and I went to school together.

2. The orchestra played while the guests danced. 3. They shouted because they were in danger. The connection may be merely an addition, as adding I to he, without showing any relation; or it may express relationship, as while, which denotes time, and because, which gives the reason.

A conjunction is a word used to connect words or groups of words and to show the relationship between sentences.

29. Some special words are used in exclamations. They do not enter into relationship with other words to form a sentence, but the following sentence is closely related in thought to the exclamation. These exclamatory words are called interjections. Observe the following sentences:

1. Alas! We have lost all.

2. Pshaw! That is not worthy of your notice.

3. Hurrah! We are ahead.

These words alas, pshaw, hurrah, are in fact brief, compact sentences. They are complete emotional speech rather than merely parts of speech. They might be called sentence-words.

An interjection is an exclamation giving expression to strong feeling or emotion.

EXERCISE 5

Write ten sentences illustrating the various parts of speech.