Parts of Speech in English Grammar
What Are Parts of Speech in English?
In English grammar, words are classified into different groups based on how they function in a sentence. These groups are known as parts of speech. Understanding them is essential for forming clear, correct, and meaningful sentences. Each word plays a specific role that helps convey the overall message of a sentence.
Meaning of Parts of Speech
Parts of speech are grammatical categories that describe how a word is used in a sentence. These categories explain the relationship between words and help us understand sentence structure and meaning.
Parts of Speech (Hindi Explanation):
वाक्य में शब्दों का प्रयोग जिस प्रकार होता है, उसके आधार पर उन्हें अलग-अलग वर्गों में बाँटा जाता है। इन्हीं वर्गों को शब्द-भेद (Parts of Speech) कहा जाता है।
Standard Definitions of Parts of Speech
- Words are grouped into different grammatical classes such as noun, verb, and adjective based on their usage in a sentence.
- Parts of speech are grammatical categories that show how words function and interact within sentences.
Main Types of Parts of Speech
There are eight primary parts of speech in English grammar:
- Noun (संज्ञा) : A noun names a person, place, object, or abstract idea. It can act as the subject or object in a sentence.
Examples: boy, school, freedom
- Pronoun (सर्वनाम) : A pronoun is used instead of a noun to prevent repetition and make sentences smoother.
Examples: he, she, they, it
- Adjective (विशेषण) : An adjective adds more detail to a noun or pronoun by describing its quality, size, or condition.
Examples: smart, tall, happy
- Verb (क्रिया) : A verb shows an action, condition, or state of being. It tells what the subject does or experiences.
Examples: write, play, is
- Adverb (क्रिया-विशेषण) : An adverb modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. It answers questions like how, when, where, or how often.
Examples: slowly, yesterday, very
- Preposition (सम्बन्धसूचक शब्द) : A preposition shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and other words in a sentence, often indicating place, time, or direction.
Examples: under, beside, before
- Conjunction (संयोजक) : A conjunction connects words, phrases, or clauses to form meaningful sentences.
Examples: and, but, because
- Interjection (विस्मयसूचक शब्द) : An interjection expresses sudden emotions or reactions and is usually followed by an exclamation mark.
Examples: oh!, wow!, alas!
Examples of Parts of Speech Used in Sentences
- Noun: The cat slept peacefully.
- Pronoun: She won the competition.
- Adjective: He bought a new phone.
- Verb: They played football.
- Adverb: He spoke clearly.
- Preposition: The keys are inside the bag.
- Conjunction: I wanted to go, but it was raining.
- Interjection: Wow! That performance was amazing.
1. Noun (संज्ञा)
Definition (English):
A noun is a word that names a person, place, object, or thing.
परिभाषा (Hindi):
जिस शब्द से किसी व्यक्ति, स्थान या वस्तु का बोध होता है, उसे Noun (संज्ञा) कहते हैं।
Examples:
- Ashoka was a great king.
- The rose smells sweet.
- Delhi is a large city.
- The sun gives heat.
- He is in the classroom.
- Come here, Mohan.
- Gold is yellow in colour.
- Honesty is the best policy.
Explanation:
इन वाक्यों में Ashoka, king, rose, Delhi, city, sun, gold, class, honesty, policy, और Mohan — सभी शब्द Noun के रूप में प्रयोग हुए हैं।
2. Pronoun (सर्वनाम)
Definition (English):
A pronoun is a word that is used instead of a noun.
परिभाषा (Hindi):
जो शब्द Noun के स्थान पर प्रयोग किया जाता है, उसे Pronoun (सर्वनाम) कहते हैं।
Examples:
- Madan is absent because he is ill.
- The books are where you left them.
Explanation:
यहाँ he शब्द Madan के लिए और them शब्द books के लिए प्रयुक्त हुआ है, इसलिए ये Pronouns हैं।
3. Adjective (विशेषण)
Definition (English):
An adjective is a word that describes or adds more information to a noun.
परिभाषा (Hindi):
जो शब्द किसी Noun की विशेषता बताए या उसके अर्थ में वृद्धि करे, उसे Adjective (विशेषण) कहते हैं।
Examples:
- He is a brave boy.
- There are thirty boys in this class.
Explanation:
इन वाक्यों में brave, thirty, और this — Noun की विशेषता बता रहे हैं, इसलिए ये Adjectives हैं।
4. Verb (क्रिया)
Definition (English):
A verb is a word that expresses an action or state of being.
परिभाषा (Hindi):
जो शब्द किसी व्यक्ति, स्थान या वस्तु के कार्य या स्थिति को दर्शाए, उसे Verb (क्रिया) कहते हैं।
Examples:
- The girl wrote a letter.
- Delhi is a big city.
- He played cricket.
- The earth moves round the sun.
- Iron and copper are useful metals.
- The sun rises in the east.
Explanation:
wrote, is, played, moves, are, rises — सभी शब्द क्रिया को दर्शाते हैं, इसलिए ये Verbs हैं।
5. Adverb (क्रिया-विशेषण)
Definition (English):
An adverb modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.
परिभाषा (Hindi):
जो शब्द Verb, Adjective या अन्य Adverb की विशेषता बताए, उसे Adverb (क्रिया-विशेषण) कहते हैं।
Examples:
- He solved the sum quickly.
- This flower is very beautiful.
- She spoke quite correctly.
Explanation:
- quickly → Verb (worked) को modify कर रहा है
- very → Adjective (beautiful) को modify कर रहा है
- quite → Adverb (correctly) को modify कर रहा है
6. Preposition (सम्बन्धसूचक शब्द)
Definition (English):
A preposition shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence.
परिभाषा (Hindi):
जो शब्द किसी Noun या Pronoun का सम्बन्ध दूसरे शब्द से बताए, उसे Preposition कहते हैं।
Examples:
- There is a parrot in the garden.
- The girl is fond of music.
- A boy sat under a tree.
Explanation:
in, of, under — सभी सम्बन्ध दर्शा रहे हैं, इसलिए ये Prepositions हैं।
7. Conjunction (संयोजक)
Definition (English):
A conjunction is a word that joins words, phrases, or sentences.
परिभाषा (Hindi):
जो शब्द दो शब्दों या वाक्यों को जोड़ता है, उसे Conjunction (संयोजक) कहते हैं।
Examples:
- Rama and Hari are friends.
- Mohan ran fast but missed the train.
- Two and two make four.
Explanation:
and और but — जोड़ने का कार्य कर रहे हैं, इसलिए ये Conjunctions हैं।
8. Interjection (विस्मयसूचक शब्द)
Definition (English):
An interjection expresses sudden emotions or feelings.
परिभाषा (Hindi):
जो शब्द अचानक उत्पन्न भावनाओं को व्यक्त करे, उसे Interjection कहते हैं।
Examples:
- Hurrah! We have won the match.
- Alas! She is no more.
Practice Test (Self Check)
नीचे दिए गए वाक्यों में italic शब्दों का Part of Speech पहचानिए:
- Mohan sat on a wall.
- Where do you live?
- How very cold the night is!
- Edison invented the electric bulb.
- All roads lead to Delhi.
- Have mercy upon us.
- He has a good memory.
- We should profit by experience.
- I shot an arrow into the air.
- Gold and silver are costly.
- Ah! Have they gone?
Summary
In English grammar, words are classified into different groups based on their function in a sentence. These groups are known as Parts of Speech.
Main Parts of Speech:
- Noun – names
- Pronoun – replaces nouns
- Verb – shows action or state
- Adjective – describes nouns
- Adverb – modifies verbs/adjectives
- Preposition – shows relationship
- Conjunction – joins words/sentences
- Interjection – expresses emotions
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Parts of Speech
What are the main parts of speech in English?
The eight commonly accepted parts of speech in English are noun, verb, adjective, adverb, pronoun, preposition, conjunction, and interjection.
What is a noun?
A noun is a word that names a person, place, object, or abstract idea. In a sentence, it may function as a subject, an object, or show possession.
What is a verb?
A verb is a word that shows an action, an event, or a state of being. It plays a key role in a sentence by telling what the subject does or what condition it is in.
What is an adjective?
An adjective is a word that describes or qualifies a noun or pronoun. It adds details about qualities such as size, colour, number, or nature.
What is an adverb?
An adverb is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. It explains how, when, where, how often, or to what extent an action occurs.
What is a pronoun?
A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun to prevent repetition. It refers to a noun that has already been mentioned or is clearly understood from the context.
What is a preposition?
A preposition is a word that shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence, often indicating time, place, direction, or method.
What is a conjunction?
A conjunction is a word that links words, phrases, or clauses together, helping to form longer and more meaningful sentences.
What is an interjection?
An interjection is a word or short expression used to convey sudden feelings or emotions. It usually stands alone and is followed by an exclamation mark.
How many parts of speech are there in English grammar?
Traditionally, English grammar recognizes eight parts of speech: noun, verb, adjective, adverb, pronoun, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. Some modern grammar approaches may further divide these into smaller categories.
