parts of speech

 parts of speech

What is a Word?

A word is an abstract, indivisible unit of a language, written or spoken in prose, which can also be said to be one indivisible unit of thought. A word can only have one definition; there are many words that can mean the same thing. One must understand what it means to define a word correctly as each word has its own unique relationship to other words because one word does not always mean the same thing to different people. It can mean positive and negative emotions, good and bad. If you wish, you may choose to define a word further to add detail; however, this will vary from person-to-person and may not come up in every sentence. In order for all members of a group to understand one another they must all agree on what they consider an acceptable definition and what can be considered taboo for others.

Example: My car was smashed into by two cars in front of me while I was driving near the shopping center just north of town. My car had a great deal of damage done to it but fortunately my son's car was right behind us along with the second car. Because I am a widow, I did not want to stay overnight at the wedding, so I asked him if he would drive me home. He agreed. When we arrived home I told my daughter, who was very angry about her mother's decision, that I would get some sleep that night. She wanted to know why I didn't go home earlier, but she never got the chance to ask me because I had already crashed her precious new red Honda Fit when we reached base camp.

When writing a sentence such as "My car was smashed into by two cars in front of me while I was driving near the shopping center just north of town" everyone knows exactly what the meaning is without having to state it. You can imagine your own opinion about the situation if you were standing across a street corner watching someone else driving their car pass right in front of you without even realizing it. If anyone sees these words being used the correct way then it is completely normal for them to think the opposite. For example there are no rules in saying "My car was smashed into by two cars in front of me while I was driving near the shopping center"

Using Proper Part of Speech

The proper use of the five most common parts of speech (Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Pronouns, Conjunctions and Interjections):

Nouns

The term noun, sometimes referred to as a personal name, refers to a word whose meaning changes depending on whether the speaker is referring to themselves or themselves in relation to another person or entity in general. Nouns are usually singular verbs and refer to something specific. They are often placed after their direct object (such as the noun a book) without any additional modifiers like pronouns. An example of a common noun is Mom. Since there are ten different types of nouns there are lots of variations across languages, as well as other forms of the same thing. People have named things for thousands of years: some of our earliest ancestors made fire for cooking, and some of our more recent ancestors grew food out of grain. In order to speak fluently, human beings now also call certain animals and plants things that previously had less than stellar names: today a pig is called a hound, a cow or horse a bull, and trees and bushes flowers are known in various European countries as bees. However, although these terms are familiar from childhood, the names change over time as parents change jobs and move. Other examples of nouns include colors, seasons, and places. They cannot be used as plurals or compound nouns like many other language units, and they do not necessarily need to end in -ed; the suffix -ie can be added to names. So long as all of the nouns in a given sentence are properly defined, the phrase can still be complete without using any other part of speech.

Verbs

An action, state, or event is called a verb if it can be traced back to a particular point in time. Examples of common verbs include do, go, walk, write, sit, talk, see, and say. While the exact meanings of most words change and differ between cultures to a degree, verbs commonly have two fundamental kinds of functions: To tell an agent or topic in passing what to do next and to indicate the direction of movement for a subject, person, animal, or time. The verb is the active verb of the sentence, and the subject is the person, other objects, or conditions mentioned in the sentence, and the verb is the first words in the sentence, usually followed immediately by the noun, then a preposition. Verbs must always be placed before the noun, followed by a preposition, and finally by the main act or action in the sentence or paragraph. Once a verb is in place, the rest of the sentences can fall into place as long as all of the verbs are not missing. This pattern allows readers to visualize the passage. Using verbs correctly is essential to making clear how, where, and when the action occurs in the sentence.

Adjectives

The adjectives modify the main action in the sentence. A noun or a pronoun can be altered by adding a descriptive adjective to help the reader understand or recall the noun or pronoun. Usually four adjectives are included when defining a single noun to make the description clearer. Often adjectives are replaced by their synonyms in phrases containing several elements. Common types of adjectives are beautiful, good, smart, pretty, famous, and much (sometimes called a superlative). Some adjectives can describe one entity in general (such as sweet and cold) or to particular aspects of an entity (such as lovely, beautiful, kind, and gentle). Also note that there are hundreds of possible combinations of adjectives to create various ways to describe the same thing. It is critical that adjectives are chosen carefully. Even though the choice of adjectives is important, the actual usage in a sentence should come later. Just as nouns and pronouns are generally interchangeable, so too are adjectives. Unless someone has deliberately excluded an adjective that could be used here or there from their list, it may be advisable to leave the person or situation alone.

Pronouns

An independent pronoun is a word or phrase that comes before or follows the noun in order to modify or expand its initial meaning. Pronouns have three basic uses: In reference to oneself, relative pronouns to refer to the object of conversation, or demonstrative pronouns to emphasize what is being discussed. There are six standard ways in which one might use pronouns: First Person – the pronoun is addressed to a person while a third Person – the pronoun is spoken to a third party, typically a friend, spouse, parent, teacher, etc. Second Person /Second Person – both parties speak to their second party as if addressing them directly, Third Person/Third Person- the third party speaks with a voice of authority. The rule is simple: Speak in the third person as if speaking directly to that individual. This rule can be extended to the collective nouns that appear in articles and conjunctions (though there are other exceptions). Fourth Person / Fourth Person – both parties speak to a fourth party as if speaking directly to him or herself. Fifth Person / Fifth Person – both parties speak to a fifth person as if speaking directly to him or herself. Sixth Person / Sixth Person – both parties speak to a sixth person as if speaking directly to him or herself. Seventh Person / Seventh Person – both parties speak to a seventh person as if speaking directly to that person, eighth Person / Eighth Person – both parties speak to a ninth person as if talking directly to him or herself if used in conjunction with the last Person, Ninth Person / Ninth Person – both parties speak to a tenth person as if referring to him or herself, Tenth Person / Tenth Person – both parties speak to a eleventh person as if speaking to that person directly, Eleventh Person / Eleventh Person – all persons to whom there is no more significant and final Person. By convention, the tenth person should be used when speaking to oneself, the eleventh person when speaking to someone else, and the twelfth person when addressing a group of people or items. If the eleventh person is absent, the tenth person should be chosen.

Pronouns have many applications including the following: Referring to a member of an unknown species as an individual, comparing two objects in question, giving instructions, setting a social distance, explaining to others the idea of fairness, stating an intention to leave a group, etc. Most individuals speak directly to others in the presence of family or friends. At work, most people in positions of responsibility address their colleagues and superiors indirectly, sometimes through greetings and telephone conversations. Although some cultures and ethnic groups still believe it is polite to actually address strangers, modern technology allows for easy access to billions of emails saved electronically, or face-to-face communication between family members. Many communities teach children the value of respect by showing respect for the opinions of others. It is customary for school students, especially those taking social studies, science, history, and physical education classes to engage in debates through formalized debate clubs. The discussions take place in front of the whole class (or team), rather than among individuals. In fact, debating does not become necessary until the senior year of high school in order to prepare for college. High schools and colleges have created numerous formalized academic organizations and activities that take place during recess, lunch breaks, and during other times when the students need extra practice.

As noted above, verbs and adjectives are also occasionally