Parts of Speech
1. What Parts of Speech Are (8 traditional)
Parts of speech = categories of words by function in a sentence: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, interjection (and determiner/article as subset).
2. Definitions with Technical Examples
| Part | Function | Example (technical/general) |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Name of person, place, thing, idea | algorithm, sensor, Delhi, honesty |
| Pronoun | Replaces noun to avoid repetition | it, they, this — "The sensor sends data when it detects." |
| Verb | Action/state | is, runs, compute, measured — "The system operates." |
| Adjective | Modifies noun (quality, quantity) | efficient, three, red — "efficient algorithm" |
| Adverb | Modifies verb/adjective/adverb (manner, time) | quickly, very, accurately — "It quickly computes." |
| Preposition | Shows relation (place/time) | in, on, under, with, by — "in the cloud" |
| Conjunction | Connects words/clauses | and, or, but, although — "A and B" |
| Interjection | Exclamation (rare in technical) | Oh!, Alas! |
Determiners / Articles (a, an, the) are sometimes separate.
3. Why It Matters for Technical Writing
- Subject-verb agreement (next topic) depends on identifying noun (subject) vs verb.
- Voice (active/passive) depends on verb.
- Conciseness: strong verbs over weak noun + verb: "make an improvement" → "improve".
4. Worked Identification
"The efficient sensor quickly transmits data and it operates accurately."
The (article/determiner) efficient(adjective) sensor(noun) quickly(adverb) transmits(verb) data(noun) and(conjunction) it(pronoun) operates(verb) accurately(adverb).
5. Exam Points
- List 8 parts of speech with one example each — 5-7 marks, very frequent (the most common grammar question).
- Identify part of speech of underlined words in sentence — 5 marks, frequent.
- Distinguish adjective vs adverb — 3-5 marks, frequent.