Transcript parts_of_speech

Grammar Basics
Just as a building is made up of concrete, lumber, steel beams, and
bricks put together in a certain way, languages are made up of
different parts of speech combined into sentences. To be a real
expert of buildings, you should be able to produce a construction
diagram. To be a real expert in composing sentences, it helps if you
can produce a diagram of a sentence.
Section I
Parts of Speech:
The Building Materials of Sentence Construction
There are 8 parts of
speech:
Verbs
Nouns
Pronouns
Adjectives
Adverbs
Prepositions
Conjunctions
Interjections
Verbs
show action or state of being.
Am, is, are, was, were, be, being, been are
being verbs.
The being verbs plus have, has, had, shall,
will, should, would, may, might, must, can,
and could are helping verbs.
All other verbs show action of some kind.
Texas Aggies are the keepers of
many traditions.
Texas A&M University has been in
existence since 1876.
The 12th Man stands throughout every
football game.
Verbals are forms of verbs
used as other parts of speech.
Gerunds are the “ing” form of verbs that are used as
nouns.
They
• retain the qualities of verbs (having objects and tense)
• take on the qualities of nouns (being used in places
where nouns can be used).
Going to an Aggie football game is an exciting
experience. (“Going” acts as the subject of this
sentence.)
Participles are the “ing” and “ed” forms of
verbs that are used as adjectives.
They
• retain the qualities of a verb (having objects and tense)
• take on the qualities of an adjective (answering “which one,”
“what kind of,” or “how many” about a noun)
Supported by the 12th man, Texas Aggies participate in many
sports. (“Supported” is the participle, answering which
“Texas Aggies.”
Now forming at the north end of Kyle Field, the Fightin’ Texas
Aggie Band will step off on “Hullabaloo.” (“Forming” is the
participle, answering which FTAB.)
Infinitives are the “to + verb” form of verbs
that are used as nouns, adjectives, or adverbs.
They
• retain the qualities of a verb (having objects and
tense)
• take on the qualities of
– a noun (being used where nouns can be used)
To get an Aggie ring is one of the most exciting experiences of a lifetime. (used
as a noun subject of the sentence)
– an adjective (answering “which one,” ”what kind of,” or
“how many” about nouns)
Requirements to get an Aggie ring are definite. (used as an adjective telling what
kind of “requirements”)
– an adverb (answering “how,” ”when,” “where,” “why,” or
“how much” about verbs, adjectives, or adverbs)
Waiting to get their Aggie ring is exciting for students with ninety-five hours. (used as an adverb
telling why they are “waiting”)
Nouns
name persons, places, things, and ideas.
Nouns can be used as
•
subjects of sentences,
•
direct objects of sentences,
•
subjective complements of sentences,
•
appositives,
•
objects of prepositions, infinitives, participles,
or gerunds.
Pronouns
take the place of nouns and can be
used in the same places as
nouns.
There are five types of pronouns:
personal, relative, interrogative, indefinite,
and demonstrative.
Personal pronouns
Nominative case pronouns are used as subjects of sentences:
I, you, he, she, it, we, they.
Objective case pronouns are used as direct objects, objects of
prepositions, participles, gerunds or infinitives:
me, you, him, her, it, us, them.
Possessive case pronouns show possession:
my, mine, your, yours, his, hers, its, our, ours, their, theirs.
Reflexive pronouns will never be subjects; they show action
reflected back to the person named:
myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves,
yourselves, themselves.
Relative Pronouns
are used to connect dependent
clauses to independent clauses:
who – nominative case
whom – objective case
whose – possessive case
which and that – any case
Interrogative Pronouns
ask questions:
who – nominative case
whom – objective case
whose – possessive case
which and what – any case.
Indefinite Pronouns
do not refer to any specific person, place, thing, or
idea. Many times they are used to denote a
quality.
Singular
anybody, anything, anyone, each, either, everyone, everybody,
everything, neither, nobody, no one, one, someone,
something
Plural
all, both, few, most, none, some
If none means “not one,” it is singular.
Demonstrative Pronouns
act as adjectives and point out:
this
that
these
those (all any case).
Think dis, dat, dese, and dose—
demonstrative.
Adjectives
describe nouns.
They answer the questions “which one,”
“what kind of,” and “how many.”
Those three white 12th Man towels will be
used in the picture.
Adverbs
describe verb, adjectives, and other
adverbs.
They answer the questions “how,” “when,”
“where,” “why,” and “how much.”
Some people do not fully understand Aggie
traditions.
Early in its history, Texas A&M University enrolled
only male students.
Prepositions
will be adverbs if not followed by an object in a
prepositional phrase.
In the sky above (adverb), we saw an Apache helicopter flown by a
Texas Aggie.
In the sky above the stadium (preposition “above” followed by a noun
object “stadium”), we saw an Apache helicopter flown by a
Texas Aggie.
Prepositional phrases show relationships and can be
used as adjective and adverbs.
Remember
“anything an Aggie can do at Kyle Field.”
The Aggie can go over, under, around, through,
beside, between, above, across, against, at,
among, after, before, behind, beyond, by, down,
into, from, in, near, off, to, past, through,
toward, on, or up Kyle Field.
About, during, for, except, throughout, until are
also prepositions.
Early in its history, Texas A&M University was a military
school for male students.
Conjunctions
connect things.
There are two kinds of conjunctions:
coordinating
subordinating
Coordinating
Conjunctions
connect elements of equal value.
Think A. B. Fonsy—and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet
Rock and Rockelle are traditions at TAMU.
The yell leaders lead yells and tell stories at Midnight Yell.
Strange but true, Texas A&M and the University of Texas are
rivals.
Aggies excel on the athletic field and in the classroom.
To be or not to be is the question.
Correlative conjunctions also
connect things of equal value.
either/or, neither/nor, both/and, or not
only/but also
Either Rudder Auditorium or Reed Arena will be the place where
important events happen on the TAMU campus.
Neither Reveille nor the Yell Leaders miss important events on the
TAMU campus.
Both Muster and Midnight Yell are important events on the TAMU
campus.
MSC/OPAS not only brings outstanding performing arts programs to
the campus but also sponsors small group discussions about the
arts.
Subordinating
Conjunctions
connect dependent (adverb) clauses to independent clauses.
After, although, as, as if, as _____as, because, before, if, in order
that, since, so that, than, though, unless, until, when, whenever,
wherever, while are all subordinating conjunctions.
When you add any of these words to an independent clause, it
becomes a dependent clause.
“The Aggies win a football game.” (independent clause)
becomes “After the Aggies win a football game,” (dependent clause),
so you have to attach it to an independent clause to keep it from
being a fragment.
After the Aggies win a football game, there is a yell practice at Fish
Pond.
Interjections
express excitement.
Wow!
Geez!
Hurray, I’m finished!
Sentences
Instead of getting married again, I am
going to find a woman I don’t like and
just give her a house.—Rod Stewart
Sometimes I think war is God’s way of
teaching us geography.—Paul
Rodriguez