1. Unit One: Parts of Speech
Adapted from
English Center Tutor Training
ESOL by The English Center at San Diego City College
Modified by Mrs. Hearnsberger

2. WHY DO I NEED TO KNOW THE PARTS OF SPEECH?
Students often write sentences that sound odd or confusing because they have used parts of speech or word forms incorrectly. If you can identify these errors, then your sentences may become more understandable.
Ex. – I will analysis the problem. (Incorrect)
I will analyze the problem. (Correct)

3. Review Parts of Speech Tests to determine which part of speech…
What are the parts of speech?
What is a noun?
What is a verb?
What is an adjective?
What is an adverb?
Tests to determine which part of speech…
Adverbs
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
A person, place, thing, idea, or feeling
A word that expresses an action or state
A word that describes or modifies a noun
A word that describes or modifies a verb,
adjective, or adverb

4. Identifying Parts of Speech
In addition to these definitions, there are other ways to identify parts of speech. One is to look at the context (surrounding words). Another is to look at suffixes (word endings).
There is a series of “tests” that you can perform to identify a word’s part of speech.

5. Noun Test 1
To test if a word is a noun, we can see if it sounds correct to put a determiner in front of it.
Some examples of determiners are a, an, the, his, her, and their. There are others, but you don’t need to know them all. Where there is a determiner, a noun is soon to follow, although their can be other words between.

6. Noun Test 1 Example 1: Is the word explosion a noun?
Can you say the explosion?
Example 1 works. Thus, we can identify explosion as a noun.

7. Noun Test 1 Example 2: Is the word speak a noun?
Can you say the speak?
Example 2 does not sound correct. This is an indication that speak is not a noun.

8. CAUTION!
Not all nouns can have determiners in front of them. For example, you wouldn’t say the Chad even though Chad is a noun; it is a proper noun. Thus, you would want to perform more tests. To identify a word as a noun, it needs to pass at least one test. It can fail the others.

9. Noun Test 2
A sentence consists of a noun phrase and a verb phrase. The subject of a sentence must be a noun. For example, we have the following sentence:
Tutors help students.
Tutors is the subject of this sentence; thus, we can identify it as a noun.
Noun Phrase
Verb Phrase

10. Noun Test 2
Now let’s test whether the word run is a noun. We can put it in the subject of a sentence. Does the following sentence sound correct?
Example 1: Run is fun!
Example 1 is not correct because run is a verb, so it cannot be the subject of a sentence. We can, however, change it to a noun form to make it work. This –ing noun form is called a gerund.
Running is fun!

11. Noun Test 3
Nouns are the only word forms that can be made plural. Thus, if you can make it plural, then it must be a noun. However, keep in mind that not all nouns can be made plural. These are called non-count nouns.
Let’s test whether the word pencil is a noun.
Example 1: Can you say pencils?
Example 1 works, so we can know that pencil is a noun.

12. Noun Test 3
Now let’s test whether the word beneficial is a noun. Example 2: Can you say beneficials? Example 2 does not sound correct. This indicates that beneficial is not a noun. In fact, it is an adjective.

13. CAUTION!
When a subject is third-person singular (he, she, it), then an –s is added to the end of the verb.
Be careful not to confuse third-person singular –s with plural –s! Speak is NOT a noun, but you sometimes put an –s at the end. For example: He speaks Japanese fluently.

14. Review of Noun Tests pencils *beneficials Test 1: Determiner?
The ________
the explosion *the speak
Test 2: Sentence subject?
Noun Phrase + Verb Phrase = Sentence
Running is fun. *Run is fun.
Test 3: Plural?
________s
pencils *beneficials
* = Fails test/not grammatical

15. Verb Test
Verbs are the only word forms that can be changed to the past tense. Thus, you would be able to test whether explosion is a verb by trying to change the tense.
Example 1: Can you say explosioned?
Example 1 does not work because explosion is not a verb. Let’s compare that to the word walk.
Example 2: Can you say walked?
Example 2 works, so we know that walk is a verb.

16. Adjective Test
As stated before, adjectives are words that describe a noun. One test to tell if something is an adjective is the location in a phrase. Adjectives can go before nouns (and between a determiner and noun.) We know that the word sandwich is a noun as it passes all three tests. Now let’s test whether the word delicious is an adjective.
Example 1: Can you say the delicious sandwich?
Example 1 works, so we know that delicious is an adjective.

17. CAUTION!
Sometimes nouns act like adjectives. When this happens, the noun is always singular. For example, ant is a noun, but in the following example it is functioning as an adjective: I have an ant farm.

18. Adverb Test
An adverb can describe an adjective, a verb, or another adverb. Many adverbs have an -ly suffix, making them easier to identify.
Example 1: She walks very quickly.
We might automatically know that quickly is an adverb because of the -ly suffix. Additionally, its function in the sentence is to describe how the person walks. Moreover, very is an adverb which intensifies the adverb, quickly.

19. Adverb Test
Do you think that this sentence is grammatically correct? Example 1: Professors write clear. This sentence is not grammatical because clear is describing the verb, write, and thus requires the adverb form, clearly. The example should be: Professors write clearly.

20. Word Families
Word Families are words that share the same root or base form. They are usually different parts of speech.
Example 1: Every week I prioritize my assignments.
Example 2: My top priority this semester is passing the class.
Verb
Noun

21. Word Families success succeed successful successfully Noun
Success in school will help me get a good job.
success
She succeeds every time she tries something new.
Verb
succeed
Adjective
He is a successful lawyer.
successful
Adverb
I want to successfully complete this class.
successfully

22. CAUTION!
The suffixes –ing and –ed can be used to make more than one part of speech.
Example 1: I am working hard today.
Example 2: Working hard is essential.
Example 3: Today’s class bored me.
Example 4: I am not bored by grammar!
Example 5: She is boring.
Verb
Noun
Verb
Adjectives

23. Know your suffixes!
There are many other suffixes. Recognizing the more common ones will assist students in using the correct word form.
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
-tion
-ize
-ate
-ous
-ent
-ment
-ity
-en
-ful
-ness
-ify
-less
-ance
-ism
-ic
-er
entertainment
heighten
outrageous

24. Let’s Practice: Complete the chart.
Nouns
Verbs
Adjectives
achievement
establish
strategy
motivation
impress
emphatic
prescribe
renew
reserved
organization