Word Classes (Parts of Speech)
What are the word classes in English?
The main word classes (parts of speech) are nouns (naming words), pronouns (replace nouns), verbs (doing or being words), adjectives (describe nouns), adverbs (describe verbs, adjectives or other adverbs), prepositions (show position or time), conjunctions (join clauses) and determiners (such as the, a, this). A word's class depends on the job it does in the sentence.
What word classes are
Every word does a job in a sentence. The job it does is called its word class (or "part of speech"). Knowing them helps you spell, punctuate and answer 11+ grammar questions.
The main word classes
| Word class | Job | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Names a person, place, thing or idea | dog, London, happiness |
| Pronoun | Replaces a noun | he, she, it, they, we |
| Verb | An action or a "being" word | run, jump, is, was |
| Adjective | Describes a noun | happy, red, enormous |
| Adverb | Describes a verb (how, when, where) | quickly, yesterday, here |
| Preposition | Shows position or direction | on, under, before, into |
| Conjunction | Joins words or clauses | and, but, because, although |
| Determiner | Comes before a noun | the, a, this, my, some |
Nouns in more detail
- Common noun: a general thing — city, teacher.
- Proper noun: a specific name, always a capital letter — Paris, Monday.
- Collective noun: a group — a herd, a team.
- Abstract noun: an idea you can't touch — love, courage.
Spotting the class
Ask what the word is doing:
- Can you put "the" in front? → probably a noun.
- Does it show an action? → verb.
- Does it describe a noun? → adjective.
- Does it end in "-ly" and describe how? → often an adverb.
Worked example
In "The fluffy cat slept peacefully," name the word class of each key word.
- The = determiner, fluffy = adjective, cat = noun, slept = verb, peacefully = adverb. ✓
Common mistakes
- Mixing up adjectives (describe nouns) and adverbs (describe verbs).
- Forgetting proper nouns need a capital letter.
- Thinking a word always has the same class — run can be a verb ("I run") or a noun ("a run").
Top tips
- Learn one clear example for each class.
- To tell adjective from adverb, ask: does it describe a thing (adjective) or how something is done (adverb)?
- Watch for words that change class depending on the sentence.
Quick recap
- Nouns name, verbs do, adjectives describe nouns, adverbs describe verbs.
- Pronouns replace nouns; prepositions show position; conjunctions join; determiners come before nouns.
- Proper nouns take capital letters; a word's class depends on its job in the sentence.