“Language is the dress of thought.”
— Samuel Johnson
Many people know a large number of English words, yet still feel uncertain when they speak or write. The sentence may be comprehensible , but something sounds awkward or unclear. This usually happens not because of weak vocabulary, but because the words are used in the wrong role.
These roles are called parts of speech.
Once you understand them, English stops feeling confusing and starts feeling logical and enjoyable.
What are parts of speech?
Every word in English has a job.
Some words name things.
Some show actions.
Some describe.
Some connect ideas.
These jobs are called parts of speech.
There are eight main parts of speech in English:
- Noun
- Pronoun
- Verb
- Adjective
- Adverb
- Preposition
- Conjunction
- Interjection
Learning these eight categories gives you the foundation to build correct, confident English.
1. Nouns — words that name things
A noun is a word that names something.
It can name:
• a person (teacher, doctor)
• a place (city, office)
• a thing (book, phone)
• a feeling (happiness, fear)
• an idea (freedom, success)
Examples:
car, job, idea, friend, knowledge
Common mistake
❌ She gave me an advice
✅ She gave me advice
“Advice” is a noun, but it is uncountable, so it does not use “a”.
2. Pronouns — words that replace nouns
A pronoun replaces a noun so we do not repeat it.
Examples:
I, you, he, she, it, we, they, me, him, her, them
Instead of saying:
“The manager is busy. The manager will call you.”
We say:
“The manager is busy. She will call you.”
Common mistake
❌ Me and my colleague went there
✅ My colleague and I went there
“I” is used when the pronoun is the subject.
3. Verbs — words that show action or state
A verb tells us what happens or what exists.
Examples:
run, work, think, speak, is, have, feel
Every sentence must have a verb.
❌ She very tired
✅ She is very tired
Common mistake
❌ I am knowing him
✅ I know him
Some verbs (know, believe, understand) are not used in continuous form.
4. Adjectives — words that describe nouns
An adjective describes a noun.
Examples:
a big house
a difficult task
a happy child
a new phone
Adjectives do not change form.
❌ She is more better than me
✅ She is better than me
“Better” is already comparative.
5. Adverbs — words that describe verbs
An adverb describes how an action is done.
Examples:
quickly, slowly, well, badly, carefully
❌ She speaks very good
✅ She speaks very well
“Good” describes a thing.
“Well” describes how something is done.
6. Prepositions — words that show place or time
A preposition shows where or when something happens.
Examples:
in, on, at, under, before, after, between
• in the room
• on the table
• at five o’clock
• before lunch
Common mistakes
❌ I am married with him
✅ I am married to him
❌ I am interested to learning English
✅ I am interested in learning English
Prepositions must be learned with each word.
7. Conjunctions — words that join ideas
A conjunction connects words or sentences.
Examples:
and, but, or, because, so, although
• I wanted to go, but I was busy.
• She stayed because she cared.
Common mistake
❌ Because it was raining so we stayed
✅ Because it was raining, we stayed
Use only one connector for one idea.
8. Interjections — words that show emotion
An interjection shows feeling or reaction.
Examples:
oh, wow, ah, oh no, hey
• Oh! I forgot.
• Wow! That is amazing.
They are often followed by an exclamation mark.
Why parts of speech matter
Many English mistakes happen not because of spelling or tense, but because the wrong type of word is used.
❌ I am very boring
✅ I am very bored
“Boring” describes something.
“Bored” describes a feeling.
Understanding parts of speech prevents these errors.
Small practice test for yourself
Choose the correct option in each sentence.
1. She speaks very ______.
a) good
b) well
2. He gave me useful ______ about my work.
a) advice
b) an advice
3. The students were very ______ after the long class.
a) tiring
b) tired
4. I am interested ______ learning new words.
a) to
b) in
5. My colleague and ______ will attend the meeting.
a) me
b) I
6. The email was written ______.
a) careful
b) carefully
7. She is more ______ than her sister.
a) confident
b) confidently
8. He stayed at home ______ he was feeling unwell.
a) but
b) because
Answers
1 → b) well
2 → a) advice
3 → b) tired
4 → b) in
5 → b) I
6 → b) carefully
7 → a) confident
8 → b) because
A calm truth
If English feels difficult, it is not because you are careless.
It is because nobody showed you the structure of the language.
Parts of speech give you that structure.
When you understand them, your confidence naturally grows.