Beginnings of language: Words to Sentences Mrs. Hernandez Intermediate English Lesson 1

What is English made of? The English language is made of a combination of different parts of speech that, when combined into sentences, create meaning. The words that make up the English language all belong to a group of words called PARTS OF SPEECH. There are eight (8) parts of speech. Words can belong to more than one part of speech, depending on how they are used. It is important to know the form and function of a word. Form: What it looks like Function: How it works

What are the eight parts of speech? Nouns Pronouns Verbs Adverbs Adjectives Prepositions Conjunctions Interjections

Nouns and pronouns Nouns are words that name or label. They name people, places, things, ideas, or events. Examples of nouns: floor, classroom, teacher, Mrs. Hernandez, Empire State Building, building, etc. (there are many kinds of nouns). Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns. When you do not want to repeat the same noun too many times, you can use a pronoun to break up the monotony. Examples of pronouns are I, you, he, she, it, they, etc. (there are many kinds of pronouns).

Verb Verbs are words that show action or a state of being. They are the only words that determine the tense of something. The tense tells you if something happened in the past, present, or future. Verbs must match in person and number. Robert goes to Geraldine’s house after school because his mother does not like for him to be alone while she is at work. Why do you think that “Geraldine’s is highlighted in blue?” How does it function in the sentence?

Pro-Tip! Know about verbals Do not confuse VERBS with VERBALS Verbals look like verbs but do not act like verbs. Verbals act like other parts of speech. There are three types of verbals. Gerunds Participles Infinitives

How Verbals Work: Gerunds End in –ing Act like nouns Running is my favorite hobby. The contractor was given a building. Not every thing that ends in –ing is a gerund. My husband is cooking his famous stew.

How Verbals Work: Participles and Infinitives Function as adjectives Can end in –ing or –ed The boiling water burned my hand. Infinitives Can function as adjectives, adverbs, or nouns Always has the word “to” and a simple verb To run gives my life meaning. (Noun)

Adjective Adjectives are describing words, but they can only describe nouns and pronouns. Adjectives tell which one, what kind, how many, or whose about something. Adjectives can come before or after the word it describes, but be careful not to create a modifier mistake by making it too far away from the word. The puppy is cute. The cute puppy followed me home. The slow runner ran slowly. The articles (a, an, the) are always considered adjectives.

Adverbs Adjectives modify (add information to) the verb, an adjective, or another adverb. They also can come before or after the word it describes, but be careful not to create a modifier mistake by putting it too far away from the word. The job of an adverb is to tell how, where, or when something happens. The snow fell quickly onto the sidewalk. Why is the word “onto” not an adverb?

Preposition A preposition links nouns, pronouns, and phrases to other parts of the sentence. The word it introduces (usually a noun) is called the OBJECT OF THE PREPOSITION. The object of the preposition will never be your sentence subject. Prepositional phrases add more meaning to the sentence, and the preposition indicates a relationship between the object and the rest of the sentence. The dog skidded on the waxed floor. I am not going to the party.

Conjunction A conjunction is also a linking word, but not in the same way was a preposition. Conjunctions “glue” words, phrases, and clauses together in order to create a pluralization or a new type of sentence. The main kinds of conjunctions are Coordinating (FANBOYS) and Subordinating (Dependents or WASBIT words). Coordinating Conjunctions glue words together (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) Subordinating Conjunctions create dependent clauses that cannot stand alone as sentences (because, if, when, since, etc.)

Interjection Interjections are the only parts of speech you will not use in academic writing. These words show emotion and do not fit in any other parts of speech due to function. Wow! Jeez! Oh! Gadzooks! Ouch! Oh no! Yay! Though they are usually followed by an exclamation, they are not always.

What do I do with all of these words? From these eight parts of speech, it is possible to make numerous combinations of words to convey any message we can imagine. When we combine these words in the correct way, what we create are SENTENCES. To understand how sentences work, there are a few things you have to understand first: SVA and PAA, phrases, and clauses.