1. Grammar Skills
Parts of Speech

2. Nouns
Nouns name everything you come across in life, including things you can imagine.
Nouns are words that name persons, places, things, or ideas.
Persons – cousin, Hank Aaron, coach, ally
Places – school, highway, Phoenix
Things – calculator, speech, microwave
Ideas – joy, legality, fascism, gladness

3. Types of Nouns Abstract Nouns – names of ideas
Examples – fear, cleverness, misery, honor
Concrete Nouns – names of persons, places and things (all concrete nouns identify objects you can see, hear, smell, taste or touch)
Examples - trumpet, street, tortilla

4. Types of Nouns
Proper Nouns – the name of a particular person, place, or thing
Always capitalize proper nouns
Examples – New Jersey Turnpike, the Civil War, Sioux City
Common Nouns – general nouns
Examples – city, turnpike, war

5. Types of Nouns
Collective Nouns – name of a group of people, animals or things
Examples – squad, flock, club
Compound Nouns – consist of two or more words (sometimes hyphenated or written as one word)
Examples – great-aunt, horseradish, postal worker
Noun phrase – a noun and its modifiers
Examples – the young girl, several children, the yellow turnip

6. Verbs
Verbs are words that express an action or a state of being. Every sentence has at least one action verb or one linking verb.

7. Types of Verbs Action verbs – communicate an observable action
Describe what people do – glide, laugh, build
Describe how people feel – love, dread, appreciate
Linking verbs – they link the subject of a sentence with a word that tells more about it
Example - is
Verb phrase – a verb preceded by one or more helping verbs
John is dashing to work.

8. Adjectives
Adjectives are modifiers. They give information about the nouns and pronouns they modify.
What kind?
Red flower, surprise visit
How many?
Four days, few entries
How much?
More space, some effort
Which one?
Third response, that shirt

9. Types of Adjectives
Proper adjectives – derive from proper nouns and are always capitalized
Examples – Japanese food, Confederate troops
Predicate adjective – adjectives that follow a linking verb to modify the subject of a sentence
Example – The smoked salmon tastes salty.

10. Adverbs
Adverbs modify verbs, adjectives and other adverbs by answering when, where, and how questions.
Intensifiers are adverbs that answer the question to what extent or how much.
When? Today, we began rehearsals for the play?
Where? They walked here from the station.
How? The actor spoke clearly and loudly.
To what extent? We thoroughly enjoyed the performance.

11. Assignments Due tomorrow – Practice worksheet
Tuesday – Quiz on parts of speech