speech THE parts of speech are the classes of words used Parts of in either spoken or written sentences. In English the parts of speech are classified on the basis of their meaning, use, and function, and not on their form. They are nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections. Some of the parts of speech change their form to indicate grammatical properties, to show their office in the sentence, or to agree with some other part of speech. This change of form is called inflection. For Inflection the same purposes some parts of speech are grouped with other words. The change in the form of nouns and pronouns is called their declension. The change in form of adjec- Declension tives and adverbs, or the grouping of certain adverbs with them, is called comparison. The change in form Comparison of verbs, together with the grouping of verbs with their auxiliaries is called coniu The construction of a Conjugatio I. NOUNS A noun is a word that names. It designates persons, Definition places, objects, materials, qualities, ideas, actions, and Men love ease, but are seldom at ease. Predicate nominative or predicate objective, Appositive modifier, Othello, the Moor, is mad. Possessive modifier, Othello's occupation is gone. Adverbial modifier; in the objective case, Victoria has ruled sixty years. in the nominative case absolute, Victoria abdicating, the Prince of Wales will be king. A word of address, Father Abraham what these Christians are ! |