PART OF SPEECH

Learning Activity 1
Parts of Speech
A. Introduction
In this first learning activity, the students will learn about parts of speech; the
introduction, the purpose, and the types of parts of speech in English. In addition,
after understanding the usage of Parts of Speech in sentence, the students will learn
about the English Tenses; its context, its usage in daily conversation and its
practice.

B. Relevance
Materials in this learning activity are related to knowledge from previous
meetings; communication and vocabularies. By having the knowledge of Parts of
Speech, students are pursuing the next level of English understanding to be used
in daily activities.
This learning activity is expected to make students easily identify the function of
English words in a sentence to be used properly both in daily and academic
situations. It also encourages students to create well-constructed sentences which
later related to the next learning activity.

C. Lesson Learning Outcome

1. Description
Some might think, why should we learn Parts of Speech again?
What is the importance of learning it? Why should we learn the basic again?
Indeed, this material is maybe the easiest one when it comes to learning
English. However, when we talk about speaking skill, a basic knowledge is
important to be known in order to make our students used to the concept with
minor errors.
Communication of course is not only focus on the language. People
can still communicate with each other even though they do not understand
each other language, for example by using facial expression or body
language. Nevertheless, for university students or someone who are educated
in a high education standard, the expectations are also followed. It is very
easy now to find someone who can communicate in English, so the
competition is very fierce between students now. Thus, minimizing errors
when we communicate in English using appropriate diction and context is
necessary to eliminate misunderstandings in speaking.
As we know, English words are somehow tricky because there are
so many similar words or the same words with different purpose. If we do
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not learn or pay attention to words’ Parts of Speech in the dictionary, we may
create misunderstandings in communication.

Parts of Speech
When we communicate, we use language. Language itself is a
combination of some words. Based on this, we need to know more about
English words itself to communicate effectively. McGregor (2009) stated
that language consists of thousands of words with different types or classes
from one another. The words classes are what we called as Parts of Speech.
Parts of Speech focus on words in which the purpose is to indicate
the function of the words in a sentence. Most sources divided words into 8
(eight) types; Noun, Verb, Adjective, Adverb, Pronoun, Preposition,
Conjunction, and Interjection. Imtiaz Ahmad (2022) however, divided Parts
of Speech into 9 (nine) parts as he placed Determiner which usually under
the adjectives into separate Parts of Speech. For this module, we will focus
on the basic types, which are Noun, Verb, Adjective, and Adverb.
a. Noun
Name of persons, places, things, ideas or qualities.
For example:
Amanda, school, basketball, application, fertility.

Nouns themselves have many examples of similarities taken from

other forms of Parts of Speech, for example from Adjectives and
Verbs.

Proud (Adj) à Pride (N)

Believe (V) à Belief (N)

The example above is only tiny parts of how words in English may
confuse us. That is why it is important to know the types of Nouns
which can be seen below:

- Proper and Common Nouns

A proper noun is the given name of a person, or a specific place
or thing. A proper noun always starts with a capital letter, like
Ibnu, Tomohiro, Sandra (names), Sunday, March (day and
month), Indonesia, Makassar, Atlantic (country, city, ocean).

A common noun is the word use for a class of person, place, or

thing (general). A common noun is the contrary of proper
noun, which is not capitalized unless used in start of a sentence.
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 Picture 1. Common nouns and proper nouns

- Concrete and Abstract Nouns

Concrete nouns are the things which we can see or touch
physically, like scissors, book, and tree.

In contrast, abstract nouns are things we cannot see or touch.

They do not have physical existence. Students are sometimes
confused as abilities and emotions are part of abstract nouns,
like pride, bravery, joy, etc.

- Collective and Compound Nouns

Collective nouns are words that denote groups’ collection or
multitude of something. These nouns are used as singular, e.g.
band, army, and pack.

A band of musicians
An army of soldiers
A pack of wolves

Compound nouns are nouns made up of more than one word.

Some of them are open or spaced (space between words;
tennis shoes, bus stop, and full moon), hyphenated (hyphen
between words; check-out, mother-in-law, and six-pack),
and closed or solid (no space or hyphen between words;
breakfast, bedroom, and football).

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- Countable and Uncountable Nouns
A countable noun is a noun that can be counted in numbers like
one table, two books, etc. with both a singular and a plural
form. (E.g. drink/drinks, bee/bees)

An uncountable noun is a noun without a plural form, for

example: money, oxygen, patience. Note that all abstract noun
falls under the uncountable category of nouns.

- Gerund Noun
Gerunds are nouns that end -ing and represent actions. Gerunds
have verb-like properties, so we need to know how to
differentiate them. Look at these two examples:

Budi is singing a song.

Budi is fond of singing.

In the first sentence, singing is verb as it shows action that Budi

is performing. Thus, it is a gerund with verb property. We can
also see that verb -ing is followed by helping verb, is. In the
second sentence, however, singing is not an action being
performed by Budi and not followed by a helping verb. Thus,
the second sentence use gerund noun.

Those are the explanation of types of noun. We can also identify

noun even when we do not search them on the dictionary. Nouns
usually have certain characteristics that differentiate them from
their similar words, like from verbs and adjectives. We just need to
pay attention to the suffixes of the words.

For example:
Suffixes Example
-ion Nation, Station
-sion Extension, Decision
-ship Leadership, Relationship
-ance/ -ence Importance, Difference
-ity/ -ty Quantity, Honesty
-ment Government, Punishment
-er/-or Driver, Distributor
-hood Childhood, Neighborhood

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 -ism Materialism, Nationalism
-ist Specialist, Pianist
-ness Brightness, Greatness

b. Verb
Verb is a word that tells what someone or something does. It is the
most important part of any sentence. A sentence does not make
sense without a verb in it. Here are types of verbs:
- Main Verbs
Main verbs divided into action verbs and linking verbs.
Action verb expresses an action, event, or state. It tells us what
the subject is doing or their state of being:

She is a teacher
He taught English
We’re learning Parts of speech

In addition, action verbs will always be transitive or

intransitive. Transitive verbs need an object, while
Intransitive verbs can be used without an object. Intransitive
verbs might have an adverb or adverbial phrase that completes
their meaning.

For example:
Transitive verbs Intransitive verbs
She feeds her dogs twice a They partied hard last
day night
He hugs me tightly I jog every day
I love you It rained

Also note that there are verbs which we can be used as both
transitive and intransitive verbs. Those are walk, eat, write,
drive, read, understand, and etc.

Linking verbs are a type of main verb that connect the subject
to further information about it. It does not express actions, but
tells us what the subject is or their current state of being. Not
what the subject is doing:

That car was incredibly fast

The cake smells delicious
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 Ani seems very happy today

Linking verbs include to be, to become, and to seem.

Additionally, verbs related to senses are included as linking
verbs, like smell, taste, and look.

- Helping Verbs
Helping verbs add both emphasis our sentences and describe
the possibility of something happening. There are two types of
helping verbs: The Auxiliary form and Modal form. Auxiliary
verbs help us to express a verb tense. They also help in making
negatives and interrogatives of sentences. They come before
the main verb in a sentence, like be, do, and have:

I am listening to the music now

Do you want a refund?
Her mother has not made dinner for us yet

To be consists of am, is, are, was, were. To do consists of do,

does, did, and to have consist of have, has, had.

Modal verbs, on the other hand, are the verbs that are used
before the ordinary verbs to show meanings such as:
possibility, obligation, and etc. Modals include the words can,
could, may, might, will, would, shall, should, must, ought
to.

We might go out for dinner tonight (possibility)

Aunt Lisa must visit her parents later (obligation)
She can speak very fluent in other language (capability)
You may leave earlier (permission)

Please note that adverbs which appear between action words

do not count as helping words. For example words like not,
always, never, often, and sometimes are not helping verbs.

c. Adjective
Adjective is a word used to modify (describe) a noun, pronoun, or a
noun phrase. It shows the quality, kind, or degree of a noun. Look
at the examples below:

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 I like modern houses
The boy is tall and skinny

The word modern, tall, and skinny are the adjectives which
describe the noun. Modern describe “the house” as the noun and
“tall” and “skinny” are adjectives that describe “the boy” as the
noun. Here are types of adjectives:
- Numeral and Quantitative Adjectives
These two types of adjectives tend to make students confused
as both types talk about numbers. It is essential that students
understand the difference, so they will have clear concept about
them and use them in the right context.

Adjective of Quantity Adjective of Number

Meaning Refers to how Refers to how many or
much/amount of a in what order
thing is meant. people/things are.
Usage It is used as a type of It is also used as a type
adjective of adjective
Example Rahul ate some rice Anita stood first in the
class.
https://byjus.com/english/difference-between-adjective-of-quantity-and-adjective-of-number/

Words that are part of adjective of quantity are some, much,

little, any, half, and whole. Meanwhile words that are part of
numeral adjectives are five, few, many, several, first, etc.

- Demonstrative and Interrogative Adjectives

Demonstrative adjectives point to a specific person or thing.
They answer the question: which? while Interrogative
adjectives are used to ask questions.

Demonstrative Interrogative
Adjectives Adjectives
Words This, that, these, those, What, which, whose
such
Example This is my house What time is it?
Those are spicy meals Whose book is this?

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 Both demonstrative and interrogative adjectives are easy to
remember and easy to apply in a sentence.
- Possessive and Proper Adjectives
Both these adjectives are related to the Noun. Possessive
adjectives are also what are in possessive pronouns (my, your,
our, their, etc.), where they denote the ownership of something.

Mindy is my sister
His father is working in an advertisement company
Our class is almost finished

Meanwhile proper adjectives formed from proper nouns, like

British Tea, Indian Spices, Shakespearean drama, and etc.

d. Adverb
Adverb tells you when, where, how, in what manner, or to what
extent an action is performed. It can be added to a verb to modify
its meaning, can also modify adjectives and other adverbs.

If you are unsure if a word is being used as an adjective or an

adverb, check the word that it’s modifying. If it’s modifying a noun
or a pronoun, it’s an adjective. If it’s modifying a verb, adjective or
adverb, it’s an adverb.

The man left early

The word early above is an adverb because it’s modifying the verb
left.

We just have an early dinner

The word early here is an adjective as it’s modifying the noun

dinner. Here are some types of adverbs:
- Adverb of Manner
These adverbs tell us how something happens. A huge number
of adverbs adding -ly to the end of an adjective (e.g. quick
becomes quickly), although there are also other adverbs that
don’t have this ending (e.g. straight, fast, far).

Natalie wisely took an extra class this semester

He bravely rescued the stray cat
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 How far did you go to find this?

- Adverb of Time
Some adverbs tell us when something happens. Adverbs of
time include words that refer to specific times and more general
time periods.

We went to the clinic last week

I go to school every day
Come and have breakfast now

- Adverb of Place
Adverbs of place tell us where something happens.

What are you doing here?

She took her brother inside when it started raining
The baby crawled towards her mother

- Adverb of Frequency
A number of adverbs are used to describe the frequency of an
event. By doing so, these adverbs describe how often
something happens.

He seldom finds it difficult to work in group

I never like my flat mates
Leli often goes to work on her car

- Adverb of Degree
Adverbs of degree describe the intensity of an action or quality.
These adverbs are often used as intensifiers to describe
adjectives and other adverbs.

It is really cold here

That book is highly recommended
He barely knew how to cook at all

- Conjunctive Adverbs
Conjunctive adverbs perform a little differently from the other
types of adverbs. These adverbs are seen to act like a
conjunction to link two sentences or clauses together. Example

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 of conjunctive adverbs are however, nevertheless, meanwhile,
therefore, subsequently, rather, namely, in addition to, and etc.

2. Conclusion
Parts of Speech allows us to minimize errors when we communicate in
English. By knowing the right diction in having conversation or creating
sentences, students can eliminate misunderstandings in English. Parts of
Speech that are discussed here are Noun, Verb, Adjective and Adverb. The
explanations are below:

- Noun is the name of persons, places, things, ideas or qualities. Noun

itself consists of many varieties; Proper and Common Nouns, Concrete
and Abstract Nouns, Collective and Compound Nouns, Countable and
Uncountable Nouns, and Gerund Noun.
- Verb is a word that tells what someone or something does. There are
some types of verb, which are; Main verbs and Helping Verbs. Main
verbs consist of action verbs, and linking verbs, while helping verbs
consist of auxiliary verbs and modal verbs.
- Adjective is a word used to modify (describe) a noun, pronoun, or a
noun phrase. Adjectives are varied to Numeral and Quantitative
Adjectives, Demonstrative and Interrogative Adjectives and Possessive
and Proper Adjectives.
- Adverb tells us when, where, how, in what manner, or to what extent
an action is performed. Types of adverbs are; Adverb of Manner,
Adverb of Time, Adverb of Place, Adverb of Frequency, Adverb of
Degree and Conjunctive Adverb.

Those are main Parts of Speech that is important for students to know. This
material might be easy for some students, but for others might be confusing,
so it is still important for students to be able to identify the Parts of Speech
and the function of some English words in a sentence.

3. References
Ahmad, Imtiaz. 2022. Concise Guide English Grammar Parts of Speech,
Dera Ghazi Khan: Ghazi University Press.

A Quick Guide to Verb Types: Main, Linking, Auxiliary, and Modal Verbs.
2020. https://proofed.com/writing-tips/a-quick-guide-to-verb-types-main-
linking-auxiliary-and-modal-verbs/

Caulfield, Jack. 2022. What is a common noun? Definition &

Examples.https://www.scribbr.com/nouns-and-pronouns/common-nouns/
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 Difference between Adjective of Quantity and Adjective of Number. 2022.
https://byjus.com/english/difference-between-adjective-of-quantity-and-
adjective-of-number/

Gunner, Jennifer. 2022. Types of Adjectives: 12 Different Forms to

Know.https://grammar.yourdictionary.com/grammar/adjectives/types-of-
adjectives.html

Idaryani. 2015. Bahasa Inggris untuk Perguruan Tinggi, 1st Ed., Aceh Utara:
Unimal Press.

McGregor W. B. (2009). Linguistics: an Introduction (chap.5). Continuum

International publishing Group: London

6 Types of Adverbs Used in The English Language. 2021.

https://www.thesaurus.com/e/grammar/types-of-adverbs/

D. Formative Test
Practice 1
Identify the Parts of Speech of the words below without using a dictionary.
adapt greets punctual
apologized in fact rude
appropriate prestige unacceptable
behavior

Answer keys:
Adapt (V), apologized (V), appropriate (Adj), behavior (N), greet (V), in fact
(Adv), prestige (N), punctual (Adj), rude (Adj), and unacceptable (Adj).
Practice 2
Read the following sentences and complete each blank space with the correct
word or phrase inside the box above. Use each word or phrase only once.
1. A suit and tie are __________ clothes for a business meeting.
2. Wearing shorts in a church is __________.
3. In most countries, doctors have considerable __________. People
respect them highly.
4. Greg always __________ people by smiling and saying hello.
5. It was very __________ of Martin to ask Mrs. Barnes her age.
6. Being __________ for a job interview is important in order to make a
good impression.

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 7. When you walk into a dark room from the bright sunlight, your eyes
need a few moments to __________ to the change in light.
8. It is very cold in Antarctica. __________, it is the coldest place on
Earth.
9. Martha dropped chocolate ice cream on my white rug. She __________,
but I told her not to worry about it, and we cleaned it up.
10. I don’t understand Mark’s __________. He gets angry for no reason
and refuses to talk to anyone.
Answer Keys:
1. appropriate 6. punctual
2. Unacceptable 7. adapt
3. prestige 8. In fact,
4. Greets 9. apologized
5. Rude 10. Behavior

E. Feedback
If you feel you have answered the formative test well, compare your answers with
the key answers provided in this module. If the calculation results show that you
have achieved a level of mastery equal to or greater than 80%, you are welcome
to proceed to the next learning activity. To find out the percentage of mastery of
the material in this learning activity 1, you can simply calculate it using the
following formula:

Number of correct answers

x 100%
Total question numbers (20)

F. Assessment
LLO: Students are able to construct English sentences.
Indicator: Clarity in identifying the Parts of Speech of some English words.
Assignment:
Identify the Parts of Speech of all the words below without using a dictionary.
After that, switch your answer to your friend next to you and see if you both
answer them correctly. You can check the right answer using dictionary.

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 Describe Hungry Apply Brave

Lie Carefully Manage Liar

Involvement Description Bravery Application

Completely Polite Weight Friendly

Heavy Chance Study Live

Believe Prediction Life Well

Belief Long Possible Predict

Length Possibility Quiet Disappoint

Create a sentence with a noun, verb, adjective, and adverb in it. (Remember that
there are variety of Parts of Speech that you can use)

Assessment Rubric:
Criteria Score
Accuracy in identifying >25 English words’ Parts of Speech with 5
the right form of sentence.
Accuracy in identifying 20-25 English words’ Parts of Speech with 4
the right form of sentence.
Accuracy in identifying 15-19 English words’ Parts of Speech with 3
the right form of sentence.
Accuracy in identifying 10-14 English words’ Parts of Speech with 2
the right form of sentence.
Accuracy in identifying 5-9 English words’ Parts of Speech with 1
the right form of sentence.

PS: If the form of sentence is incorrect, ask the students to identify the
mistake by themselves. After that, the lecturer may give feedback to them.

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