Parts of Speech

In this module you will learn about the parts of speech that we all use to build sentences.

Why?

If you know the parts of speech, you understand how sentences are constructed. If you understand how sentences are constructed, you can experiment and play with them to build the ones you want.

How?

Click the “LearnIt” tab to the left to see how the parts of speech build into sentences—or how sentences break apart into the parts of speech.

The Pattern
Click the buttons above to see the words below build into a sentence.

Many words can function as different parts of speech, depending on how you use them in a sentence. For example, from the words below, “group” could be used as a noun or a verb.

Notice that the conjunction “if” is not used in any of the subjects or predicates—because (as you will see when you click the next buttons) conjunctions can shape the clauses that go into sentences.

Independent clauses can stand alone as sentences but dependent clauses cannot.
Dependent clauses often begin with conjunctions—as the one below does, with “if.”

The sentence below joins the independent and dependent clauses of the previous step. Sentences that join independent and dependent clauses can convey complex ideas, important for academic writing.
We will use these words to see how the parts of speech are used to build a sentence
- people
- prejudice
- group
- groups
- tolerate
- we
- it
- the
- all
- any
- ever
- if
- toward
Many words can function as different parts of speech, depending on how you use them in a sentence. For example, from the words below, “group” could be used as a noun or a verb.

Nouns
- people
- prejudice
- group
- groups
Verb
- tolerate
Pronous
- we
- it
Article
- the
Adjective
- all
- any
Adverbs
- ever
Conjunction
- if
Prepositions
- toward
Notice that the conjunction “if” is not used in any of the subjects or predicates—because (as you will see when you click the next buttons) conjunctions can shape the clauses that go into sentences.

Subjects
- we the people
- we
Predicates
- ever tolerate prejudice toward any group
- tolerate it toward all groups
Independent clauses can stand alone as sentences but dependent clauses cannot. Dependent clauses often begin with conjunctions—as the one below does, with “if.”

Indpendent Clause
- we tolerate it toward all groups
Dependent Clause
- if we the people ever tolerate prejudice toward any group
The sentence below joins the independent and dependent clauses of the previous step. Sentences that join independent and dependent clauses can convey complex ideas, important for academic writing.
- If we the people ever tolerate prejudice toward any group, we tolerate it toward all groups.
peopleprejudicegroupgroupstolerateweittheallanyeveriftoward
- Nouns
- Verb
- Pronouns
- Article
- Adjective
- Adverbs
- Conjunction
- Prepositions
- Subjects
- Predicates
- Independent Clause
- Dependent Clause
- Sentence
- peopleprejudicegroupgroupstolerateweittheallanyeveriftoward
- we the people we
- ever tolerate prejudice towardanygrouptolerate it toward allgroups
- we
- tolerate it toward all groups
- if
- we the people
- ever tolerate prejudice toward any group
- If we the people ever tolerate prejudice toward any group, we tolerate it toward all groups.
- we the people we
- ever tolerate prejudice towardanygrouptolerate it toward allgroups
- we
- tolerate it toward all groups
- if
- we the people
- ever tolerate prejudice toward any group
- if we the people ever tolerate prejudice toward any group
- we tolerate it toward all groups
- If we the people ever tolerate prejudice toward any group, we tolerate it toward all groups.