Know your parts
Natasha Thomas-Francis, Contributor

Hello, all! I trust that the beginning of the term has got off to a smooth start for you and you are ready and raring to learn all you can to be successful in English language.

Today we will look at parts of speech. For some of you, this lesson will be reinforcement for what you have already been taught; for others, this lesson will be new. In any case, it is critical for a foundation in English language. You will need to understand how language (words) functions in order to write effectively. In the weeks to come you will be exposed to creative and imaginative writing; however, you will not be able to appreciate such writing if the grammatical and mechanical foundation has not been laid. Therefore, we will look at the following parts of speech over a two-week period:

• Nouns
• Pronouns
• Verbs
• Adjectives
• Adverbs
• Prepositions
• Conjunctions

Nouns

I am sure you know that a noun names a person, place or thing. But did you know that a noun is also an idea or concept? Let's look at the following examples:

Person - uncle, teacher, Mathew, mother-in-law, child

Place - playground, park, city, kitchen, Clarendon

Thing - sun, fish, clock, table

Idea/concept - democracy, freedom, hope, patience, century

Nouns can be further subdivided into concrete and abstract and common and proper. A concrete noun names an object that occupies space or can be recognised by any of the senses (that is, it can be seen, heard, smelt, touched, tasted). An abstract noun, on the other hand, names an idea, a quality or a characteristic. Take a look at the following examples:

Concrete noun - salt, whisper, thunder, lightning, gravel. All these nouns can be recognised by the senses.

Abstract noun - confusion, grief, patience, friendship. These nouns are ideas or characteristics. They cannot be recognised by our senses.

A common noun is the general - not the specific - name of a person, place, thing or idea. On the other hand, a proper noun is the name of a particular person, place, thing, or idea. Proper nouns are capitalised; common nouns are not. For example:

I hope that these examples are useful.

Pronouns

Let's now turn our attention to pronouns. A pronoun is a word that takes the place of a noun. The word or group of words to which a pronoun refers is called its antecedent. For example: "When Trevor Rhone wrote the play, Old Story Time, he was highlighting the importance of familial love." In this example, the pronoun he takes the place of the noun Trevor Rhone (which is the antecedent in the sentence).

There are two main categories of pronouns which you must understand: personal pronoun and possesive pronoun

A personal pronoun refers to a specific person, place, thing or idea by indicating the person speaking(first person), the person or people being spoken to (the second person) or any other person, place, thing, or idea being talked about (the third person). Personal pronouns are either singular or plural. Here is a table identifying personal pronouns (subject and objects personal pronouns):

There are a few sentences which include personal pronouns:

• We will keep the puppy with us.
• You may use the dictionary to spell that word.
• They accomplished all the tasks assigned to Them.

See if you can write atleast six sentences using the personal pronouns.

Among the personal pronouns are forms that show possession or ownership. These are called possessive pronouns. Below is a table identifying the possessive pronouns:

Here are a few sentences which include possessive pronouns:

• My house is situated at the end of the road.
• That diary is hers.
• The cat was eating its food (Note that its does not contain an apostrophe when referring to possession. It's means it is - which is used in a different context).

For your homework, do the following exercise:

Underline each pronoun in the following sentences and identify it as first, second or third person. Also, identify it as personal or possessive.

1. People must pay taxes if their earnings exceed a specified amount.

2. When the accused was confronted with the evidence, he confessed.

3. Despite his active involvement in co-curricular activities, Jeremy still maintained an A average.

4. Ours is the red car behind the blue one.

5. We moved to Trelawny two years ago.

6. Please fasten your seat belt.

7. Dogs pant because they do not perspire like human beings.

8. I am amazed at how fast Usain Bolt can run!

Once you have understood the notes, you should not have a problem with this homework. Have a productive week! Blessings!

The Waterloo Guest House in Black River was the first building in Jamaica to have electricity. The house is believed to have been originally owned by relatives of English playwright, William Shakespear.