300+ Parts of Speech Example Sentences by Word Class

Parts of speech are the nine word classes that sort every English word by the job it does in a sentence, as when run acts as a verb and then as a noun. These parts of speech example sentences show all nine classes at work in bold, beginning with nouns and ending with articles.

What Are Parts of Speech?

A part of speech is the grammar class of a word, named for the work it performs in a sentence: naming, replacing, acting, describing, linking, joining, or reacting. Word class is the modern label for the same nine families, while figures of speech name stylistic effects such as simile and irony rather than grammar roles.

Wow, Ana quickly wrote a short note under the desk and handed it to Sam.

Common Parts of Speech Examples in Sentences

Sam, she, dived, narrow, cheerfully, under, because, ouch, and the do nine different jobs in English, and these parts of speech example sentences pair each word class with a line that demonstrates it.

Noun Examples in Sentences

Nairobi, a jury of twelve, courage, and a toothbrush are all nouns, the naming class for people, places, animals, and qualities, with more noun sentences on englishan.com.

Common and Proper Noun Examples

A city beside Nairobi, a teacher named Mr. Osei, and a river called the Danube split naming words into common nouns for any member of a class and proper nouns for one named place.

• Every city on the route was quieter than Nairobi.
• My teacher, Mr. Osei, marked thirty essays last night.
• The river they crossed at dawn was the Danube.
• Ana bought a notebook and two pens at Target on Saturday morning.
• Two brothers from Lisbon opened a bakery near the harbour last spring.
• Our dog answers to Biscuit and ignores every other name.
• Does that island belong to Greece or to Turkey?
• Nobody told the players that Coach Rivera had resigned.
• Snow covered the mountain long before December arrived.

Countable and Uncountable Noun Examples

Three apples beside a litre of milk, six sandwiches beside plenty of sunscreen, and eggs beside flour separate countable nouns, which take a number, from uncountable nouns, which take a quantity word instead.

• Three apples and a litre of milk went into the trolley.
• Rana poured water over the noodles and waited four minutes.
• We packed six sandwiches, two bottles, and plenty of sunscreen.
• Little furniture survived the flood, though every chair in the attic did.
• Hamid needs advice, not another lecture from his cousins.
• How many eggs does the recipe need, and how much flour?
• The chef added salt, pepper, and three cloves of garlic to the pan.
• Our luggage weighed too much, yet both bags fitted into one taxi.
• Thick snow blocked both roads into the village on Tuesday.

Collective Noun Examples

A jury of twelve, a swarm of bees, and a bouquet of roses are collective nouns, single words that name a whole set of people, animals, or objects.

• A jury of twelve reached a verdict before dinner.
• The team celebrated on the pitch while the crowd roared for ten minutes.
• Our class raised money for a flock of hens at a village school.
• Every herd on that farm moves to higher ground in April.
• Marta photographed a swarm of bees near the orchard fence.
• Did the committee approve the budget, or did it postpone the vote again?
• Nobody warned the crew about the storm.
• One bunch of grapes and a bouquet of roses waited on the counter.
• His family argues about football every Sunday afternoon.

Abstract Noun Examples

Courage inside a burning warehouse, honesty in a courtroom, and grief after a funeral are abstract nouns, names for feelings and qualities that no one touches or photographs.

• Courage kept the firefighters inside the burning warehouse.
• Her honesty surprised the judge more than the evidence did.
• Freedom meant little to Ivan without his family nearby.
• Teachers praise patience, yet exams reward speed.
• The joy on Dad’s face lasted the whole weekend.
• Nothing destroys trust faster than a broken promise.
• Does friendship survive four years and two continents?
• Grief arrived late, long after the funeral ended.
• Sanjay lost his temper and regretted it within seconds.

Compound Noun Example Sentences

A toothbrush in a bathroom, a swimming pool beside a greenhouse, and a washing machine next to a hairdryer are compound nouns, single names built from two words.

• My toothbrush disappeared from the bathroom cabinet.
• The firefighters reached the swimming pool within four minutes.
• Grandma keeps her sunglasses beside the washing machine.
• Football practice ended early because of the thunderstorm.
• Did you pack the toothpaste and the hairdryer?
• Our landlord repaired the doorbell after eleven complaints.
• A notebook and a keyboard were all Ana took to the library.
• Every greenhouse on the farm needs a new rainwater tank.
• Passengers left three suitcases near the checkout counter.

Possessive Noun Examples

A teacher’s lecture, the boys’ locker room, and last year’s grades are possessive nouns, where an apostrophe marks the owner and moves after the s for a plural owner.

• Rana’s phone rang during the teacher’s lecture.
• The boys’ locker room smelled of old socks.
• My sister-in-law’s bakery opened on Tuesday.
• Both witnesses’ accounts matched the driver’s story.
• Charles’s flight landed before the children’s bedtime.
• Nobody touched the dog’s bowl while it growled.
• Did you borrow the neighbour’s ladder again?
• Last year’s grades embarrassed the whole department’s staff.
• A week’s rain fell in one afternoon.

Pronoun Examples in Sentences

She, us, mine, herself, whose, and somebody replace nouns that a speaker has already named or refuses to name, and englishan.com gathers sixty more examples of pronouns in full sentences.

Personal Pronoun Examples

She calling twice, they missing a ferry, and Ravi promising to repay us are personal pronouns at work, standing in for the speaker, the listener, or the person spoken about.

• She called me twice before the meeting started.
• They missed the ferry, so we waited on the pier for an hour.
• Ravi said he would repay us on Friday.
• Did you tell him about the delay?
• It rained all night, and I slept badly.
• Our neighbours invited them to dinner.
• Nobody believed her until the video appeared.
• When we arrived, they had already eaten.
• Marta warned us about the broken step.

Possessive Pronoun Examples

A blue umbrella that is mine, a corner desk that became hers, and tickets we lost while they lost theirs are possessive pronouns, which name an owner without any noun after them.

• That blue umbrella is mine, not yours.
• The corner desk became hers after the promotion.
• Ours arrived broken, while theirs survived the journey.
• Is this bike his or theirs?
• Every trophy on that shelf is hers.
• My passport expired in June; yours runs until 2029.
• Nobody claimed the umbrella, though the initials suggested it was hers.
• They lost their tickets, and we lost ours too.
• A friend of mine drove us to the airport at four.

Reflexive Pronoun Examples

Dad teaching himself guitar, a cat washing itself, and children dressing themselves are reflexive pronouns, which send the action straight back to the one performing it.

• Dad taught himself to play the guitar at fifty.
• I hurt myself on the garden gate.
• The cat washed itself in the sunlight.
• Did you finish the whole project by yourself?
• We promised ourselves a holiday in March.
• Nadia blamed herself for the missed deadline.
• Children under seven rarely dress themselves without help.
• Please help yourselves to the biscuits.
• Marco repaired the fence himself and saved four hundred euros.

Relative Pronoun Examples

A nurse who treated a father, students whose essays arrived late, and a village which floods every spring show relative pronouns opening a clause that describes the noun before it.

• The nurse who treated my father retired last week.
• Students whose essays arrived late lost five marks.
• Ana returned the laptop that had crashed twice.
• Our village, which floods every spring, finally got a new wall.
• Whoever parked here blocked the ambulance.
• Do you know the woman whom the committee chose?
• Everything that broke during the move was insured.
• He married a chef who trained in Lyon.
• Books which the library scanned are now free to read.

Demonstrative Pronoun Examples

This as the shortest route, those as three loud hours, and these as a grandmother’s Sunday baking are demonstrative pronouns, pointing at something near or far without naming it.

• This is the shortest route to the hospital.
• Those were the loudest three hours of my life.
• Take these to the recycling centre, please.
• Is that your brother beside the ticket machine?
• Ana preferred these to the shoes in the window.
• That was the moment the whole crowd went silent.
• Nobody wanted this after the paint spilled on it.
• Of all the paintings in the hall, those sold first.
• My grandmother baked these every Sunday.

Indefinite Pronoun Examples

Somebody leaving a bicycle, everyone singing except Marco, and nothing surviving a power cut are indefinite pronouns, which name an unknown or unspecified person, object, or amount.

• Somebody left a bicycle outside the gate.
• Everyone in the choir sang except Marco.
• Nothing in the fridge survived the power cut.
• Few of the tourists noticed the broken sign.
• Did anyone answer the door?
• All of the bread had gone stale by Monday morning.
• Several of my cousins live in Toronto.
• The teacher gave each of us a different poem.
• Neither of the goalkeepers had played before.

Verb Examples in Sentences

Kicked, became, must, sell, and took mark the action or the state in every English clause, and a hundred more verb sentences wait on englishan.com.

Action Verb Examples

Rafael kicking a ball, bakers kneading dough before sunrise, and Lena slamming a door are action verbs, naming something the doer physically or mentally performs.

• Rafael kicked the ball over the neighbour’s wall.
• The bakers knead dough before sunrise every morning.
• Swimmers raced across the cold lake at dawn.
• My sister paints murals for primary schools.
• Did the dog chew your headphones again?
• Nobody answered the emergency call for six long minutes.
• We cycled thirty kilometres and ate two pizzas afterwards.
• Farmers harvest the wheat in late August.
• Lena slammed the door and ran down the stairs.

Linking Verb Examples

Soup that tastes salty, Priya who became a paramedic, and evenings that grow colder are linking verbs, joining the doer to a word that renames or describes it.

• The soup tastes salty tonight.
• Priya became a paramedic at twenty-four.
• Your plan sounds risky to the whole board.
• That excuse looks thin after three late deliveries.
• My cousins are vegetarians.
• After the fever, Ahmed felt stronger each day.
• Do these curtains look yellow to you?
• Nothing remained quiet once the band arrived.
• Evenings grow colder from October onward.

Helping Verb Examples

Marta who has finished, passengers who must fasten seatbelts, and a bridge that is being rebuilt show helping verbs, the small words that support a main verb and fix its time or mood.

• Marta has finished her thesis.
• The marks will arrive by email on Thursday.
• Do you want another blanket?
• We were waiting outside while the storm passed.
• Nobody had warned the crew about the fog.
• Passengers must fasten their seatbelts before takeoff.
• Is the printer being repaired this afternoon?
• Ravi should apologise to his landlord tonight.
• They are rebuilding the bridge after the flood.

Transitive and Intransitive Verb Examples

Posting a parcel against sleeping, locking a shed against leaving, and selling honey against laughing separate transitive verbs, which take an object, from intransitive ones, which take none.

• Nadia posted the parcel, and then she slept.
• The baby cried all night while the parents packed their bags.
• Farmers sell honey at the Saturday market.
• Everyone laughed when the magician’s hat fell.
• Did Omar lock the shed before he left?
• My grandfather grows tomatoes and complains constantly.
• Rain fell, and the referee abandoned the match.
• She wrote eleven letters, but nobody replied.
• Listeners clapped, and the pianist bowed twice.

Regular and Irregular Verb Examples

Walked beside took, cooked beside drank, and planted beside cut set regular past forms ending in -ed against irregular verbs, whose past forms change the word itself.

• Yesterday Kofi walked to work and took the bus home.
• We cooked dinner while the guests drank lemonade.
• The gardener planted roses and cut the hedge.
• Did Maya finish the report before she went home?
• Nobody noticed that the cat had eaten the salmon.
• Sam painted the fence and broke two brushes.
• Our team played badly and lost by nine goals.
• She studied for six hours and slept through the alarm.
• Firefighters rescued two cats and fought the blaze until dawn.

Adjective Examples in Sentences

A muddy path, the fastest swimmer, this kettle, and her motorbike all describe or specify a noun, which is the work of adjectives, and englishan.com adds a hundred adjective sentences to practise with.

Descriptive Adjective Examples

An ancient oak, warm bread with salty butter, and a rusty blue van are descriptive adjectives, naming the colour, age, size, or condition of the noun beside them.

• A narrow, muddy path led to the lake.
• The ancient oak survived two fierce storms.
• Grandma served warm bread with salty butter.
• Were the seats comfortable on that long flight?
• My cousin drives a rusty blue van.
• Nobody expected such generous tips from quiet customers.
• Heavy rain flooded the steep lanes near the harbour.
• Sanjay wore a striped shirt and scuffed shoes to the interview.
• Three hungry puppies chased a bright orange ball.

Comparative and Superlative Adjective Examples

A shorter route, the fastest swimmer in a club, and the hottest day since 1976 are comparative adjectives and superlatives, one ranking two nouns and the other ranking three or more.

• This route is shorter than the coastal road.
• Nadia is the fastest swimmer in the club.
• My second attempt was better, though the first was worse than expected.
• Winter in Oslo feels colder than winter in Berlin.
• Which of the three laptops is the cheapest?
• The most expensive ticket gave us the worst view of the stage.
• Ravi’s accent is stronger than his brother’s.
• Yesterday was the hottest day since 1976.
• Few problems are harder than parking in that street.

Demonstrative Adjective Examples

This kettle, those boots, and these forms are demonstrative adjectives, the pointing words placed before a noun to mark it as near or far.

• This kettle boils faster than that one.
• Those boots ruined the new carpet.
• Take these forms to the second window.
• Ana refused that offer without reading it.
• Did this parcel arrive before noon?
• These shoes pinch my toes.
• Nobody enjoyed that film except my uncle.
• During those years, the mill employed four hundred workers.
• My father repaired this clock in 1998.

Possessive Adjective Examples

My expired passport, his forgotten umbrella, and their delayed flight are possessive adjectives, which name the owner before a noun and differ from possessive pronouns such as mine and hers, which replace the noun.

• My passport expired in June.
• Leo forgot his umbrella at the station.
• Their flight to Doha was delayed four hours.
• Is your sister still teaching in Cairo?
• The dog buried its bone under the hedge.
• Our landlord repainted the hallway last spring.
• Nadia sold her motorbike to a neighbour.
• Every child brought their own lunch.
• During the flood, farmers moved their cattle uphill.

Adverb Examples in Sentences

Cheerfully, yesterday, upstairs, always, and extremely answer how, when, where, how frequently, and how much, which is the whole work of the adverb class in these adverb sentences.

Adverbs of Manner Examples

A surgeon working calmly, Kofi driving carefully, and leaves falling silently are adverbs of manner, telling how the action was performed.

• Priya answered the phone cheerfully.
• The surgeon worked calmly for nine hours.
• Kofi drove carefully through the flooded street.
• Nobody spoke loudly in the reading room.
• She slammed the door angrily and left without a coat.
• Our instructor explained the route patiently three times.
• Did the choir sing badly on purpose?
• Leaves fell silently onto the wet path.
• My uncle eats noisily, which embarrasses the whole table.

Adverbs of Time Examples

A bakery selling out yesterday, Ravi calling later, and cousins flying tomorrow are adverbs of time, fixing the moment of the action.

• Yesterday the bakery sold out by nine.
• Ravi will call later about the tickets.
• Now the bridge opens only for pedestrians.
• We finished the roof early and rested.
• Did the parcel arrive today?
• Nobody has seen Marta lately.
• The museum closes soon, so hurry.
• Tomorrow my cousins fly to Manila.
• Ana studied French beforehand and impressed the waiter.

Adverbs of Place Examples

Children playing outside, Marta searching everywhere, and rescue teams searching downstream are adverbs of place, naming where the action went on.

• The children played outside until dusk.
• Marta searched everywhere for her charger.
• Upstairs, two workers were sanding the floor.
• Nobody waited there after the concert ended.
• We parked nearby and walked to the stadium.
• Did you leave the keys here?
• Sanjay works abroad for six months each year.
• Our cat slipped indoors during the storm.
• Rescue teams searched downstream for three days.

Adverbs of Frequency Examples

Ravi always locking a gate, grandparents who never fly, and a team that trains twice a week are adverbs of frequency, answering how many times the action repeats.

• Ravi always locks the gate at midnight.
• My grandparents never travel by plane.
• The team trains twice a week in winter.
• Rarely does the mayor answer a question directly.
• Nadia calls her mother daily.
• Do you frequently work on Sundays?
• Farmers check the irrigation pipes weekly.
• Nobody ever complains about the free coffee.
• Occasionally the printer jams on thick paper.

Adverbs of Degree Examples

Soup that is too salty, Marco who is extremely proud, and a knee that hurts slightly are adverbs of degree, measuring how far a quality or an action reaches.

• The soup was too salty for the children.
• Marco is extremely proud of his daughter.
• Almost every seat was taken by seven.
• Nadia felt quite confident before the interview.
• That answer is completely wrong.
• We were so tired that nobody cooked.
• Did the film feel rather long to you?
• Barely half the class finished the exam.
• My knee hurts slightly after the run.

Preposition Examples in Sentences

At six sharp, under a pile of receipts, and across the road show prepositions fixing a noun in time, in place, or in motion, and englishan.com sets out the rules for prepositions in full.

Prepositions of Time Examples

A train leaving at six, Nadia born in April, and football on Fridays are prepositions of time, where at marks a clock time, on a day, and in a month or a year.

• The train leaves at six sharp.
• Nadia was born in April.
• We meet on Fridays for football.
• Ravi studied during the holidays.
• Nobody left before the credits ended.
• Did you finish the essay by Tuesday?
• Kofi worked until midnight on the accounts.
• After the storm, the power returned within an hour.
• My grandparents married in 1964.

Prepositions of Place Examples

Keys under a pile of receipts, cafés between a bank and a cinema, and a cat beside a radiator are prepositions of place, fixing one noun in relation to another.

• The keys were under a pile of receipts.
• Marta waited at the bus stop.
• Two cafés stood between the bank and the cinema.
• Nobody slept in the attic that winter.
• Your jacket hangs behind the door.
• Is the pharmacy opposite the school?
• Sanjay lived near the harbour for a decade.
• Among the letters, one bore a Brazilian stamp.
• Our cat sleeps beside the radiator every night.

Prepositions of Movement Examples

A fox darting across a road, Rana climbing onto a roof, and passengers streaming off a ferry are prepositions of movement, tracing the path the action takes.

• The fox darted across the road.
• Rana climbed onto the roof to fix the aerial.
• We drove through three tunnels before lunch.
• Did the ball roll into the drain?
• Kofi ran towards the platform and missed the train anyway.
• Down the hill came a runaway trolley.
• Nobody walked past the bakery without stopping.
• Passengers streamed off the ferry at dawn.
• My brother jumped over the fence and tore his jeans.

Conjunction Examples in Sentences

And, but, so, because, although, and either … or tie words and clauses into one sentence, and englishan.com explains the types of conjunctions that do the tying.

Coordinating Conjunction Examples

Sandwiches and a flask, a broken lift so six floors climbed, and rice or noodles are coordinating conjunctions, the seven words that join two equal parts of a sentence.

• Ana packed sandwiches and a flask of tea.
• The lift was broken, so we climbed six floors.
• Ravi wanted the blue shirt, but the shop had sold out.
• We arrived late, for the traffic was terrible.
• Nobody phoned, nor did anyone send a message.
• Do you want rice or noodles?
• My sister studies medicine, yet she dreams of sailing.
• Kofi missed the bus, so he cycled to work in the rain.
• Take an umbrella or a raincoat.

Subordinating Conjunction Examples

A river rising because of rain, a wait until the doctor called, and a smile although the news was bad are subordinating conjunctions, which hang a dependent clause on a main one.

• Because the river rose, the council closed the bridge.
• We waited until the doctor called our number.
• Nadia smiled although the news was bad.
• If the parcel arrives tomorrow, phone me at once.
• Kofi left early since his shift started at five.
• Did the alarm ring before you woke?
• Farmers harvest when the wheat turns golden.
• My cousins stayed indoors while the storm passed.
• Unless you book now, the tickets will double in price.

Correlative Conjunction Examples

Either the driver or the company, neither the coach nor the players, and both the sitar and the piano are correlative conjunctions, two-word pairs whose second half is fixed by the first.

• Either the driver apologises or the company loses our contract.
• Neither the coach nor the players spoke to reporters.
• Sanjay plays both the sitar and the piano.
• Whether you drive or take the train, arrive by six.
• Our dog not only escaped but also stole a sausage.
• The film was so long that three people left.
• Nadia would rather walk than wait for the bus.
• No sooner had the lights failed than the music stopped.
• Ravi visited not Rome but Naples.

Interjection Examples in Sentences

Wow at a sunrise, ouch at a hot kettle, and phew after a short exam are interjections, standalone cries of feeling that need no grammar partner, as these interjection example sentences show.

Interjections of Surprise and Delight

A sunrise over a lake, a team reaching the final, and a driving test passed at the first attempt draw wow, hurray, and yes, the interjections of shock and celebration.

• Wow, the sunrise over the lake was unbelievable!
• Hurray, our team reached the final!
• Oh, I forgot my wallet at the café.
• Ana shouted "Yay!" when the marks went up on the noticeboard.
• Bravo, that was the finest solo of the evening!
• Goodness, the queue reached the car park!
• My father whistled and said, "Aha, the thief left footprints."
• Yes! Nadia passed her driving test at the first attempt.
• Yikes, the milk boiled over the stove.

Interjections of Pain, Doubt, and Agreement

A hot kettle, a wrong invoice, and a favour agreed to bring out ouch, hmm, and sure, three of the 155 cries in englishan.com’s list of interjections.

• Ouch, that kettle is still hot!
• Hmm, the numbers on this invoice look wrong.
• Well, nobody warned us about the roadworks.
• Alas, the old cinema closed in March.
• Kofi muttered "Ugh" at the smell from the drain.
• Phew, the exam was shorter than expected!
• Oops, I deleted the wrong file.
• Nadia answered, "Sure, I will drive you to the airport."
• Hey, whose bicycle is blocking the gate?

Articles and Determiners in Example Sentences

A cyclist, an elderly cat, the canal bridge, several passengers, and enough firewood open a noun and mark which one or how many, which is the work of articles and determiners.

Articles A, An, and The Examples

A waving cyclist, an elderly cat from a shelter, and the reopened canal bridge separate a and an, which introduce any member of a class, from the, which names one already known. More sentences with a, an, the follow that same split.

• A cyclist waved at the driver.
• Nadia adopted an elderly cat from the shelter.
• The bridge over the canal reopened in June.
• Did you bring an umbrella?
• We rented a cottage near the coast for August.
• An hour later, the ambulance reached the village.
• Kofi bought a newspaper and an orange at the kiosk.
• My brother wants a dog, not the hamster my mother chose.
• Every winter the lake freezes hard enough for skating.

Demonstrative, Possessive, and Quantifying Determiners

Several passengers, three eggs, most of a harvest, and enough firewood are determiners, and the counting ones such as many, few, and most are the quantifiers of the class.

• Several passengers missed their connection in Frankfurt.
• This recipe needs three eggs and some butter.
• Nadia sold both bicycles within a week.
• Each student received two exam papers.
• Farmers lost most of their harvest to the frost.
• Did many guests arrive before midnight?
• Few shops open on that side of the river in winter.
• My aunt keeps enough firewood for the whole winter.
• Those tourists photographed every window of the cathedral.

All Nine Parts of Speech in One Sentence

A pianist, a rusty nail, a late goal, and a huge spider pull all nine classes together. Each sentence runs an interjection, a noun, a pronoun, a verb, an adjective, an adverb, a preposition, a conjunction, and a determiner at once.

Wow (interjection), the (article) tired (adjective) postman (noun) slowly (adverb) climbed (verb) onto (preposition) our porch, and (conjunction) he (pronoun) rang the bell twice.

• Wow, the young pianist played beautifully on a borrowed instrument, and she never glanced down.
• Ouch, a rusty nail suddenly pierced my boot near the heel, but it missed the skin.
• Hurray, our tired team finally scored in the last minute, so we celebrated for hours.
• Alas, the old cinema quietly closed after ninety years, and nobody protested.
• Oops, Nadia accidentally deleted the whole folder before lunch, yet she recovered it later.
• Phew, the long exam finally ended at four, and everyone cheered.
• Hey, your noisy neighbour parked badly across our gate, so I complained twice.
• Yikes, a huge spider slowly crawled under the sofa, and Marta screamed.
• Well, the delivery driver cheerfully waited outside the gate until we answered.

Related

• Abstract Noun Example Sentences
• Comparative Adjective Example Sentences
• Action Verb Example Sentences
• Adverb Sentences Examples

FAQs

Related:

• Compound Noun Example Sentences
• Possessive Noun Example Sentences
• Helping Verb Example Sentences
• Comparative Adjective Example Sentences
• Prepositions of Place Example Sentences
• Coordinating Conjunction Example Sentences
• Subordinating Conjunction Example Sentences
• Noun Phrase Examples