Students Again

EIGHT PARTS OF SPEECH

Eight basic building blocks for all English sentences.

Definition

Examples

Common Problems

Corrections

Noun

A noun names persons, places, things, or ideas.

The car is here.

Writers sometimes fail to capitalize proper nouns.

The english book is lost.
The English book is lost.

Pronoun

A pronoun replaces a noun to give variety to the writing style by avoiding unnecessary repetition.

The car is here.  It doesn't work.

Some pronouns are used ambiguously.  The reader can't figure out the writer's intent.

The manager took his calculator and cell phone from his briefcase.  He used it.  (What did he use?)

Verb

A verb usually expresses action or a state of being.  It is composed of a main verb, which is sometimes preceded by one or more helping verbs.

The car is here.  It doesn't work.  Is expresses a state of being.  Work expresses action.  Does (like have, do and be) is a helping verb.

Many different errors are possible.  For example, writers sometimes have a faulty shift in person and number.

When one buys a new car, you compare prices.  When purchasing a new car, buyers compare prices. (Eliminate the faulty shift from first person to the more informal second person.)

Adverb

An adverb modifies verbs (or verbals), an adjective or other adverbs.  It usually answers questions:  When?  How?  Why?  Under what conditions?  To what degree?

The car is here.  It doesn't work very well.

Writers sometimes use too many adverbs.  Choose vigorous verbs and strong nouns instead.

The very, very big person ran very, very fast.  The huge man streaked by.

Adjective

An adjective modifies or describes a noun or pronoun.  It usually answers qusetions:  Which one?  What kind of?  How many?

The red car is here.  (The is an article.  Articles -- a, an and the -- are sometimes classified as articles.)

Writers sometimes use adjectives when an adverb is required.

Don't invite her.  She walks too slow.  Don't invite her.  She walks too slowly.  Don’t' invite her.  She is a slow walker.

Preposition

A preposition introduces nouns, pronouns, phrases, or clauses to modify other words.  (It usually functions as an adjective or adverb.)

The red car in the driveway is here.  It doesn't work very well.  (It functions like an adverb because it answers the question:  Where?)

Writers sometimes string together too many prepositional phrases in one sentence.

I saw from the window the car in the driveway in front of the house on the left side of the street through the curtains.

Conjunction

A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses, and they indicate the relation between the elements joined.

The red car in the driveway is here, but it doesn't work very well.  (But shows a contrast between the two parts of the sentence.)

Writers sometimes omit the conjunction between two independent clauses.  This creates a comma splice.

I drank the juice, it was good.
I drank the juice, and it was good.

Interjection

An interjection expresses surprise or strong emotion.

Oh! The red car in the driveway is here, but it doesn't work very well.

Writers sometimes use too many interjections in formal writing.

Oh! You wouldn't believe what a great writer he was.

Comparison of Different Levels of Style

Feature

Technical Style

Business Style

Academic Style

Conversational Style

Formality

Sounds like an engineer, a scientist, a pharmacist, etc. conveying quantifiable data in an objective manner.

Conversational; sounds like a real person talking.

More formal than conversation would be, but (often) retains a human voice, depending on the preference of the instructor.

Highly informal; sounds like friends talking.

Evidence and Logical Reasoning

Typically includes rational support for ideas and claims; often follows a format based on the scientific method and includes statistical data as support (statistical compilation of survey results).

Frequently relies on emotional appeals (ex. pictures to convince employees to donate to a charity rather than statistical research to show anticipated results of donation).

Emotional and rational evidence frequently required, depending on the discipline and the assignment (ex. a humanities essay may be more emotional while a chemistry lab report could be based on actual experiments).

Logical evidence frequently missing; claims often based on emotional, personal  evidence (ex.  My sister got a ticket, so police are setting up speed traps unfairly in my city.)

Use of Contractions

Acceptable to use occasional contractions except when writing formal reports.

Acceptable to use occasional contractions.

Few contractions, if any.

Contractions preferred.

Pronouns

Typically uses objective third-person pronouns (impersonal voice).

Uses I, first- and second-person pronouns.

First- and second-person pronouns kept to a minimum or often excluded.

Uses I, first- and second-person pronouns.

Tone:  Personal Versus Impersonal

Impersonal; typically relies on objective data, such as test results and scholarly studies, rather than subjective impressions.

Personal; may refer to reader by name; refers to specific circumstances of readers

Impersonal; may generally refer to readers but does not name them or refer to their circumstances.

Personal; refers to specific circumstances of conversation.

Word Choice

Technical jargon acceptable when communicating with peers; abstract words and scholarly terms acceptable, depending on the expertise of the reader.

Short, simple words; business jargon acceptable, depending on expertise of audience but slang is not preferred.

Many abstract words and scholarly, technical terms.

Short, simple words; slang.

Sentence and Paragraph Length

Sentence and paragraph length depends on content; use of bullet points, charts, graphs, etc. often included to break up the type in technical reports.

Short sentences and paragraphs.

Sentences and paragraphs usually long.

Incomplete sentences; no paragraphs.

Grammar

Uses Standard English.

Uses Standard English.

Uses formal Standard English.

Can be ungrammatical.

Visual Impact

Detailed attention to visual impact with planned use of charts, graphs, other graphics.

Attention to visual impact with focused consideration of reader's impressions, particularly for marketing-oriented documents.

Typically no particular attention to visual impact other than requirements about spacing, size of font, etc.

Typically no particular attention to visual impact except for symbols in e-mails, special stationery, borders, etc.

Tone and Overall Impression

Scientific and objective

Typically marketing- or management-oriented

Scholarly

Highly personal and friendly