Question:
Identifying Parts of Speech
Having trouble identifying the parts of speech? Then try this handy tip sheet to help you locate subjects, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, predicate nouns, predicate adjectives, indirect objects, gerunds, prepositions, and conjunctions within sentences.
How can I find the subjects and verbs in my sentences?
One way is to first ask yourself, "What is this sentence about?" Once you have identified the subject, to find the verb, ask, "What is this subject doing?" Some people find it easier to do the reverse-first find the verb and then find the subject.
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Criteria/Hints for Finding Subjects
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Criteria/Hints for Finding Verbs
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ü Ask who or what the sentence is about.
ü Find the main person or thing in the sentence.
ü The subject is usually a noun (a person, place or thing) or pronoun (words like he, she or they that take the place of a noun).
ü The subject is usually at the beginning of a sentence, before the verb.
ü There may be more than one subject in a sentence.
ü The subject can never be the object of a preposition, words like with, from, under, over, and of.
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ü Ask what is the subject doing?
ü Look for a word that shows action.
ü Look for common verb endings like -ing or -ed, or if you can add -ing to a word, it is probably a verb.
ü The verb usually comes after the subject.
ü There may be more than one verb in a sentence.
ü Words like is, was, are, am, was, were, has, have, had, seems (linking verbs) will always be at least part of the verb.
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How to Identify A(n):
.Adjective - Ask yourself: "Does this answer 'Which one,' 'What kind,' or 'How many?'"
.Adverb - Ask yourself: "Does this answer 'When,' 'Where,' 'How,' or 'To what extent?'"
.Predicate Noun - Ask yourself: "Is it a noun?" "Does it rename the subject?" "Is the verb a linking verb?"
.Predicate Adjective - Ask yourself: "Does it modify the subject, yet is it in the predicate?" "Is the verb a linking verb?"
.Direct Object - Ask yourself: "Does this answer: 'verb + whom? or what?'"
.Indirect Object - Ask yourself: "Does this answer: 'for whom?' or 'to whom?'"
.Gerund - Ask yourself: "Does it look like a verb even though it is part of the subject?" or "Does it look like a verb even though it modifies something else?"
.Preposition - Ask yourself: "Does it show a relationship with 'the box'?" (Examples: around the box, under the box, to the box)
.Conjunction - Just remember this: FAN BOYS (F= for, A= and, N= nor, B= but, O= or, Y= yet, S= so)