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English Grammar & Writing Parts of Speech Syllabus

The Parts of Speech syllabus for English Grammar & Writing in full: 6 chapters and 31 topics, every one listed below, plus 51 Parts of Speech flashcards with answers.

6Chapters
31Topics
51Flashcards

Parts of Speech syllabus: all 6 chapters

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics.

  1. Nouns

     5 topics
    • Common and Proper Nouns
    • Countable and Uncountable Nouns
    • Collective Nouns
    • Abstract and Concrete Nouns
    • Possessive Nouns

  2. Pronouns

     6 topics
    • Personal Pronouns
    • Possessive Pronouns and Adjectives
    • Reflexive and Intensive Pronouns
    • Relative Pronouns
    • Demonstrative and Indefinite Pronouns
    • Pronoun-Antecedent Agreement

  3. Verbs

     5 topics
    • Action and Linking Verbs
    • Transitive and Intransitive Verbs
    • Auxiliary and Modal Verbs
    • Regular and Irregular Verbs
    • Phrasal Verbs

  4. Adjectives

     4 topics
    • Descriptive and Limiting Adjectives
    • Order of Adjectives
    • Degrees of Comparison
    • Participial Adjectives

  5. Adverbs

     5 topics
    • Types of Adverbs
    • Adverbs of Manner, Place, and Time
    • Adverbs of Frequency and Degree
    • Comparison of Adverbs
    • Placement of Adverbs

  6. Prepositions, Conjunctions, and Interjections

     6 topics
    • Prepositions of Time, Place, and Direction
    • Prepositional Phrases
    • Coordinating Conjunctions
    • Subordinating Conjunctions
    • Correlative Conjunctions
    • Interjections

English Grammar & Writing Parts of Speech flashcards — 51 questions with answers

  1. What is the difference between a common noun and a proper noun?

    A common noun names a general person, place, thing, or idea (e.g., city, dog, teacher) and is not capitalized unless it starts a sentence. A proper noun names a specific person, place, or thing (e.g., London, Rex, Ms. Lee) and is always capitalized.

  2. Give three examples that show a common noun being converted into a proper noun.

    river -> Nile River; ocean -> Pacific Ocean; woman -> Marie Curie. The specific, capitalized name is the proper noun; the general category word is the common noun.

  3. What is a countable noun, and how does it behave grammatically?

    A countable noun names something that can be counted as separate units. It has both singular and plural forms (book/books), can take a/an, and can be used with numbers (three apples).

  4. What is an uncountable (mass) noun, and which determiners and verb form does it take?

    An uncountable noun names something not counted as separate units (water, information, furniture). It has no plural form, cannot take a/an or numbers directly, uses 'much'/'a little'/'some', and takes a singular verb.

  5. How do you quantify an uncountable noun so it can be counted?

    Use a partitive/unit expression: a glass of water, two pieces of information, three slices of bread, a bar of chocolate. The counting is applied to the container/unit word, not the uncountable noun itself.

  6. Which quantifiers pair with countable nouns versus uncountable nouns?

    Countable: many, few, a few, several, a number of, fewer. Uncountable: much, little, a little, a great deal of, less. 'Some', 'any', 'a lot of', and 'plenty of' work with both.

  7. What is a collective noun? Give five examples.

    A collective noun names a group of individuals as a single unit. Examples: team, family, committee, herd, flock (also jury, staff, crowd).

  8. How is subject-verb agreement decided with a collective noun?

    If the group acts as a single unit, use a singular verb (The team wins). If members act as individuals, a plural verb may be used (The team are arguing among themselves). British English uses plural more freely than American English.

  9. What is the difference between a concrete noun and an abstract noun?

    A concrete noun names something perceivable by the five senses (table, music, rose, thunder). An abstract noun names an idea, quality, state, or emotion that cannot be physically sensed (freedom, love, honesty, courage).

  10. Name common suffixes that often form abstract nouns.

    -ness (kindness), -tion/-sion (creation, decision), -ment (enjoyment), -ity (ability), -ship (friendship), -hood (childhood), -dom (freedom), -ance/-ence (patience).

  11. What is a possessive noun, and how is it formed for a singular noun?

    A possessive noun shows ownership or a relationship. For a singular noun, add apostrophe + s: the dog's leash, James's book (or James' in some styles).

  12. How do you form the possessive of a regular plural noun versus an irregular plural noun?

    Regular plural (ends in -s): add only an apostrophe -> the dogs' leashes. Irregular plural (does not end in -s): add apostrophe + s -> the children's toys, the men's room.

  13. How do you show joint possession versus separate possession with two nouns?

    Joint possession (shared item): mark only the last noun -> Tom and Jerry's house (one shared house). Separate possession: mark both nouns -> Tom's and Jerry's houses (each has one).

  14. What is a personal pronoun, and what grammatical categories distinguish its forms?

    A personal pronoun replaces a noun referring to people or things. Its forms vary by person (1st/2nd/3rd), number (singular/plural), gender (he/she/it), and case (subject vs. object).

  15. List the subject personal pronouns and the object personal pronouns.

    Subject: I, you, he, she, it, we, they. Object: me, you, him, her, it, us, them.

  16. When do you use a subject pronoun versus an object pronoun?

    Use a subject pronoun when it performs the action (She called). Use an object pronoun when it receives the action or follows a preposition (Call her; give it to me). Test: 'between you and me' (object after preposition), not 'between you and I'.

  17. What is the difference between a possessive pronoun and a possessive adjective?

    A possessive adjective comes before a noun and modifies it (my book, her car). A possessive pronoun stands alone and replaces the noun phrase (The book is mine; The car is hers).

  18. List the possessive adjectives and the matching possessive pronouns.

    Adjectives: my, your, his, her, its, our, their. Pronouns: mine, yours, his, hers, its (rare), ours, theirs. Note: none take an apostrophe.

  19. Distinguish 'its' from 'it's' and 'their/theirs' from 'there/they're'.

    'Its' = possessive (the dog wagged its tail); 'it's' = it is/it has. 'Their/theirs' = possessive; 'there' = place; 'they're' = they are. Possessive pronouns never use apostrophes.

  20. What is a reflexive pronoun, and when is it required?

    A reflexive pronoun (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves) is used when the subject and object are the same person or thing (She taught herself French). It is required as the object referring back to the subject.

Show the other 31 Parts of Speech flashcards

  1. What is an intensive pronoun, and how does it differ in function from a reflexive pronoun?

    An intensive pronoun has the same form (-self/-selves) but adds emphasis rather than acting as an object (The principal herself signed it). It is not grammatically required and can be removed without breaking the sentence; a reflexive pronoun cannot.

  2. List the reflexive/intensive pronoun forms for all persons.

    Singular: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself. Plural: ourselves, yourselves, themselves. Note: 'hisself' and 'theirselves' are non-standard.

  3. What is a relative pronoun, and what are the main ones?

    A relative pronoun introduces a relative (adjective) clause that describes a noun. The main ones are: who, whom, whose, which, and that.

  4. When do you use 'who' versus 'whom' versus 'whose'?

    'Who' = subject of the clause (the man who called). 'Whom' = object of the clause or preposition (the man whom I met). 'Whose' = possessive (the man whose car broke down).

  5. When do you use 'which' versus 'that' in a relative clause?

    'That' introduces a restrictive (essential, no commas) clause: The car that I bought is red. 'Which' typically introduces a non-restrictive (extra, comma-set) clause: My car, which is red, is new. 'Who' is used for people.

  6. What is a demonstrative pronoun, and what are the four demonstratives?

    A demonstrative pronoun points to specific things and stands alone: this, that (singular), these, those (plural). 'This/these' indicate near; 'that/those' indicate far.

  7. How do demonstrative pronouns differ from demonstrative adjectives?

    Same words (this, that, these, those). As a demonstrative adjective it modifies a following noun (this book). As a demonstrative pronoun it stands alone replacing the noun (This is mine).

  8. What is an indefinite pronoun? Give examples of singular, plural, and variable ones.

    An indefinite pronoun refers to non-specific people or things. Always singular: everyone, someone, anybody, nothing, each, either, neither. Always plural: both, few, many, several. Variable (singular or plural by context): all, any, most, none, some.

  9. What verb form do indefinite pronouns like 'everyone', 'each', and 'nobody' take?

    They take a singular verb: Everyone is here; Each of the students has a book; Nobody knows. Despite implying many people, these are grammatically singular.

  10. What is pronoun-antecedent agreement?

    A pronoun must agree with its antecedent (the noun it refers to) in number, person, and gender. Singular antecedent -> singular pronoun; plural antecedent -> plural pronoun (The dog lost its bone; The dogs lost their bones).

  11. How do you handle pronoun agreement with a compound antecedent joined by 'or'/'nor'?

    The pronoun agrees with the nearer antecedent. Example: Neither the teacher nor the students brought their books; Neither the students nor the teacher brought her book.

  12. What pronoun agrees with an indefinite antecedent like 'everyone' in modern usage?

    Traditionally singular 'his' or 'his or her' (Everyone must bring his or her book). Increasingly, singular 'they' is accepted (Everyone must bring their book) to remain gender-neutral.

  13. What is the difference between an action verb and a linking verb?

    An action verb expresses a physical or mental action (run, think, build). A linking verb connects the subject to a word that renames or describes it (a subject complement), expressing a state of being rather than an action (be, seem, become).

  14. List common linking verbs and give a test for whether a verb is linking.

    Common: be (am/is/are/was/were), seem, become, appear, feel, look, sound, taste, smell, grow, remain. Test: replace the verb with a form of 'be'; if the sentence still makes sense, it is linking (She looks tired -> She is tired).

  15. How can a verb like 'taste' or 'feel' be both a linking and an action verb?

    As a linking verb it describes the subject and is followed by an adjective (The soup tastes salty). As an action verb it shows the subject doing something and is followed by an object/adverb (The chef tasted the soup).

  16. What is the difference between a transitive verb and an intransitive verb?

    A transitive verb requires a direct object to complete its meaning (She threw the ball). An intransitive verb does not take a direct object (He slept; The baby cried).

  17. How can you test whether a verb is transitive or intransitive in a sentence?

    Ask 'what?' or 'whom?' after the verb. If there is an answer (a direct object), it is transitive (She reads books -> reads what? books). If there is no object, it is intransitive (She smiled).

  18. Can a single verb be both transitive and intransitive? Give an example.

    Yes. Many verbs work both ways depending on use. 'Sing': She sings (intransitive) vs. She sings a song (transitive). 'Grow': Plants grow (intransitive) vs. Farmers grow crops (transitive).

  19. What is an auxiliary (helping) verb, and what are the three primary auxiliaries?

    An auxiliary verb helps the main verb express tense, voice, mood, or aspect. The three primary auxiliaries are be, have, and do (e.g., She is running; They have eaten; Do you know?).

  20. What is a modal verb, and what are the nine core modals?

    A modal verb is a helping verb expressing ability, possibility, permission, obligation, or necessity. The core modals are: can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must.

  21. What grammatical features distinguish modal verbs from ordinary verbs?

    Modals: (1) are followed by the base form of the main verb (can go, not can to go/goes); (2) do not add -s in the third person (she can, not she cans); (3) have no infinitive or -ing forms; (4) form questions/negatives without 'do'.

  22. What is the difference between a regular verb and an irregular verb?

    A regular verb forms its past simple and past participle by adding -ed (walk/walked/walked). An irregular verb changes its spelling in unpredictable ways (go/went/gone; sing/sang/sung).

  23. State the three principal parts (base, past simple, past participle) of five common irregular verbs.

    go/went/gone; eat/ate/eaten; take/took/taken; write/wrote/written; begin/began/begun.

  24. What are the spelling rules for adding -ed to regular verbs?

    Base + ed normally (jump/jumped). If it ends in -e, add only -d (like/liked). Consonant + y -> change y to i + ed (carry/carried). Single stressed vowel + consonant -> double the consonant (stop/stopped).

  25. What is a phrasal verb, and what are its parts?

    A phrasal verb is a multi-word verb made of a verb plus one or more particles (an adverb and/or preposition) whose combined meaning often differs from the individual words (give up = quit, look after = care for).

  26. What is the difference between a separable and an inseparable phrasal verb?

    Separable: the object can go between the verb and particle (turn the light off / turn off the light); if the object is a pronoun it must go in the middle (turn it off). Inseparable: the object must follow the whole verb (look after the baby, not look the baby after).

  27. How does the meaning of a phrasal verb compare to its literal parts? Give an example.

    Phrasal verbs are often idiomatic, so the meaning is not the sum of the words. Example: 'break down' does not mean physically break the floor; it means stop functioning or lose emotional control. 'Run into' can mean meet by chance.

  28. What is the difference between a descriptive adjective and a limiting adjective?

    A descriptive adjective names a quality or characteristic of a noun (blue, tall, happy). A limiting adjective restricts or specifies the noun rather than describing quality (articles a/an/the, numbers, this/that, some, my, each).

  29. Give the categories of limiting adjectives with an example of each.

    Articles (a, an, the); demonstratives (this, those); possessives (my, their); numbers/quantifiers (three, many, some); interrogatives (which, whose); indefinites (each, any). They limit rather than describe.

  30. What is the standard order of adjectives before a noun in English?

    Quantity/number, opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, purpose, then the noun. Example: two beautiful small old round brown Italian wooden dining tables.

  31. Apply the adjective-order rule: arrange 'wooden, lovely, large, old, brown' before 'table'.

    a lovely (opinion) large (size) old (age) brown (color) wooden (material) table -> 'a lovely large old brown wooden table'.

English Grammar & Writing Parts of Speech FAQ

What is in the English Grammar & Writing Parts of Speech syllabus?

English Grammar & Writing Parts of Speech is split into 6 chapters: Nouns, Pronouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs and Prepositions, Conjunctions, and Interjections. Together they contain 31 topics.

How many chapters are in English Grammar & Writing Parts of Speech?

6 chapters, containing 31 topics. The largest chapter is Pronouns, with 6 topics.

Are there flashcards for English Grammar & Writing Parts of Speech?

Yes — a 51-card Parts of Speech deck, printed in full in the flashcards section of this page and available in the Examius app with spaced repetition. The free plan covers one exam of your choice, including its flashcards; Examius Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks every other exam and deck.