3 Recognizing Nouns, Verbs, and Adjectives. The chart below helps
in recognizing the parts of speech.
Parts of Speech
Function or Purpose
Question the Word Answers
Examples
A noun
serves as the subject of the sentence
is the object or complement of a verb or the object of a preposition
Who? (What person?)
What? (What thing, place, or concept?)
Sue received a beautiful present from her aunt in Germany.
A verb
names an action, an activity, or a condition (a state of being)
What does the subject of the sentence do?
Sue received a beautiful present from her aunt in Germany.
An adjective
modifies a noun or pronoun
How is it?
Sue received a beautiful present from her aunt in Germany.