Parts of Speech and Their Types, Rules, Short Tricks and Tips

The foundation of English grammar rests on the Parts of Speech, which categorize words based on their function in a sentence. For exam aspirants, mastering this topic is crucial because it strengthens comprehension, sentence formation, and error-spotting skills. In this blog, we have provided all the details about pats of speech including definitions, short notes, tricks, formulas, solved questions to help you prepare for SSC, Banking, and RRB exams.

What Are Parts of Speech in English?

Parts of Speech are the basic categories of words based on their usage in sentences. Each word in English belongs to a specific part of speech depending on its function, such as naming, describing, connecting, or expressing action.

• Why it appears in exams: Exams often test sentence correction, fill-in-the-blanks, and error detection, where knowledge of parts of speech is essential.
• Skills required: Logical identification, contextual understanding, and quick recall of grammar rules.

Why Is Parts of Speech Important in Competitive Exams?

In competitive exams, grammar-based questions often appear in the form of error spotting, cloze test, or sentence improvement. Knowing Parts of Speech ensures accuracy and saves time.

Exam	No. of Questions	Difficulty
SSC CGL / CHSL	1–2	Easy
IBPS PO / SBI PO	1–2	Moderate
RRB NTPC / Group D	1	Easy
State PSC / Police	1–2	Moderate

What Are the 8 Parts of Speech?

The details of the eight parts of speech in English grammar are as follows:

Part of Speech	Definition	Examples
Noun	A word that names a person, place, thing, or idea.	1. The library is quiet. 2. Happiness is essential for well-being.
Pronoun	A word used to replace a noun and avoid repetition.	1. She completed her assignment. 2. Anyone can join the club.
Verb	A word that expresses an action, occurrence, or state of being.	1. He runs every morning. 2. The baby is sleeping peacefully.
Adjective	A word that describes or qualifies a noun.	1. The tall building amazed everyone. 2. I bought a blue notebook.
Adverb	A word that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb, giving more context.	1. She sang beautifully. 2. The train arrived early.
Preposition	A word that shows the relationship of a noun or pronoun with another word in a sentence.	1. The cat is under the table. 2. We walked along the river.
Conjunction	A word that connects words, phrases, or clauses.	1. I wanted to go, but it started raining. 2. She is smart and diligent.
Interjection	A word used to express sudden emotion or feeling.	1. Oh! That was unexpected. 2. Hurray! We won the match.

What Are the Types of Parts of Speech Questions in English?

In exams, Parts of Speech questions are asked in these forms:

• Error Spotting: Identify incorrect usage of word form.
• Sentence Improvement: Replace incorrect word with correct part of speech.
• Fill in the Blanks: Choose correct word form.
• Cloze Test: Apply contextual grammar.

Parts of Speech Question Patterns in English

Exams often repeat certain patterns, such as:

• Identifying subject-verb agreement errors.
• Using correct adjective/adverb placement.
• Confusing noun vs. verb forms (e.g., advice vs. advise).

Formula:

• Noun + Verb – Basic sentence structure
• Adjective + Noun – Correct description
• Verb + Adverb – Correct modification

Parts of Speech Tricks for SSC CGL and Other Exams

Some useful tricks can be used while solving questions based on parts of speech.

1. Always identify the noun/subject first.
2. Check whether the verb agrees with the subject.
3. Replace repetitive nouns with pronouns.
4. Use adverbs for verbs, not adjectives.
5. Remember: Conjunctions connect, prepositions position.

Solved Parts of Speech Questions from 2024–25 Exams

Q1. (SSC CGL 2024 Tier 1, Shift 2 – Memory Based)
Identify the part of speech of the underlined word:
“He speaks fluently.”

• Answer: Adverb
• Explanation: Describes how he speaks.

Q2. (IBPS PO Prelims 2024 – Based on Memory)
Choose the correct option:
“The manager was very ____ about the results.”
(a) hope (b) hopeful (c) hoping (d) hoped

• Answer: (b) hopeful
• Explanation: Adjective is required to describe the manager.

Q3. (RRB NTPC 2024 – Asked Question)
Pick the interjection:
“____! We lost the match.”

• Answer: Alas
• Explanation: Expresses sudden feeling of grief.

Parts of Speech Concepts for Bank Exams

Bank exams often twist the basics with coded or tricky formats:

• Sentence replacement with subtle adjective/adverb differences.
• Noun-verb confusion (e.g., effect vs. affect).
• Cloze passages requiring contextual grammar.

Example (IBPS PO 2024):
“His speech had a strong ____ on the audience.”
Correct answer: effect (noun).

Common Mistakes to Avoid while Solving Parts of Speech

Some of the common mistakes to be avoided while solving questions based on parts of speech are as follows:

1. Confusing adjectives with adverbs (e.g., She sings beautiful (No) – She sings beautifully {Correct}).
2. Using wrong verb form with singular/plural nouns.
3. Misplacing prepositions at the end unnecessarily.
4. Treating gerunds as verbs instead of nouns.
5. Overusing conjunctions in long sentences.

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