Parts of Speech and Figures of Speech — Patwari English Notes
This page gives the eight English Parts of Speech, how to identify them based on their use in a sentence, and the major Figures of Speech asked alongside them (Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Alliteration, Assonance, etc.) with examples.
- Class 5-10 grammar level
- 8 min read
The Eight Parts of Speech
| Part of Speech | Function | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | The name of a person, place, thing or feeling | Ravi, Jaipur, book, honesty, team |
| Pronoun | Used in place of a noun | he, she, it, they, who, myself, this |
| Adjective | Describes a noun/pronoun (quality, number, quantity) | handsome boy, three pens, some water |
| Verb | Expresses an action or state of being | run, write, is, seem, become |
| Adverb | Describes a verb, adjective or another adverb (how, when, where, how much) | worked continuously, very tall, quite slowly |
| Preposition | Shows the relationship of a noun/pronoun to other words | in, on, at, under, between, with |
| Conjunction | Joins words, phrases or clauses | and, but, or, because, although |
| Interjection | A sudden feeling (joy, sorrow, surprise) | Oh!, Alas!, Hurrah!, Wow! |
Many modern grammars treat articles/determiners (a, an, the, this) as a separate class; traditional school grammar teaches them under adjectives.
A Word's Part of Speech Is Decided by Its Function
In English, the same word can be a different part of speech in different sentences, so identify it by its function in the sentence, not in isolation. 'fast': He is a fast runner (adjective), He runs fast (adverb), He kept a fast on Monday (noun), Muslims fast during Ramzan (verb). 'light': Switch on the light (noun), This bag is light (adjective), Light the lamp (verb). 'after': after the class (preposition), He came after I had left (conjunction).
Easy identification formulas: (1) A word that tells us about a verb by answering 'how/when/where' is an adverb — worked continuously (how did he work?). (2) A word that describes the quality of a person/thing is an adjective — look handsome, seem happy; note that linking verbs like look, seem, feel, become are followed by an adjective, not an adverb (She looks beautiful, not beautifully). (3) A preposition is always followed by a noun/pronoun (its object); if a whole clause follows instead, that same word is a conjunction. (4) -ly is usually a sign of an adverb, but friendly, lovely, costly are adjectives.
What Are Figures of Speech
Figures of speech are special uses of language where words are not taken in their direct, literal sense but are used to create effect, beauty or emphasis. In competitive exams, these are usually asked in the poetry section (unseen poem) or as separate questions. Understand them in two groups: (1) comparison-based — Simile, Metaphor, Personification; (2) sound-based — Alliteration, Assonance, Onomatopoeia.
The difference between Simile and Metaphor is asked most often. A Simile explicitly compares two different things using 'like' or 'as' — He is as brave as a lion. A Metaphor has no like/as; one thing is directly called another — He is a lion in battle. That's why a metaphor is also called an implied simile. In Alliteration, the initial consonant sound of nearby words is repeated (Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers), while in Assonance, the same vowel sound is repeated within nearby words (The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain — the /eɪ/ sound in rain, Spain, mainly, plain).
Major Figures of Speech at a Glance
| Figure of Speech | How to recognise it | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simile | An explicit comparison using like/as | as busy as a bee; Her face shone like the moon. |
| Metaphor | A direct comparison without like/as (an implied simile) | Life is a journey. / He is a lion in battle. |
| Personification | Giving a non-living or abstract thing a human quality | Death lays her icy hands on all. / The wind whispered. |
| Alliteration | Repetition of the initial consonant sound | Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers. |
| Assonance | Repetition of a vowel sound within nearby words | The rain in Spain falls mainly on the plain. |
| Onomatopoeia | Words that imitate a sound | buzz, hiss, tick-tock, splash |
| Hyperbole | Deliberate exaggeration | I have told you a thousand times. |
| Oxymoron | Contradictory words placed together | open secret, bitter-sweet, cruel kindness |
| Apostrophe | Directly addressing an absent person or a non-living thing | Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are! |
| Transferred Epithet | An adjective moved from the person it relates to onto a thing | He spent a sleepless night. |
Memory Trick / Exam Tip
'Simile' has an 'S' for 'Similar — a clear comparison': if you see like/as, it's a simile; if not, it's a metaphor. Alliteration = repeating the starting consonant sound; Assonance = repeating the vowel sound. For a part-of-speech question, put the word in the sentence and ask: the answer to 'how?' = adverb, the answer to 'what kind?' = adjective.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Parts of Speech are there?+
In traditional English grammar there are 8 parts of speech — Noun, Pronoun, Adjective, Verb, Adverb, Preposition, Conjunction and Interjection.
What is the difference between Simile and Metaphor?+
A Simile makes an explicit comparison with like or as (as brave as a lion), while a Metaphor makes a direct comparison without like/as (He is a lion). This is exactly why a metaphor is called an implied simile.
What is the difference between Alliteration and Assonance?+
In Alliteration, the initial consonant sound of nearby words is repeated; in Assonance, a vowel sound is repeated within nearby words.
Which figure of speech is in 'Death lays her icy hands on all'?+
Personification — the abstract 'Death' is given 'her' and 'hands', presenting it as if it were human.