SSC CPO – English Language
Topic: Parts of Speech
Goal:
Understand what a part of speech is, recognise the eight main categories, and be able to identify them in a sentence.
This knowledge is essential for grammar‑based questions, sentence‑reconstruction, and vocabulary tests in the SSC CPO exam.
1. Simple Explanation
A part of speech is a grammatical category that groups words having similar grammatical behaviour.
Every word in a sentence belongs to exactly one of the following eight parts of speech:
| # | Part of Speech | What it does | Typical examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Noun | Person, place, thing, or idea | teacher, city, happiness |
| 2 | Pronoun | Replaces a noun | he, she, it, they |
| 3 | Verb | Shows action or state | run, is, think |
| 4 | Adjective | Describes a noun | blue, quick, tall |
| 5 | Adverb | Modifies a verb, adjective, or adverb | quickly, very, well |
| 6 | Preposition | Shows relationship between noun/pronoun and other words | in, on, before |
| 7 | Conjunction | Connects words, phrases, or clauses | and, but, because |
| 8 | Interjection | Expresses emotion or surprise | wow!, oh! , ah! |
Tip:
Remember the mnemonic “NEVAPIC” (Noun, Pronoun, Verb, Adjective, Preposition, Interjection, Conjunction) – just add Adverb to complete the eight.
2. Key Points
| Part | Key Features | Common Test Patterns |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Can be proper or common, singular/plural, countable/uncountable. | Look for subject, direct object. |
| Pronoun | Must agree in number & gender with antecedent. | Identify pronoun that replaces a noun. |
| Verb | Inflections: tense, aspect, voice. | Identify main verb and auxiliary verbs. |
| Adjective | Usually precedes noun or follows linking verb. | Look for word that modifies a noun. |
| Adverb | Often ends in ‑ly, but not always (e.g., fast, well). | Modifies verb, adjective, or another adverb. |
| Preposition | Always followed by a noun/pronoun (object of the preposition). | Look for in, on, to, by, with, for, at, from etc. |
| Conjunction | Coordinating (and, but, or), subordinating (because, although). | Connects two independent clauses or phrases. |
| Interjection | Usually isolated by commas or exclamation marks. | Expresses sudden emotion. |
Quick rule of thumb:
If a word can stand alone as a noun or pronoun → Noun/Pronoun; if it can describe a noun → Adjective; if it can describe a verb/adjective/adverb → Adverb; if it shows relationship → Preposition; if it connects → Conjunction; if it expresses emotion → Interjection; if it shows action/state → Verb.
3. Worked Example
Sentence:
“The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.”
| Word | Part of Speech | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The | Determiner (a type of adjective) | Modifies noun fox |
| quick | Adjective | Describes fox |
| brown | Adjective | Describes fox |
| fox | Noun | Subject of the sentence |
| jumps | Verb | Main action |
| over | Preposition | Shows relation between jumps and dog |
| the | Determiner | Modifies noun dog |
| lazy | Adjective | Describes dog |
| dog | Noun | Object of preposition over |
Step‑by‑step identification
- Locate the subject → fox (noun).
- Find the main verb → jumps (verb).
- Look for words that describe nouns → quick, brown, lazy (adjectives).
- Find the preposition → over (preposition).
- Identify the object of the preposition → dog (noun).
Practice:
Try the same analysis on: “She sings beautifully in the evening.”
4. Quick Revision Summary
- Noun – person/place/thing/idea.
- Pronoun – replaces a noun; agrees in number/gender.
- Verb – action or state.
- Adjective – modifies a noun.
- Adverb – modifies verb/adjective/adverb; often ends in ‑ly.
- Preposition – shows relationship; always has an object.
- Conjunction – connects words/clauses.
- Interjection – expresses emotion; isolated.
Mnemonic: NEVAPIC → Noun, Pronoun, Verb, Adjective, Preposition, Interjection, Conjunction (add Adverb).
Exam strategy:
- Read the sentence once to spot the main verb.
- Scan for adjectives/adverbs (often ‑ly, ‑ful, ‑less).
- Look for prepositions (common ones: in, on, at, by, with, to, from, over, under).
- Check for conjunctions linking clauses.
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