IBPS PO – English Language
Topic: Parts of Speech
A part of speech is a category that a word falls into based on its grammatical function in a sentence.
Understanding them helps you:
- Identify word functions quickly (useful for sentence‑completion, error‑spotting, and paraphrasing).
- Choose the right word in fill‑in‑the‑blank questions.
- Spot trick questions that test word‑class knowledge.
1. Simple Explanation
| Part of Speech | What it does | Common Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Names a person, place, thing, or idea. | teacher, city, freedom |
| Pronoun | Replaces a noun. | he, she, it, they |
| Verb | Shows action or state of being. | run, think, is |
| Adjective | Describes a noun or pronoun. | blue, quick, large |
| Adverb | Modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. | quickly, very, well |
| Preposition | Shows relationship between a noun/pronoun and another word. | in, on, at, between |
| Conjunction | Joins words, phrases, or clauses. | and, but, or, because |
| Interjection | Expresses emotion or exclamation. | Wow!, Oops!, |
| Article | Specifies a noun (definite/indefinite). | the, a, an |
Tip: In IBPS PO, you often need to pick the correct word among options that are of a specific part of speech (e.g., choose the adjective that best completes the sentence).
2. Key Points to Remember
| Point | Why it matters for IBPS PO |
|---|---|
| Noun & Pronoun – Nouns often come first in a sentence; pronouns replace nouns to avoid repetition. | Many questions test pronoun‑to‑noun agreement and correct pronoun case. |
| Verb Tenses – Present, past, future, present perfect, etc. | Pay attention to tense consistency in multi‑clause sentences. |
| Adjectives vs. Adverbs – Adjectives modify nouns; adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. | Confusing them leads to wrong answers (e.g., He runs quick → quickly). |
| Prepositions – Often tricky due to idiomatic usage. | e.g., in spite of, by means of. |
| Conjunctions – Coordinating (and, but, or), subordinating (because, although). | Useful for spotting sentence connectors that affect meaning. |
| Articles – a/an for singular countable nouns, the for specific nouns. | Often a source of “article‑error” questions. |
| Interjections – Usually followed by a comma. | Rare in formal questions but good to know for reading comprehension. |
| Word‑Class Tests – Questions give a sentence with a blank and multiple choices; you must choose the word that fits grammatically. | Practice identifying the part of speech required by the sentence structure. |
3. Worked Example
Question
Choose the word that best fits in the blank. The word must be an adverb.
"She _____ finished the assignment before the deadline."
Options
A. carefully
B. careful
C. carefulness
D. carefully
Step‑by‑step
- Identify the needed part of speech:
The blank follows the verb finished, so we need an adverb that modifies the verb (how she finished). - Eliminate non‑adverbs:
- B. careful → adjective (modifies noun).
- C. carefulness → noun.
- Check adverb forms:
- A. carefully – correct adverb form.
- D. carefully is the correct spelling; carefully vs carefully – the latter is incorrect.
- Answer: A. carefully
Why the other options fail
| Option | Problem |
|---|---|
| B. careful | Adjective, not adverb. |
| C. carefulness | Noun, no grammatical fit. |
| D. carefully | Misspelled; correct form is carefully. |
4. Quick Revision Summary
| Part of Speech | Typical Function | Quick Mnemonic |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Person/thing/idea | N for Name |
| Pronoun | Replaces noun | P for Person |
| Verb | Action/state | V for Action |
| Adjective | Describes noun | Adj = Adj-acent to noun |
| Adverb | Modifies verb/adjective/adverb | Adv = Ad-verb (adds how/when/where) |
| Preposition | Relationship | Prep = Pre‑position |
| Conjunction | Joins | Conj = Con‑join |
| Interjection | Exclamation | Inter = Inter‑ject |
| Article | Specifies noun | Art = Art-iculate (specific/unspecific) |
Quick Tips for IBPS PO
- Read the entire sentence before choosing; context dictates the required part of speech.
- Check word endings:
- -ly → usually adverb (carefully, quickly)
- -ing/-ed → verb (running, walked) or adjective (exciting).
- -ive, -ous → adjective (creative, courageous).
- Look for subject‑verb agreement: pronouns must agree in number and gender with antecedent nouns.
- Practice with cloze tests: fill‑in‑the‑blank passages are common in the exam.
- Time‑management: