1. All names of person, places, things,
Are NOUNS, as Caesar,
2. PRONOUNS are used in place of nouns:
I think; she sings; they work; he frowns
3. When the kind you wish to state,
Use an ADJECTIVE, as great.
4. But if of manner you would tell,
Use ADVERBS, such as slowly, well.
To find an adverb, this test try:
Ask, “How?” or “When?” or “Where?” or “Why?”
5. PREPOSITIONS show relation,
As with respect, or in our nation.
6. CONJECTIONS, as their name implies,
Are joining words; they are the ties
That bind together day and night,
Calm but cold, dull or bright.
7. Next we have the VERBS, which tell
Of action, being, and state as well.
To work, succeed, achieve, and curb—
Each one of these is called a VERB.
8. The INTERJECTIONS show surprise,
As Oh! Alas! Ah me! How wise!
Thus briefly does this jingle state
The PARTS OF SPEECH, which total eight.
(Some authorities give a ninth part of speech, the ARTICLE. A and an are called the indefinite articles, and the is known as the definite article. The words are, in reality, adjectives….)
This is from an English course copyright 1930s. “The New Self-Teaching Course in Practical English and Effective Speech” by Estelle B. Hunter, Ph.B. The Better-Speech Institute of
"Let the questions be the curriculum" Socrates
