Definition and Examples: Noun, Pronoun, Verb, and Adjective

Any sentence, be it simple or complex, is made up of different parts: noun, pronoun, verb, and many more. To be clear, there are 9 parts of speech and each of them have a different function. However, we are only going to talk about 4 of them for the time being.

Meet: Noun, Pronoun, Verb, and Adjective. These basic parts of speech are important in the foundation of writing and understanding the meaning of a sentence.

Take a look at the simple sentence: The cat is sleeping. In this sentence, there is a noun (cat) and there is a verb (is sleeping). Despite how simple the sentence is, you know what the cat is doing – the cat is sleeping. You also know who is sleeping – the cat is sleeping.

When learning a language, it is important to learn the different parts of speech because this will help you understand the sentence structure of your target language, especially if you’re learning English. So if you're ready or not, it's time to put on your thinking cap and study the parts of speech.

What is a Noun?

It is the name of a person, place, thing, or an idea.

• He is my dog.
• The books are in the garage.
• She burned the letters.
• Albert Einstein is listening to music.

What is a Pronoun?

It is a word that refers to the noun.

• They like cake.
• You should see them play tennis.
• We are hungry.
• I asked everyone about the lost dog.

What is a Verb?

It is an action word.

• The athletes swam early in the morning yesterday.
• Will they sleep at the campsite tomorrow?
• The butterflies are flying.
• The store is closing in ten minutes.

What is an Adjective?

It describes the noun or the pronoun. An adjective is a describing word.

• The sad clown is crying in the bathroom.
• A small cat is chasing the rat.
• She has a collection of Swiss watches.
• He brought home six apples and eight oranges.

Practice Quiz: Determine if the bolded word is a noun, pronoun, verb, or adjective.

1. Winnie the Pooh and Piglet are friends.

• A. Noun
• B. Pronoun
• C. Verb
• D. Adjective

2. My dog ate ice cream.

• A. Noun
• B. Pronoun
• C. Verb
• D. Adjective

3. The sleeping baby just farted loudly in her sleep.

• A. Noun
• B. Pronoun
• C. Verb
• D. Adjective

4. They are calling him the newest prodigy.

• A. Noun
• B. Pronoun
• C. Verb
• D. Adjective

5. The red painting was stolen yesterday.

• A. Noun
• B. Pronoun
• C. Verb
• D. Adjective

6. Can I please have your phone number and your email address?

• A. Noun
• B. Pronoun
• C. Verb
• D. Adjective

7. I would like a big breakfast with scrambled eggs, 3 slices of bacon, a buttered toast or a blueberry muffin, some cherry tomatoes, and a cup of hot Earl Grey tea.

• A. Noun
• B. Pronoun
• C. Verb
• D. Adjective

9. Tommy Shelby keeps wearing his worn Newsboy cap.

• A. Noun
• B. Pronoun
• C. Verb
• D. Adjective

10. I see the squirrels collecting nuts outside.

• A. Noun
• B. Pronoun
• C. Verb
• D. Adjective