Page 72 - ABCTE Study Guide_Neat

students remember the eight parts of speech, though
you’ll want to make sure students can identify how a
word functions and the conventions that govern its
form.

Nouns describe a person, place, thing, or state of being. A noun can serve a variety of functions in a
sentence including: subject, direct object, indirect object, appositive, adjective or adverb. In addition
to a variety of these functions, nouns have classifications that students must be able to identify in order to
construct meaning:

• Common nouns: Most nouns are common nouns and are capitalized only when they begin a
sentence. Common nouns can combine with function words (also called determiners) such
as:the, a, this, every. If a word can combine with a determiner and has a plural form, we can usually
conclude it is a noun.
• Proper nouns: Names, days of the week, titles, months, institutions, holidays, magazines,
newspapers, and organizations, are examples of proper nouns and are always capitalized.
• Singular nouns: The singular form of any noun names one person, place, or thing: banker,
book, bedroom.
• Plural nouns: Generally, nouns become plural by adding -s or -es, as in, book/books,
bath/baths. Other nouns, however, have irregular plural forms that students must learn to identify,
such as person and people. In some cases, the singular and plural forms remain the same, as in
sheep or deer. You’ll want to make sure students are familiar with common types of irregular
plurals as they begin to compose sentences.
• Singular possessive: Usually, nouns become possessive by adding a combination of an
apostrophe and the letter -s.

Example: The kitten’s favorite toy is a pink ball of yarn.
• Plural possessive: You can form the possessive case of a plural noun that does not end in -s
by adding an apostrophe and an -s, as in the following example:

Example: The puppies like to play with the children's ball of yarn.

Verbs are the most important part of a sentence. If you can make a past and a progressive form of a
word, then it is likely to be a verb. Most verbs fall into one of two categories:

• Action verbs express mental or physical action, as in, He thought about home. Or,
Heraced toward the finish line.
• Linking verbs make a statement by connecting the subject with a word that describes or
explains it such as: He had been tired

Verbs have three basic tenses: present, past, and future. Each has a perfect form, indicating completed
action during an indefinite time period; a progressive form, indicating ongoing action; and a perfect
progressive form, indicating ongoing action that will be completed at some definite time.

Tense Simple Progressive Perfect Perfect Progressive

have/has
Present look/s am/is/are looking have/has been looking
looked