Topic: Word class

Sub-topics

These resources relate to word classes (traditionally known as 'parts of speech'). Words are grouped into different classes, such as noun and verb, on the basis of their behaviour: where they occur in relation to other words and what they do within sentences.

Y6 GPaS Test: Adjective or adverb?

Work out whether the highlighted word is an adjective or an adverb

In each of the following examples, indicate whether the highlighted word is an adjective or an adverb:

Y6 GPaS Test: Article or adjective?

Work out whether the highlighted word is an article or an adjective

In each of the following examples, indicate whether the highlighted word is an article or an adjective:

Y6 GPaS Test: I or me?

In each of the following examples, indicate whether the space should be filled with I or me:

Y6 GPaS Test: Identify the adjectives

Find the adjectives in a range of examples

Identify the adjectives in each of the following examples. Click on the word (or words) to select or deselect them.

Y6 GPaS Test: Identify the adverbs

Find the adverbs in a range of examples

Identify the adverbs in each of the following examples. Click on the word (or words) to select or deselect them.

Y6 GPaS Test: Identify the adverbs: Advanced

Identify the adverbs in each of the following examples. Click on the word (or words) to select or deselect them.

Y6 GPaS Test: Identify the conjunctions

Find the conjunctions in a range of examples

Identify the conjunctions in each of the following examples. Click on the word (or words) to select or deselect them.

Y6 GPaS Test: Identify the determiners

Find the determiners in a range of examples

Identify the determiners in each of the following examples. Click on the word (or words) to select or deselect them.

Y6 GPaS Test: Identify the modal verbs

Find the modal verbs in a range of examples

Identify the modal verbs in each of the following examples. Click on the word (or words) to select or deselect them.

Y6 GPaS Test: Identify the nouns

Find the nouns in a range of examples

Identify the nouns in each of the following examples. Click on the word (or words) to select or deselect them.

Y6 GPaS Test: Identify the possessive determiners

Find the possessive determiners in a range of examples

Identify the possessive determiners in each of the following examples. Click on the word (or words) to select or deselect them.

Y6 GPaS Test: Identify the prepositions

Find the prepositions in a range of examples

Identify the prepositions in each of the following examples. Click on the word (or words) to select or deselect them.

Y6 GPaS Test: Identify the relative pronoun

Find the relative pronoun in a range of examples

Identify the relative pronouns in each of the following examples. Click on the word (or words) to select or deselect them.

Y6 GPaS Test: Identify the subordinating conjunction

Find the subordinating conjunction in a range of examples

Identify the subordinate conjunctions in each of the following examples. Click on the word (or words) to select or deselect them.

Y6 GPaS Test: Identify the verbs

Find the verbs in a range of examples

Identify the verbs in each of the following examples. Click on the word (or words) to select or deselect them.

Y6 GPaS Test: Noun or pronoun?

Work out whether the highlighted word is a noun or a pronoun

In each of the following examples, indicate whether the highlighted word is a noun or a pronoun:

Y6 GPaS Test: Noun or verb?

In each of the following examples, indicate whether the highlighted word is a noun or a verb:

Y6 GPaS Test: Present or past tense?

In each of the following examples, indicate whether the highlighted verb is in present or past tense:

Y6 GPaS Test: Pronoun or preposition?

In each of the following examples, indicate whether the highlighted word is a pronoun or a preposition:

Y6 GPaS Test: Select the verb form

Select the correct verb form for each example.

Adjectives

A very simple definition of adjectives that has sometimes been used is that they are ‘descriptive’ words. But this isn’t really very helpful. Lots of word classes can be ‘descriptive’: a noun like funeral is fairly descriptive, as is the verb leap. We might also say that the adverb quickly describes the verb ran in a sentence like He quickly ran.

Adjectives: Avoiding adjective overuse

Many writers of fiction use adjectives as a quick way of telling us what a character is like: how they appear, how they feel, how we should view them. Look at the following examples of how adjectives are used to provide a basic description:

Adverbs

Adverbs are words that typically modify a verb, an adjective, another adverb or an entire sentence:

‘I keep hoping they'll come back,’ Tanya said despairingly. _{[W2F-006 #244]}

In this case the adverb modifies the verb said.

It’s a very fast road all the way. _{[S1A-021 #195]}

In this case the adverb modifies the adjective fast.

Adverbs: Avoiding adverb overuse

Adverbs are quite a varied class of words, which work in several different ways in sentences. Think of examples like obviously, afterwards, extremely, gently. These show that adverbs can express many different kinds of meaning.

This makes adverbs a useful word class. However, many experienced writers advise us to avoid overusing adverbs, and instead find other ways of describing actions and events.

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