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Parts of Speech Quiz: Identify Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives & More

Quick, free parts of speech test with instant results and helpful tips.

Editorial: Review CompletedCreated By: Dongfang OuyangUpdated Aug 23, 2025
Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration for a grammar quiz on identifying parts of speech on a coral background

Use this parts of speech quiz to spot nouns, verbs, adjectives, and more in real sentences. Get instant feedback, see correct answers, and learn from quick tips. For extra practice, try our 8 parts of speech quiz, take an adverb quiz, or review with a types of pronouns quiz.

Identify the noun in the sentence: The puppy slept on the rug.
on
the
slept
puppy - Explanation: It names a person, place, thing, or idea; here it names an animal.
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Which word is the main verb in the sentence: She dances gracefully each evening.
dances - Explanation: It shows the action performed by the subject.
gracefully
each
she
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Choose the adjective in the sentence: The tall building has glass windows.
has
windows
tall - Explanation: It describes the noun building.
building
undefined
Which word is an adverb in: He spoke softly to the audience.
He
spoke
softly - Explanation: It modifies the verb spoke by indicating manner.
audience
undefined
Identify the preposition in: The book on the table is new.
table
on - Explanation: It shows the relationship between book and table.
book
new
undefined
Which word is a demonstrative pronoun in: These are my notes for class.
for
notes
my
These - Explanation: It points to specific items and stands in for the noun.
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Which word is the auxiliary (helping) verb in: She is running around the track.
running
around
is - Explanation: It helps form the present progressive verb phrase is running.
track
undefined
Select the modal verb in: You should review the notes before the quiz.
review
notes
should - Explanation: It is a modal that expresses advice or recommendation.
before
undefined
In the sentence: The soup smells delicious, which role does smells play?
Auxiliary verb
Transitive action verb
Linking verb - Explanation: It links the subject soup to the subject complement delicious.
Intransitive action verb
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Identify the direct object in: She baked a cake for the party.
baked
for
She
a cake - Explanation: It receives the action of the verb baked.
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Identify the participle used as an adjective in: The broken vase lay on the floor.
lay
vase
floor
broken - Explanation: Past participle modifying the noun vase.
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Decide whether the verb is transitive or intransitive in: The baby cried at midnight.
Linking
Transitive
Intransitive - Explanation: Cried does not take a direct object.
Modal
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That can function as a relative pronoun introducing a clause.
True - Explanation: Example: the book that I read.
False
undefined
In She became tired, tired is a direct object.
True
False - Explanation: Tired is a predicate adjective after the linking verb became.
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A preposition must always be followed directly by a base-form verb.
False - Explanation: Prepositions are typically followed by noun phrases (objects).
True
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Identify the gerund in: Swimming improves cardiovascular health.
Swimming - Explanation: It is a verb form ending in -ing used as a noun (the subject).
improves
health
cardiovascular
undefined
Which phrase is an infinitive functioning as a noun in: To read before bed helps me relax.
To read - Explanation: The base verb with to acts as a noun (the subject).
me
helps
before bed
undefined
Identify the indirect object in: He gave her a gift.
her - Explanation: It names the recipient of the direct object a gift.
gave
He
a gift
undefined
Which word is the predicate nominative in: My cousin became a teacher.
My
a teacher - Explanation: It renames the subject after the linking verb became.
became
cousin
undefined
Select the superlative adverb: Of all the teams, ours played ______.
better
best - Explanation: Superlative form of the adverb well is best.
wellest
good
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0

Study Outcomes

  1. Identify Parts of Speech -

    Accurately recognize and label nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and other parts of speech in sentences.

  2. Differentiate Contextual Usage -

    Distinguish how the same word can function as different parts of speech depending on its context.

  3. Apply Grammar Rules -

    Use established rules to classify words and ensure correct identification across various sentence structures.

  4. Analyze Sentence Structure -

    Break down sentences into their grammatical components to understand overall syntax and flow.

  5. Evaluate Grammatical Accuracy -

    Assess your own and others' sentences for correct part of speech usage to improve writing clarity.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Identifying Nouns and Proper Nouns -

    Nouns name people, places, things, or ideas - essential targets in any parts of speech quiz. Remember that proper nouns always start with a capital letter (e.g., "Amazon River" vs. "river"), helping you spot them quickly. Practice by underlining every noun in a news article to reinforce this skill (Purdue OWL).

  2. Understanding Verbs and Tense Consistency -

    Verbs express actions or states of being, and tense consistency keeps your writing clear (Cambridge University Press). Use the simple formula Past=did, Present=do/does, Future=will+verb to remember your basic tenses. Try rewriting one paragraph in all three tenses to build fluency in verb forms.

  3. Distinguishing Adjectives from Adverbs -

    Adjectives modify nouns ("bright light"), while adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs ("shines brightly"). A quick trick: if you can insert "very" before the word, it's likely an adverb. Test yourself by converting adjective - adverb pairs (e.g., "quick" to "quickly") to cement the difference (University of Michigan Writing Center).

  4. Mastering Prepositions and Conjunctions -

    Prepositions show relationships (e.g., "on," "under"), and conjunctions link words or clauses. Use the FANBOYS mnemonic - For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So - to recall coordinating conjunctions. Create flashcards with common prepositions plus example sentences to drill their correct usage (Harvard College Writing Center).

  5. Power of Pronouns and Interjections -

    Pronouns replace nouns (e.g., "she," "they") to avoid repetition, while interjections (e.g., "wow!" "oops!") express emotion. Keep the "SAMPLE" list handy for pronouns: Subject, Object, Possessive, Reflexive, Demonstrative, and each type's form. For interjections, practice spotting them in dialogue to recognize their punctuational and emotional roles (Oxford English Dictionary).

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