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Quizzes > Literature & Language > English & Grammar

Master Word Classes in English Language - Take the Quiz

Think you can ace parts of speech and word classes? Dive in now!

Difficulty: Moderate
2-5mins
Learning OutcomesCheat Sheet
Paper art illustration for English language word class quiz on a coral background.

This free quiz helps you practice word class in English, from parts of speech to lexical and function words. Answer quick questions, see what you got right, and spot gaps before your next class or exam. New to this? Try the beginner quiz first.

What word class does the underlined word 'quickly' in the sentence 'She runs quickly to the store.' belong to?
Conjunction
Adverb
Noun
Adjective
The word 'quickly' modifies the verb 'runs' and indicates the manner in which the action is performed, classifying it as an adverb. Adverbs often end in -ly and serve to describe how, when, or where something happens. This distinguishes them from nouns and adjectives, which name things or describe qualities. .
Which of the following words is a lexical word?
the
but
Amazing
and
Lexical words, also known as content words, carry meaning and include nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. 'Amazing' is an adjective that conveys descriptive content. In contrast, 'the', 'and', and 'but' are functional words used to connect or specify and have little lexical meaning. More on lexical vs functional words.
Which of the following is a functional word?
run
but
happy
Book
'But' is a coordinating conjunction, which is a type of function word used to connect clauses or phrases. Functional words serve grammatical purposes, whereas 'book', 'run', and 'happy' are content words that carry concrete meaning. Understanding functional words helps in parsing sentence structure. Functional words explained.
In the sentence 'He gave her a gift,' which word is a pronoun?
gift
a
her
gave
In this sentence, 'her' refers to a person who receives the gift and functions as an object pronoun. Pronouns replace nouns or noun phrases to avoid repetition. 'Gave' is a verb, 'gift' is a noun, and 'a' is an article. .
What word class is the word 'beautiful'?
Noun
Adverb
Verb
Adjective
'Beautiful' describes the quality of a noun and thus functions as an adjective. Adjectives modify nouns by providing additional information about size, shape, appearance, or other attributes. Unlike nouns or adverbs, adjectives cannot stand alone as the main subject or verb of a sentence. .
What is the word class of 'will' in the sentence 'She will arrive soon.'?
Modal auxiliary verb
Preposition
Main verb
Determiner
In this sentence, 'will' functions as a modal auxiliary verb, indicating future tense. Modal auxiliaries help to express modality, such as ability, permission, or likelihood. They are not the main verb and require a following base form of the main verb. .
In the sentence 'They have finished their work,' what is the function of 'have'?
Determiner
Conjunction
Main verb
Auxiliary verb
Here 'have' serves as an auxiliary verb forming the present perfect tense of 'finish.' Auxiliary verbs combine with main verbs to indicate tense, aspect, or voice. Without the auxiliary, the perfect aspect could not be formed. .
Which of the following words is a possessive adjective?
Theirs
Them
They
Their
'Their' modifies the noun 'work' in the sentence and shows ownership, functioning as a possessive adjective (also called a possessive determiner). 'Theirs' is a possessive pronoun and stands alone. Possessive adjectives always precede the noun they modify. .
Identify the word class of 'under' in 'The cat is under the table.'
Conjunction
Preposition
Adverb
Pronoun
'Under' expresses a spatial relationship between 'cat' and 'table,' making it a preposition. Prepositions link nouns or pronouns to other parts of the sentence. They cannot stand alone and usually introduce a prepositional phrase. .
Which of these words is a coordinating conjunction?
And
Although
Because
Despite
Coordinating conjunctions connect words, phrases, or clauses of equal rank. 'And' links elements with similar importance. 'Although' and 'because' are subordinating conjunctions, and 'despite' is a preposition. .
Which of the following is an indefinite pronoun in 'Someone left their book on the table.'?
Someone
Their
Book
Table
'Someone' refers to an unspecified person, making it an indefinite pronoun. Indefinite pronouns do not specify the exact identity of the noun they replace. 'Their' is a possessive adjective, 'book' and 'table' are nouns. .
Identify the subordinating conjunction in 'I couldn't go to the party because I was ill.'
Because
Ill
Couldn't
Was
The word 'because' introduces a subordinate clause explaining the reason for the main clause, making it a subordinating conjunction. Subordinating conjunctions link dependent clauses to independent ones. 'Couldn't' is a modal contraction, and 'was' is a verb. .
What is the word class of 'hers' in 'The book is hers.'?
Personal pronoun
Reflexive pronoun
Possessive pronoun
Possessive adjective
'Hers' replaces a noun phrase to indicate ownership without following another noun, classifying it as a possessive pronoun. Possessive adjectives (like 'her') must directly modify a noun. Reflexive pronouns reflect back to the subject (e.g., 'herself'). .
What word class is 'this' in 'This is my house.'?
Demonstrative pronoun
Determiner
Personal pronoun
Demonstrative adjective
In this usage, 'this' stands alone and replaces a noun, functioning as a demonstrative pronoun. Demonstrative adjectives, by contrast, modify a noun directly (e.g., 'this house'). Personal pronouns refer to persons grammatically. .
In the sentence 'If only he had studied, he would pass the exam,' what is the word class of 'if'?
Preposition
Subordinating conjunction
Auxiliary verb
Adverb
The word 'if' introduces a conditional clause and links it to the main clause, functioning as a subordinating conjunction. It does not act as an adverb, preposition, or verb in this context. Understanding conditional structures relies on recognizing such conjunctions. .
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Study Outcomes

  1. Identify Word Classes -

    Recognize the primary word class in English language by pinpointing parts of speech such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs.

  2. Differentiate Lexical and Functional Words -

    Distinguish between content-rich lexical words and grammatical functional words to sharpen your english grammar word classes understanding.

  3. Classify Parts of Speech -

    Categorize words into their respective parts of speech using clear criteria, reinforcing your grasp of types of word classes.

  4. Apply Word Class Concepts -

    Use examples of word classes effectively by analyzing sentences and identifying how each word functions within a sentence structure.

  5. Analyze Word Class Usage -

    Examine real-world text to determine word class distribution and improve sentence construction accuracy.

  6. Enhance Grammar Precision -

    Leverage your knowledge of word class in English language to write with greater clarity and correctness.

Cheat Sheet

  1. Lexical vs Functional Words -

    Lexical words (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs) carry core meaning, while functional words (pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, determiners) glue sentences together. For example, "dog" (lexical) names an object, and "and" (functional) connects ideas. A handy mnemonic is "FUNctional connectors" to remember words that serve a grammatical role (Oxford English Dictionary).

  2. The Eight Parts of Speech -

    The eight traditional parts of speech in English include nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections as defined by Cambridge University Press. One popular mnemonic for conjunctions is "FANBOYS" (for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so), according to Purdue OWL. Mastering these categories is key to understanding english grammar word classes.

  3. Countable vs Uncountable Nouns -

    Countable vs uncountable nouns illustrate how word class in english language affects article use: countable nouns can pair with "a/an" (a book) while uncountable nouns cannot (milk without "a"). Cambridge Dictionary notes that identifying these types of word classes helps avoid errors like "a rice" or "two furniture." Tip: if you can add a number (three books), it's countable; if not (three breads?), it might be uncountable or needs rephrasing to "loaves of bread."

  4. Verb Forms and Tenses -

    Verb forms include base, -s (third person), -ing (gerund/participle), and past (spoke) which learners review to master subject-verb agreement in English grammar word classes. British Council emphasizes practicing irregular verbs (go, went, gone) and regular patterns (learn, learned, learning) via flashcards. Remember the rhyme "Present + s for he/she" to nail the simple present form.

  5. Adjectives vs Adverbs -

    Adjectives modify nouns (e.g., "red apple") while adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs (e.g., "runs quickly," "very tall") - a fundamental distinction in parts of speech english. Oxford University Press highlights that many adverbs form by adding "-ly" to adjectives, but exceptions like "fast" and "well" need memorization. Try sorting word lists by suffix and usage to reinforce your understanding of these types of word classes.

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