Parts of Speech - Cheat Sheet
Your last-minute revision companion for mastering all eight parts of speech in English grammar - essential for CSE and all major Philippine exams
NOUNS
Formulas
Singular noun + 's = Possessive
Meaning
Shows ownership by one person/thing
Watch out
Don't confuse with plural - it's owner's book, not owners' book for one owner
When to use
When showing that something belongs to one entity
Plural noun ending in s + ' = Possessive
Meaning
Shows ownership by multiple persons/things
Watch out
Students' books (many students), not student's books
When to use
When showing that something belongs to multiple entities
Important facts
- Mass nouns cannot be counted directly - use counters (two glasses of water)
- Collective nouns take singular verbs when acting as one unit
- Proper nouns don't use articles except in special cases (The Philippines)
- Gender in English is natural, not grammatical
- Inanimate objects use 'of' phrase for possession (roof of the house)
Key definitions
Noun
Example
lawyer, Manila, table, dog, graduation, freedom
Word that names a person, place, thing, animal, event, or idea
Proper Noun
Example
Jose Rizal, Philippines, Christmas, SM Mall
Specific name, always capitalized
Common Noun
Example
doctor, city, book, holiday
General name, not capitalized
Collective Noun
Example
team, family, crowd, class
Names a group as one unit
Abstract Noun
Example
love, honesty, freedom, happiness
Names ideas, emotions, qualities that cannot be touched
Concrete Noun
Example
chair, flower, music, perfume
Names things that can be perceived by the senses
Diagrams to know
- Noun classification tree
- Cases of nouns diagram
PRONOUNS
Formulas
Pronoun must agree with antecedent in gender, number, person
Meaning
The pronoun matches the noun it replaces
Watch out
Each student should bring his or her book (not their book)
When to use
Every time you use a pronoun
Important facts
- Nominative case: subject position (I, he, she, we, they)
- Objective case: object position (me, him, her, us, them)
- Possessive case: shows ownership (my/mine, his, her/hers, our/ours, their/theirs)
- Singular indefinite pronouns: each, every, someone, anyone, no one
- Plural indefinite pronouns: few, many, several, both
Key definitions
Personal Pronoun
Example
Maria went to school. She studied hard.
Replaces specific persons (I, you, he, she, it, we, they)
Demonstrative Pronoun
Example
This is mine. Those are expensive.
Points to specific things (this, that, these, those)
Indefinite Pronoun
Example
Someone called. Everyone is here.
Refers to non-specific persons or things
Reflexive Pronoun
Example
I hurt myself. She taught herself.
Refers back to the subject (myself, yourself, himself)
Intensive Pronoun
Example
I myself saw it. The president himself came.
Emphasizes the subject (same forms as reflexive)
Diagrams to know
- Personal pronoun case chart
- Reflexive vs intensive pronoun usage
VERBS
Formulas
has/have + past participle = Present Perfect
Meaning
Action completed with present relevance
Watch out
Use 'have' with plural subjects, 'has' with singular
When to use
Recent completion or ongoing relevance
had + past participle = Past Perfect
Meaning
Action completed before another past action
Watch out
First action = past perfect, second action = simple past
When to use
When showing sequence of past events
will/shall + have + past participle = Future Perfect
Meaning
Action that will be completed before a future time
Watch out
Don't confuse with simple future tense
When to use
Future completion before another future event
Important facts
- Present tense: habitual, permanent, or ongoing actions
- Past tense: completed actions in the past
- Future tense: will/shall + base form OR am/is/are going to
- Do/does for present questions and negatives (base form follows)
- Did for past questions and negatives (base form follows)
Key definitions
Action Verb
Example
run, write, think, celebrate
Shows what the subject does
Linking Verb
Example
She is beautiful. He became a doctor.
Connects subject to complement (am, is, are, seem, become)
Helping Verb
Example
I do not understand. She has finished.
Assists main verb (do, does, did, has, have, had)
Modal Verb
Example
I can swim. You must study.
Expresses possibility, necessity, ability (can, may, must, should)
Regular Verb
Example
walk → walked, play → played
Forms past tense by adding -ed
Irregular Verb
Example
go → went, eat → ate, see → saw
Forms past tense differently
Diagrams to know
- Verb tenses timeline
- Regular vs irregular verb patterns
ADJECTIVES
Formulas
Positive → Comparative → Superlative
Meaning
Three degrees of comparison
Watch out
Use 'the' before superlatives (the best, the most beautiful)
When to use
Comparing qualities of nouns
Important facts
- Adjectives usually come before the noun they modify
- One syllable: add -er/-est (tall, taller, tallest)
- Two+ syllables: use more/most (beautiful, more beautiful, most beautiful)
- Irregular comparisons: good-better-best, bad-worse-worst
- Multiple adjectives follow opinion-size-age-shape-color-origin-material order
Key definitions
Adjective
Example
The red car is fast and expensive.
Modifies or describes nouns and pronouns
Proper Adjective
Example
Filipino culture, American food, Asian countries
Formed from proper nouns, capitalized
Compound Adjective
Example
well-known, twenty-year-old, up-to-date
Made of multiple words, often hyphenated
Predicate Adjective
Example
The flower smells sweet. She seems happy.
Follows linking verb, describes subject
Diagrams to know
- Adjective placement rules
- Degrees of comparison chart
ADVERBS
Formulas
Adjective + -ly = Adverb
Meaning
Most adverbs formed by adding -ly to adjectives
Watch out
Some adjectives already end in -ly (lovely, friendly)
When to use
Creating manner adverbs
Important facts
- Adverbs of frequency go before main verb but after 'be' verbs
- Time adverbs can go at beginning or end of sentence
- Place adverbs usually go at the end
- Don't use adverbs with linking verbs - use adjectives
- Well = adverb, Good = adjective
Key definitions
Adverb
Example
She sings beautifully. He is very tall. They run quite fast.
Modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs
Adverb of Manner
Example
carefully, quickly, gracefully, well
Tells how something is done
Adverb of Time
Example
yesterday, soon, always, never
Tells when something happens
Adverb of Place
Example
here, there, everywhere, nearby
Tells where something happens
Adverb of Degree
Example
very, quite, extremely, rather
Tells to what extent
Diagrams to know
- Adverb placement rules
- Types of adverbs classification
PREPOSITIONS
Formulas
Preposition + Object = Prepositional Phrase
Meaning
Shows relationship between words
Watch out
Object must be in objective case (between you and me, not I)
When to use
Expressing location, time, direction, manner
Important facts
- AT: specific times and addresses
- ON: days, dates, surfaces
- IN: months, years, enclosed spaces
- Never end a sentence with a preposition in formal writing
- Common error: different FROM (not different THAN)
Key definitions
Preposition
Example
in the house, on Monday, with friends
Shows relationship between noun/pronoun and another word
Preposition of Time
Example
at 3 PM, on Monday, in January
Shows when (at, on, in, during, before, after)
Preposition of Place
Example
in Manila, on the table, at school
Shows where (in, on, at, under, over, beside)
Preposition of Direction
Example
to the mall, from home, through the park
Shows movement (to, from, through, across)
Diagrams to know
- Preposition usage timeline
- Spatial prepositions diagram
CONJUNCTIONS
Formulas
FANBOYS = For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So
Meaning
Coordinating conjunctions that join equal elements
Watch out
Use comma before conjunction when joining independent clauses
When to use
Connecting words, phrases, or independent clauses
Important facts
- FOR: explains reason or purpose
- SO: shows result or consequence
- YET: similar to 'but' but stronger contrast
- Subordinating conjunctions create sentence fragments if used alone
- Correlative conjunctions require parallel structure
Key definitions
Coordinating Conjunction
Example
bread and butter, rich but kind
Joins equal grammatical elements (FANBOYS)
Subordinating Conjunction
Example
I left because I was tired.
Introduces dependent clauses (because, when, if, although)
Correlative Conjunction
Example
Either study or fail the exam.
Work in pairs (either...or, both...and, not only...but also)
Diagrams to know
- FANBOYS memory aid
- Conjunction types classification
INTERJECTIONS
Important facts
- Use exclamation point for strong emotion
- Use comma for mild emotion
- Can stand alone as complete thought
- Most common: Oh, Ah, Hey, Wow, Alas, Hurray
- Not grammatically related to rest of sentence
Key definitions
Interjection
Example
Oh! Alas! Wow! Hey! Ouch!
Expresses strong emotion, not grammatically connected to sentence
Diagrams to know
- Interjection punctuation rules
Must remember
- FANBOYS: For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So (coordinating conjunctions)
- Pronoun-antecedent agreement: Each student brought his or her book (not their)
- Subject-verb agreement with collective nouns: The team IS playing well
- Possessive rules: student's (one), students' (many), children's (irregular plural)
- Perfect tenses: has/have + past participle, had + past participle, will have + past participle
- Adjective vs adverb: She IS beautiful (adjective), She sings beautifully (adverb)
- Preposition time rules: AT specific times, ON days/dates, IN months/years
- Articles: A before consonant sounds, AN before vowel sounds, THE for specific nouns
- Reflexive pronouns need action between subject and pronoun: I gave myself time
- Linking verbs take adjectives, not adverbs: The food tastes good (not goodly)
Last minute tips
- For pronoun case questions: try substituting with I/me - whichever sounds right is correct
- Count syllables for adjective comparison: 1 syllable = -er/-est, 2+ syllables = more/most
- Remember irregular verb triplets: go-went-gone, see-saw-seen, eat-ate-eaten
- FANBOYS mnemonic helps identify coordinating conjunctions quickly
- When in doubt about adverb placement, put manner adverbs at the end of the sentence
Comparison tables
Personal Pronoun Cases
| Nominative | Objective | Possessive | |
|---|---|---|---|
| I | I | me | my/mine |
| You | you | you | your/yours |
| He | he | him | his |
| She | she | her | her/hers |
| We | we | us | our/ours |
| They | they | them | their/theirs |
Adjective vs Adverb Usage
| Adjective | Adverb | |
|---|---|---|
| Modifies | nouns/pronouns | verbs/adjectives/adverbs |
| Position | before noun or after linking verb | various positions |
| Formation | base form | usually add -ly |
| Example | She is careful | She drives carefully |
| With linking verbs | She looks beautiful | NOT: She looks beautifully |
Prepositions: AT vs ON vs IN
| AT | ON | IN | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time | specific times (at 3 PM) | days/dates (on Monday) | months/years (in 2024) |
| Place | specific points (at school) | surfaces (on the table) | enclosed spaces (in the room) |
| Address | exact address (at 123 Main St) | street names (on Main Street) | cities/countries (in Manila) |
Diagrams
Parts of Speech Overview
Complete overview of all eight parts of speech with their main subcategories
Identifying Parts of Speech
Step-by-step decision tree for identifying any part of speech
Verb Tenses Timeline
Visual representation of verb tenses from past to future with their meanings