What part of speech is the word best

As detailed above, ‘best’ can be an adjective, an adverb, a verb or a noun. Noun usage: I did my best.

Contents

  • 1 Is the word best an adjective?
  • 2 Is best and adverb?
  • 3 What is the noun of best?
  • 4 Is best an adverb of degree?
  • 5 What is the adjective of best?
  • 6 What part of speech is best in best friend?
  • 7 Why is best an adverb?
  • 8 How do you use the word best?
  • 9 What is the abstract noun of best?
  • 10 Where is what type of adverb?
  • 11 What part of speech is degree?
  • 12 What type of adverb is there?
  • 13 What is the meaning of bestfriend?
  • 14 How do you use best as an adverb?
  • 15 What part of speech is the word those?
  • 16 What type of parts of speech is is?
  • 17 Do we say best in or best at?
  • 18 What does it mean to say best?
  • 19 What does best of the best mean?
  • 20 What is another way to say you are the best?

Is the word best an adjective?

best (adjective) best (adverb) best (noun)second best (noun)

Is best and adverb?

Best is an adjective, and better is usually an adverb.

bestness. The quality or state of being the best.

Is best an adverb of degree?

The modifying words very and extremely are themselves adverbs. They are called DEGREE ADVERBS because they specify the degree to which an adjective or another adverb applies.
Formal Characteristics of Adverbs.

Adverb Comparative Superlative
little less least
much more most

What is the adjective of best?

adjective, superlative of good, with better as comparative. of the highest quality, excellence, or standing: the best work; the best students. most advantageous, suitable, or desirable: the best way.

What part of speech is best in best friend?

Best friend is a noun – Word Type.

Why is best an adverb?

It is also a superlative, like “greatest”, or “highest”, so just as you would use it as an adjective to show that something is the ultimate example of it’s kind when used as an adverb you do so to indicate that the adjective it precedes is to the highest degree possible.

How do you use the word best?

As a verb, to best means to get the better of, get an advantage over, outdo; to outreach, outwit, circumvent. “Jack’s wife always bests him at bridge.” Best can be a noun. “Marilyn wanted nothing but the best for herself and her family.”

What is the abstract noun of best?

Goodness is the abstract noun of good.

Where is what type of adverb?

Adverbs of Place tell us the place where something happens. They answer the question “where?”. Adverbs of Place mainly modify verbs.

What part of speech is degree?

noun. noun. /dɪˈɡri/ 1[countable] a unit for measuring angles an angle of ninety degrees (90°)

What type of adverb is there?

There are five basic types of adverbs in the English language, namely that of Manner, Time, Place, Frequency, and Degree. Here is a brief explanation of the meaning each has, along with example sentences using each type of adverb.

What is the meaning of bestfriend?

Definition of best friend
1 : a person’s closest and dearest friend She’s my best friend. We have been best friends since high school. 2 : a person’s most desirable or valuable possession or resource Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but gold is more affordable.—

How do you use best as an adverb?

best adverb (DEGREE)

  1. “Which one do you like best?” “Hmm. I’m not sure.”
  2. I liked all the puddings but I liked the tart best.
  3. I perform best if I’ve eaten.
  4. I work best in the morning.
  5. I swim best in the sea.

What part of speech is the word those?

The word ‘those’ is used as a pronoun or an adjective in a sentence.

What type of parts of speech is is?

The word “is” is always used as a verb in written and spoken English. This word is considered as a verb because it expresses existence or a state of being. It is classified under linking verbs and is a derivative of the verb “to be.” In the sample sentence: He is the most intelligent student in class.

Do we say best in or best at?

Good “in” used when the phrase is followed by verb, whereas Good ‘at’ is used when the phrase is followed by a noun. E.g. – A person is good in writing poems A person is good at poetry.

What does it mean to say best?

“Best,” What it means: Short for “best wishes.” Pros and cons: “Best” can sometimes feel abrupt. If you’re sensitive to other people’s feelings, you can always tack on a “best regards” or the aforementioned “best wishes.” But “best” fits a wide variety of individual case uses, from acquaintances to strangers to bosses.

What does best of the best mean?

The absolute best in a particular set, field, etc. You can bet they’re going to send the best of the best for this operation—the most highly trained and experienced men available.

What is another way to say you are the best?

What is another word for best ever?

unmatched incomparable
one’s best record-breaking
superior exceptional
surpassing excellent
best greatest

Commonly Confused Words: good / well

  • Example – better as adverb.
  • Use the superlative form – best – when comparing three or more items.
  • Examples – best as adjective.
  • Example – best as adverb.
  • Good is an adjective. …
  • Well is an adverb. …
  • Well may be used as an adjective to indicate good health or satisfactory conditions.

What is best grammar?

– “Best” is an adjectival complement to “what is” (actually, a superlative adjective). Parents always want what is the best for their children. – “The best” is a noun-phrase (noun plus determiner), and is the complement to “what is”. Someone should point out that “what is best” is a very common expression.

What are the best English words?

The Top 10 Most Beautiful English Words

  1. 1 Sequoia (n.) (A 7 letter word that has the letter Q and all 5 vowels) A redwood tree, especially the California redwood.
  2. 2 Euphoria (n.) …
  3. 3 Pluviophile (n.) …
  4. 4 Clinomania (n.) …
  5. 5 Idyllic (adj.) …
  6. 6 Aurora (n.) …
  7. 7 Solitude (n.) …
  8. 8 Supine (adj.) …

Is adjective a great?

adjective, great·er, great·est. unusually or comparatively large in size or dimensions: A great fire destroyed nearly half the city.

What is the verb of beat?

Full Definition of beat

(Entry 1 of 4) transitive verb. 1 : to strike repeatedly: a : to hit repeatedly so as to inflict pain Inmates were put in solitary for beating other inmates. —

What is parts of speech with examples?

There are eight parts of speech in the English language: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. The part of speech indicates how the word functions in meaning as well as grammatically within the sentence.

What are the 3 major parts of a speech?

Speeches are organized into three main parts: introduction, body, and conclusion.

  • Introduction. The introduction of the speech establishes the first, crucial contact between the speaker and the audience. …
  • Body. In the body, the fewer the main points the better. …
  • Conclusion.

What are the 12 parts of speech?

Commonly listed English parts of speech are noun, verb, adjective, adverb, pronoun, preposition, conjunction, interjection, numeral, article, or determiner.

What are the types of speech?

The four types of speeches are manuscript, memorized, extemporaneous, and impromptu.

Is beat a noun or verb?

verb (used with object), beat, beat·en or beat, beat·ing. to strike violently or forcefully and repeatedly. to dash against: rain beating the trees.

Why is it called a beat?

The term comes from the noun beat in the sense of an assigned regular route or habitual path, as for a policeman. By analogy, the beat of a reporter is the topic they have been assigned for reporting.

What are 5 good synonyms?

  • enjoyable, pleasant, agreeable, pleasing, pleasurable, delightful, great, nice, lovely, amusing, diverting, jolly, merry, lively, festive, cheerful, convivial, congenial, sociable.
  • informal super, fantastic, fabulous, fab, terrific, glorious, grand, magic, out of this world, cool.

What is the verb for great?

(intransitive) To become great or large; increase; dilate. (intransitive, obsolete) To become great with child; become pregnant. (transitive) To make great; magnify; enlarge; increase.

What are adjectives give 10 examples?

Examples of adjectives

  • They live in a beautiful house.
  • Lisa is wearing a sleeveless shirt today. This soup is not edible.
  • She wore a beautiful dress.
  • He writes meaningless letters.
  • This shop is much nicer.
  • She wore a beautiful dress.
  • Ben is an adorable baby.
  • Linda’s hair is gorgeous.

How long is a beat?

The beat is normally a reasonable counting speed, somewhere between 40 and 200 per minute (in other words, from less than one per second to more than 2 per second) – see metronome markings.

How do you cover a beat?

Here are four things you need to do to cover a beat effectively.

  1. Learn Everything You Can.
  2. Get to Know the Players.
  3. Build Trust, Cultivate Contacts.
  4. Remember Your Readers.

What is walking a beat?

From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English walk the beatwhen a police officer walks the beat, they walk around an area of a town or city in order to make sure nobody is committing a crime → walkExamples from the Corpuswalk the beat• Sympathetic typifications of Catholics do little to lessen the obvious problem of …

What part of speech is the word beat?

part of speech: transitive verb. inflections: beats, beating, beat, beaten.

What is the noun for catch?

catch. (countable) The act of seizing or capturing. syn. (countable) The act of catching an object in motion, especially a ball.

What are the 7 types of speech?

Basic Types of Speeches

  • Entertaining Speech. …
  • Informative Speech. …
  • Demonstrative Speech. …
  • Persuasive Speech. …
  • Motivational Speech. …
  • Impromptu Speech. …
  • Oratorical Speech. …
  • Debate Speech.

What are 3 types of speeches?

To wrap it up, there are essentially three types of speeches public speakers use to influence their audience. The informative speech conveys information, the persuasive speech is a call to action and the special occasion speech is given to commemorate a person or event.

Last Update: Jan 03, 2023

This is a question our experts keep getting from time to time. Now, we have got the complete detailed explanation and answer for everyone, who is interested!


Asked by: Ms. Dortha Sanford

Score: 5/5
(73 votes)

As detailed above, ‘best’ can be an adjective, an adverb, a verb or a noun. Noun usage: I did my best.

Is best an adjective or adverb?

best (adverb) best (noun) best (verb) best man (noun)

What type of adjective is best?

Commonly Confused Words: good / well

  • Example — better as adverb.
  • Use the superlative form — best — when comparing three or more items.
  • Examples — best as adjective.
  • Example — best as adverb.
  • Good is an adjective. …
  • Well is an adverb. …
  • Well may be used as an adjective to indicate good health or satisfactory conditions.

What is best grammar?

— «Best» is an adjectival complement to «what is» (actually, a superlative adjective). Parents always want what is the best for their children. — «The best» is a noun-phrase (noun plus determiner), and is the complement to «what is». Someone should point out that «what is best» is a very common expression.

What are the best English words?

The Top 10 Most Beautiful English Words

  1. 1 Sequoia (n.) (A 7 letter word that has the letter Q and all 5 vowels) A redwood tree, especially the California redwood.
  2. 2 Euphoria (n.) …
  3. 3 Pluviophile (n.) …
  4. 4 Clinomania (n.) …
  5. 5 Idyllic (adj.) …
  6. 6 Aurora (n.) …
  7. 7 Solitude (n.) …
  8. 8 Supine (adj.) …

39 related questions found

Is adjective a great?

adjective, great·er, great·est. unusually or comparatively large in size or dimensions: A great fire destroyed nearly half the city.

What is the verb of beat?

Full Definition of beat

(Entry 1 of 4) transitive verb. 1 : to strike repeatedly: a : to hit repeatedly so as to inflict pain Inmates were put in solitary for beating other inmates. —

What is parts of speech with examples?

There are eight parts of speech in the English language: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. The part of speech indicates how the word functions in meaning as well as grammatically within the sentence.

What are the 3 major parts of a speech?

Speeches are organized into three main parts: introduction, body, and conclusion.

  • Introduction. The introduction of the speech establishes the first, crucial contact between the speaker and the audience. …
  • Body. In the body, the fewer the main points the better. …
  • Conclusion.

What are the 12 parts of speech?

Commonly listed English parts of speech are noun, verb, adjective, adverb, pronoun, preposition, conjunction, interjection, numeral, article, or determiner.

What are the types of speech?

The four types of speeches are manuscript, memorized, extemporaneous, and impromptu.

Is beat a noun or verb?

verb (used with object), beat, beat·en or beat, beat·ing. to strike violently or forcefully and repeatedly. to dash against: rain beating the trees.

Why is it called a beat?

The term comes from the noun beat in the sense of an assigned regular route or habitual path, as for a policeman. By analogy, the beat of a reporter is the topic they have been assigned for reporting.

What are 5 good synonyms?

  • enjoyable, pleasant, agreeable, pleasing, pleasurable, delightful, great, nice, lovely, amusing, diverting, jolly, merry, lively, festive, cheerful, convivial, congenial, sociable.
  • informal super, fantastic, fabulous, fab, terrific, glorious, grand, magic, out of this world, cool.

What is the verb for great?

(intransitive) To become great or large; increase; dilate. (intransitive, obsolete) To become great with child; become pregnant. (transitive) To make great; magnify; enlarge; increase.

What are adjectives give 10 examples?

Examples of adjectives

  • They live in a beautiful house.
  • Lisa is wearing a sleeveless shirt today. This soup is not edible.
  • She wore a beautiful dress.
  • He writes meaningless letters.
  • This shop is much nicer.
  • She wore a beautiful dress.
  • Ben is an adorable baby.
  • Linda’s hair is gorgeous.

How long is a beat?

The beat is normally a reasonable counting speed, somewhere between 40 and 200 per minute (in other words, from less than one per second to more than 2 per second) — see metronome markings.

How do you cover a beat?

Here are four things you need to do to cover a beat effectively.

  1. Learn Everything You Can.
  2. Get to Know the Players.
  3. Build Trust, Cultivate Contacts.
  4. Remember Your Readers.

What is walking a beat?

From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English walk the beatwhen a police officer walks the beat, they walk around an area of a town or city in order to make sure nobody is committing a crime → walkExamples from the Corpuswalk the beat• Sympathetic typifications of Catholics do little to lessen the obvious problem of …

What part of speech is the word beat?

part of speech: transitive verb. inflections: beats, beating, beat, beaten.

What is the noun for catch?

catch. (countable) The act of seizing or capturing. syn. (countable) The act of catching an object in motion, especially a ball.

What are the 7 types of speech?

Basic Types of Speeches

  • Entertaining Speech. …
  • Informative Speech. …
  • Demonstrative Speech. …
  • Persuasive Speech. …
  • Motivational Speech. …
  • Impromptu Speech. …
  • Oratorical Speech. …
  • Debate Speech.

What are 3 types of speeches?

To wrap it up, there are essentially three types of speeches public speakers use to influence their audience. The informative speech conveys information, the persuasive speech is a call to action and the special occasion speech is given to commemorate a person or event.


Asked by: Ms. Dortha Sanford

Score: 5/5
(73 votes)

As detailed above, ‘best’ can be an adjective, an adverb, a verb or a noun. Noun usage: I did my best.

Is best an adjective or adverb?

best (adverb) best (noun) best (verb) best man (noun)

What type of adjective is best?

Commonly Confused Words: good / well

  • Example — better as adverb.
  • Use the superlative form — best — when comparing three or more items.
  • Examples — best as adjective.
  • Example — best as adverb.
  • Good is an adjective. …
  • Well is an adverb. …
  • Well may be used as an adjective to indicate good health or satisfactory conditions.

What is best grammar?

— «Best» is an adjectival complement to «what is» (actually, a superlative adjective). Parents always want what is the best for their children. — «The best» is a noun-phrase (noun plus determiner), and is the complement to «what is». Someone should point out that «what is best» is a very common expression.

What are the best English words?

The Top 10 Most Beautiful English Words

  1. 1 Sequoia (n.) (A 7 letter word that has the letter Q and all 5 vowels) A redwood tree, especially the California redwood.
  2. 2 Euphoria (n.) …
  3. 3 Pluviophile (n.) …
  4. 4 Clinomania (n.) …
  5. 5 Idyllic (adj.) …
  6. 6 Aurora (n.) …
  7. 7 Solitude (n.) …
  8. 8 Supine (adj.) …

39 related questions found

Is adjective a great?

adjective, great·er, great·est. unusually or comparatively large in size or dimensions: A great fire destroyed nearly half the city.

What is the verb of beat?

Full Definition of beat

(Entry 1 of 4) transitive verb. 1 : to strike repeatedly: a : to hit repeatedly so as to inflict pain Inmates were put in solitary for beating other inmates. —

What is parts of speech with examples?

There are eight parts of speech in the English language: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. The part of speech indicates how the word functions in meaning as well as grammatically within the sentence.

What are the 3 major parts of a speech?

Speeches are organized into three main parts: introduction, body, and conclusion.

  • Introduction. The introduction of the speech establishes the first, crucial contact between the speaker and the audience. …
  • Body. In the body, the fewer the main points the better. …
  • Conclusion.

What are the 12 parts of speech?

Commonly listed English parts of speech are noun, verb, adjective, adverb, pronoun, preposition, conjunction, interjection, numeral, article, or determiner.

What are the types of speech?

The four types of speeches are manuscript, memorized, extemporaneous, and impromptu.

Is beat a noun or verb?

verb (used with object), beat, beat·en or beat, beat·ing. to strike violently or forcefully and repeatedly. to dash against: rain beating the trees.

Why is it called a beat?

The term comes from the noun beat in the sense of an assigned regular route or habitual path, as for a policeman. By analogy, the beat of a reporter is the topic they have been assigned for reporting.

What are 5 good synonyms?

  • enjoyable, pleasant, agreeable, pleasing, pleasurable, delightful, great, nice, lovely, amusing, diverting, jolly, merry, lively, festive, cheerful, convivial, congenial, sociable.
  • informal super, fantastic, fabulous, fab, terrific, glorious, grand, magic, out of this world, cool.

What is the verb for great?

(intransitive) To become great or large; increase; dilate. (intransitive, obsolete) To become great with child; become pregnant. (transitive) To make great; magnify; enlarge; increase.

What are adjectives give 10 examples?

Examples of adjectives

  • They live in a beautiful house.
  • Lisa is wearing a sleeveless shirt today. This soup is not edible.
  • She wore a beautiful dress.
  • He writes meaningless letters.
  • This shop is much nicer.
  • She wore a beautiful dress.
  • Ben is an adorable baby.
  • Linda’s hair is gorgeous.

How long is a beat?

The beat is normally a reasonable counting speed, somewhere between 40 and 200 per minute (in other words, from less than one per second to more than 2 per second) — see metronome markings.

How do you cover a beat?

Here are four things you need to do to cover a beat effectively.

  1. Learn Everything You Can.
  2. Get to Know the Players.
  3. Build Trust, Cultivate Contacts.
  4. Remember Your Readers.

What is walking a beat?

From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English walk the beatwhen a police officer walks the beat, they walk around an area of a town or city in order to make sure nobody is committing a crime → walkExamples from the Corpuswalk the beat• Sympathetic typifications of Catholics do little to lessen the obvious problem of …

What part of speech is the word beat?

part of speech: transitive verb. inflections: beats, beating, beat, beaten.

What is the noun for catch?

catch. (countable) The act of seizing or capturing. syn. (countable) The act of catching an object in motion, especially a ball.

What are the 7 types of speech?

Basic Types of Speeches

  • Entertaining Speech. …
  • Informative Speech. …
  • Demonstrative Speech. …
  • Persuasive Speech. …
  • Motivational Speech. …
  • Impromptu Speech. …
  • Oratorical Speech. …
  • Debate Speech.

What are 3 types of speeches?

To wrap it up, there are essentially three types of speeches public speakers use to influence their audience. The informative speech conveys information, the persuasive speech is a call to action and the special occasion speech is given to commemorate a person or event.

Table of Contents

  1. Is Georgia a common noun or proper noun?
  2. What are the three interrogative adjectives?
  3. Which type of noun is best?
  4. What part of speech is the word best friend?
  5. What does besting someone mean?
  6. How do you use the word best?
  7. What does Lackey mean in English?
  8. What is the meaning of worsted?
  9. What is cotton worsted weight yarn?

transitive verb. : to get the better of : outdo bested by their opponents. best.

Is Georgia a common noun or proper noun?

Georgia (proper noun)

What are the three interrogative adjectives?

Like all adjectives, interrogative adjectives (also known as interrogative determiners) modify nouns and pronouns. English has three interrogative adjectives: what, which, and whose. They are called “interrogative” because they are usually used to ask questions.

Which type of noun is best?

best

  • best (adjective)
  • best (adverb)
  • best (noun)
  • best (verb)
  • best man (noun)
  • best seller (noun)
  • second best (noun)
  • Sunday best (noun)

What part of speech is the word best friend?

noun

What does besting someone mean?

to defeat someone in a fight or competition: He bested his opponent in just two rounds. Synonyms.

How do you use the word best?

The word “best” is a modifier, either as an adjective or adverb. “Best school” is adjectival; “best fed” adverbial. But it requires a word to modify, even if it is “that” or “this.” (“That is the best.”) “Best” standing alone as a popular sign-off makes me cringe. I use “Best wishes.”

What does Lackey mean in English?

1a : footman sense 2, servant. b : someone who does menial tasks or runs errands for another. 2 : a servile follower : toady.

What is the meaning of worsted?

: a smooth compact yarn from long wool fibers used especially for firm napless fabrics, carpeting, or knitting also : a fabric made from worsted yarns.

What is cotton worsted weight yarn?

Worsted weight yarn is a medium weight yarn that sits in the middle of the yarn weight family. Its medium thickness means that it’s great for knitting sweaters, hats, scarves, mittens, blankets and beyond! Because worsted yarn is so “knittable,” I think of it as an all-purpose yarn.

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. «Kate used to be a journalist five years ago.»

What part of speech is the best fit for the word «five»?

2. «Sharon, Kate and Meghan are very tired of filling out job applications!»

What part of speech is the word «very»?

3. «Joanne wanted to go on the ride, but she was just too scared.»

What part of speech is the word «but»?

4. Fill in the blank with the correct word: «I» or «me.»

«It was a very difficult evening for Tom and _____.»

5. Fill in the blank with the correct word: «I» or «me.»

Lauren and _________ are going to Kristen’s graduation party on Thursday.

6. Fill in the blank with the correct word: «I» or «me.»

«Joanne made cookies for Benny and _____.»

7. Which word is a linking verb (otherwise known as an auxiliary verb, verbal auxiliary, passive verb or helping verb) in the following sentences?

«My dog is so happy to see me when I get home. He runs and jumps all over the place!»

8. Which word is the action (otherwise known as dynamic) verb in the following sentences?

«The rain pours down in Pittsburgh. It is annoying at times.»

9. Select the appropriate possessive noun.

«My ______________ condo is right by the beach.»

10. Which word is a preposition?

«It would be difficult for her to stop eating chocolate.»

11. Can you pick the correct usage for the sentence?

«____________ driving me crazy!»

12. Here’s a straightforward one for you — all you have to do is pick the noun!

«My pony is extremely antsy!»

13. Now, select the proper noun in the sentence.

«She hated the way Mr. Vallimont taught math.»

14. Now that you’ve been through some basic grammar, tell me which word is used incorrectly in the following sentence.

«I don’t even know who’s house this is. Where am I supposed to park?»

15. Same deal for your last question: Which word is used incorrectly in the following sentence?

«Jared’s graduation is only a day away, and I haven’t purchased my own nephews gift!»

Source: Author YeuxdelaMere

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor CellarDoor before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

The word “THE” is a Definite Article and an Adverb.Take a look at the definitions and examples below and you will see how this little word can be used as different parts of speech.

 1. Definite Article

This word “The” is considered as a definite article because it is used to refer to something specific. It is also placed before a noun, if the audience already knows what is being referred to (there is only one or the subject has already been mentioned). For example, let’s look at the sentence below:

The pope will visit the Philippines in 2015.”

The” is used because there is only one pope in the whole world.

Definition:

a. used to indicate a person or thing that has already been mentioned or seen or is clearly understood from the situation

  • Joe is the tallest boy in class.

b. used to refer to things or people that are common in daily life

  • The moon is aligned between the Sun and the Earth.

c. used to refer to things that occur in nature

  • The inner planets of the solar system are denser compared to the outer planets.

2. Adverb

Aside from acting as a definite article, “The” can also be used as an adverb. Take for example the sentence below:

“Since getting a new computer, he was able to produce outputs all the quicker.”

In that sentence, “the” serves as an adverb because it modifies the adjective quicker. Take note that the word can only be used as an adverb if it is used together with an adjective or another adverb which is in the comparative degree.

Definition:

a. than before: than otherwise —used before a comparative

  • The sooner the better.

b. to what extent

  • Mercury is the most cratered planet in our Solar System.

c. beyond all others

  • The more the merrier.

body-the-green-square

When you start breaking it down, the English language is pretty complicated—especially if you’re trying to learn it from scratch! One of the most important English words to understand is the.

But what part of speech is the word the, and when should it be used in a sentence? Is the word the a preposition? Is the a pronoun? Or is the word the considered a different part of speech?

To help you learn exactly how the word the works in the English language, we’re going to do the following in this article:

  • Answer the question, «What part of speech is the
  • Explain how to use the correctly in sentences, with examples
  • Provide a full list of other words that are classified as the same part of speech as the in the English language

Okay, let’s get started learning about the word the!

body-question-mark-blue-circle

In the English language the word the is classified as an article, which is a word used to define a noun. (More on that a little later.)

But an article isn’t one of the eight parts of speech. Articles are considered a type of adjective, so «the» is technically an adjective as well. However, «the» can also sometimes function as an adverb in certain instances, too.

In short, the word «the» is an article that functions as both an adjective and an adverb, depending on how it’s being used. Having said that, the is most commonly used as an article in the English language. So, if you were wondering, «Is the a pronoun, preposition, or conjunction,» the answer is no: it’s an article, adjective, and an adverb!

body-newspaper-graphic

While we might think of an article as a story that appears in a newspaper or website, in English grammar, articles are words that help specify nouns.

The as an Article

So what are «articles» in the English language? Articles are words that identify nouns in order to demonstrate whether the noun is specific or nonspecific. Nouns (a person, place, thing, or idea) can be identified by two different types of articles in the English language: definite articles identify specific nouns, and indefinite articles identify nonspecific nouns.

The word the is considered a definite article because it defines the meaning of a noun as one particular thing. It’s an article that gives a noun a definite meaning: a definite article. Generally, definite articles are used to identify nouns that the audience already knows about. Here’s a few examples of how «the» works as a definite article:

We went to the rodeo on Saturday. Did you see the cowboy get trampled by the bull?

This (grisly!) sentence has three instances of «the» functioning as a definite article: the rodeo, the cowboy, and the bull. Notice that in each instance, the comes directly before the noun. That’s because it’s an article’s job to identify nouns.

In each of these three instances, the refers to a specific (or definite) person, place, or thing. When the speaker says the rodeo, they’re talking about one specific rodeo that happened at a certain place and time. The same goes for the cowboy and the bull: these are two specific people/animals that had one kinda terrible thing happen to them!

It can be a bit easier to see how definite articles work if you see them in the same sentence as an indefinite article (a or an). This sentence makes the difference a lot more clear:

A bat flew into the restaurant and made people panic.

Okay. This sentence has two articles in it: a and the. So what’s the difference? Well, you use a when you’re referring to a general, non-specific person, place, or thing because its an indefinite article. So in this case, using a tells us this isn’t a specific bat. It’s just a random bat from the wild that decided to go on an adventure.

Notice that in the example, the writer uses the to refer to the restaurant. That’s because the event happened at a specific time and at a specific place. A bat flew into one particular restaurant to cause havoc, which is why it’s referred to as the restaurant in the sentence.

The last thing to keep in mind is that the is the only definite article in the English language, and it can be used with both singular and plural nouns. This is probably one reason why people make the mistake of asking, «Is the a pronoun?» Since articles, including the, define the meaning of nouns, it seems like they could also be combined with pronouns. But that’s not the case. Just remember: articles only modify nouns.

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Adjectives are words that help describe nouns. Because «the» can describe whether a noun is a specific object or not, «the» is also considered an adjective.

The as an Adjective

You know now that the is classified as a definite article and that the is used to refer to a specific person, place, or thing. But defining what part of speech articles are is a little bit tricky.

There are eight parts of speech in the English language: nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. The thing about these eight parts of speech in English is that they contain smaller categories of types of words and phrases in the English language. Articles are considered a type of determiner, which is a type of adjective.

Let’s break down how articles fall under the umbrella of «determiners,» which fall under the umbrella of adjectives. In English, the category of «determiners» includes all words and phrases in the English language that are combined with a noun to express an aspect of what the noun is referring to. Some examples of determiners are the, a, an, this, that, my, their, many, few, several, each, and any. The is used in front of a noun to express that the noun refers to a specific thing, right? So that’s why «the» can be considered a determiner.

And here’s how determiners—including the article the—can be considered adjectives. Articles and other determiners are sometimes classified as adjectives because they describe the nouns that they precede. Technically, the describes the noun it precedes by communicating specificity and directness. When you say, «the duck,» you’re describing the noun «duck» as referring to a specific duck. This is different than saying a duck, which could mean any one duck anywhere in the world!

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When «the» comes directly before a word that’s not a noun, then it’s operating as an adverb instead of an adjective.

The as an Adverb

Finally, we mentioned that the can also be used as an adverb, which is one of the eight main parts of speech we outlined above. Adverbs modify or describe verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, but never modify nouns.

Sometimes, the can be used to modify adverbs or adjectives that occur in the comparative degree. Adverbs or adjectives that compare the amounts or intensity of a feeling, state of being, or action characterizing two or more things are in the comparative degree. Sometimes the appears before these adverbs or adjectives to help convey the comparison!

Here’s an example where the functions as an adverb instead of an article/adjective:

Lainey believes the most outrageous things.

Okay. We know that when the is functioning as an adjective, it comes before a noun in order to clarify whether it’s specific or non-specific. In this case, however, the precedes the word most, which isn’t a noun—it’s an adjective. And since an adverb modifies an adjective, adverb, or verb, that means the functions as an adverb in this sentence.

We know that can be a little complicated, so let’s dig into another example together:

Giovanni’s is the best pizza place in Montana.

The trick to figuring out whether the article the is functioning as an adjective or an adverb is pretty simple: just look at the word directly after the and figure out its part of speech. If that word is a noun, then the is functioning as an adjective. If that word isn’t a noun, then the is functioning like an adverb.

Now, reread the second example. The word the comes before the word best. Is best a noun? No, it isn’t. Best is an adjective, so we know that the is working like an adverb in this sentence.

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How to Use The Correctly in Sentences

An important part of answering the question, «What part of speech is the word the?» includes explaining how to use the correctly in a sentence. Articles like the are some of the most common words used in the English language. So you need to know how and when to use it! And since using the as an adverb is less common, we’ll provide examples of how the can be used as an adverb as well.

Using The as an Article

In general, it is correct and appropriate to use the in front of a noun of any kind when you want to convey specificity. It’s often assumed that you use the to refer to a specific person, place, or thing that the person you’re speaking to will already be aware of. Oftentimes, this shared awareness of who, what, or where «the» is referring to is created by things already said in the conversation, or by context clues in a given social situation.

Let’s look at an example here:

Say you’re visiting a friend who just had a baby. You’re sitting in the kitchen at your friend’s house while your friend makes coffee. The baby, who has been peacefully dozing in a bassinet in the living room, begins crying. Your friend turns to you and asks, «Can you hold the baby while I finish doing this?»

Now, because of all of the context surrounding the social situation, you know which baby your friend is referring to when they say, the baby. There’s no need for further clarification, because in this case, the gives enough direct and specific meaning to the noun baby for you to know what to do!

In many cases, using the to define a noun requires less or no awareness of an immediate social situation because people have a shared common knowledge of the noun that the is referring to. Here are two examples:

Are you going to watch the eclipse tomorrow?

Did you hear what the President said this morning?

In the first example, the speaker is referring to a natural phenomenon that most people are aware of—eclipses are cool and rare! When there’s going to be an eclipse, everyone knows about it. If you started a conversation with someone by saying, «Are you going to watch the eclipse tomorrow?» it’s pretty likely they’d know which eclipse the is referring to.

In the second example, if an American speaking to another American mentions what the President said, the other American is likely going to assume that the refers to the President of the United States. Conversely, if two Canadians said this to one another, they would likely assume they’re talking about the Canadian prime minister!

So in many situations, using the before a noun gives that noun specific meaning in the context of a particular social situation.

Using The as an Adverb

Now let’s look at an example of how «the» can be used as an adverb. Take a look at this sample sentence:

The tornado warning made it all the more likely that the game would be canceled.

Remember how we explained that the can be combined with adverbs that are making a comparison of levels or amounts of something between two entities? The example above shows how the can be combined with an adverb in such a situation. The is combined with more and likely to form an adverbial phrase.

So how do you figure this out? Well, if the words immediately after the are adverbs, then the is functioning as an adverb, too!

Here’s another example of how the can be used as an adverb:

I had the worst day ever.

In this case, the is being combined with the adverb worst to compare the speaker’s day to the other days. Compared to all the other days ever, this person’s was the worst…period. Some other examples of adverbs that you might see the combined with include all the better, the best, the bigger, the shorter, and all the sooner.

One thing that can help clarify which adverbs the can be combined with is to check out a list of comparative and superlative adverbs and think about which ones the makes sense with!

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3 Articles in the English Language

Now that we’ve answered the question, «What part of speech is the?», you know that the is classified as an article. To help you gain a better understanding of what articles are and how they function in the English language, here’s a handy list of 3 words in the English language that are also categorized as articles.

Article

Type of Article

What It Does

Example Sentence

The

Definite Article

Modifies nouns by giving them a specific meaning

Please fold the laundry.

Do you want to go to the concert?

A

Indefinite Article

Modifies a noun that refers to a general idea; appears before nouns that begin with a consonant.

Do you want to go to a concert?

An

Indefinite Article

Modifies a noun that refers to a general idea; appears before nouns that begin with a vowel.

Do you want to go to an arcade?

Let’s get an iguana.

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What’s Next?

If you’re looking for more grammar resources, be sure to check out our guides on every grammar rule you need to know to ace the SAT (or the ACT)!

Learning more about English grammar can be really helpful when you’re studying a foreign language, too. We highly recommend that you study a foreign language in high school—not only is it great for you, it looks great on college applications, too. If you’re not sure which language to study, check out this helpful article that will make your decision a lot easier.

Speaking of applying for college…one of the most important parts of your application packet is your essay. Check out this expert guide to writing college essays that will help you get into your dream school.

Need more help with this topic? Check out Tutorbase!

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About the Author

Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

If you’ve ever found yourself wondering what part of speech a word is, you’re not alone. In this lesson, we’ll explore how to answer that question as well as why that answer can seem a bit confusing. You’ll also find a quiz at the bottom of the page so that you can test yourself, along with a free PDF download. Jackpot!

Would you like to make this lesson more interactive? 
Download the free ebook.

If you’d like to fill out your answers as you move through this lesson, download the guide before you watch the video.

If you’d like to print it out and you’re serious about conserving the ink in your printer, print only pages 4, 9, 10, and 11. 

Pop quiz, hot shot! Let’s say you’re at the grocery store deciding between chunky and creamy peanut butter (tough choice) when someone walks up to you and asks, «What part of speech is the word love

Obviously, the first thing to do is run away from this person. But then, your mind might linger on that question, and you might start to wonder Hmm … what part of speech is the word love anyway?

At that point, you would probably think of some example sentences to figure it out.

I love peanut butter. 

From this sentence, you might conclude that love is a verb since you know that verbs express action, and love is showing an action in this sentence.

You wouldn’t be wrong, but then you might think of this sentence:

Love for peanut butter brought me to the store today. 

Wait a minute! Here, love is a noun. It’s an idea, and it’s the subject of the sentence. What’s the deal? How can love be a verb and a noun?

Here’s a secret about the parts of speech that many people don’t realize: 

Many words can function as more than one part of speech.

They will only be doing one part-of-speech job at a time, though. In our example sentences above, we can see that love can be a verb and a noun, and we can also see that it’s doing just one of those jobs in each sentence.

How can you figure out what part(s) of speech a word can be, and how will you know what the word is acting as in any given sentence?

The first thing to do is to study the parts of speech and understand how they work. 

Here’s what you can do after you have a sense of what the parts of speech are and how they work:

What part(s) of speech can this word be?

Look up the word in a dictionary. Dictionaries will show you the possible parts of speech that a word can function as. You can use a dictionary that’s an actual book, an online dictionary, or your device’s built-in dictionary. The dictionary will list each word’s possible part of speech, and it will give you definitions for all of the meanings of a word within each part of speech. 

What part of speech is this word in this sentence?

In order to figure out how a word is functioning, we need to look at the word within the context of a sentence. Look over your sentence, and then open up your dictionary. Match the meaning of the word in your sentence with the most fitting dictionary definition. Then you’ll be able to tell what part of speech it is in your sentence.

Let’s look at two examples of words acting as different parts of speech.

We’ll look at the words for and iron, and we’ll see them acting as different parts of speech. We’ll also take a peek at what the dictionary says for each word. 

What part of speech are the words in bold?

I asked for pie. 

I cried, for I knew that the pie was gone.

Where is the iron

Please iron my shirt.

For

I asked for pie. (preposition)

1. Just below the word that you look up, you’ll find a listing for a part of speech. The first listing is usually the most common way that the word is used. For is most commonly used as a preposition. 

2. Next, you’ll find definitions of the word for each part of speech. If there is more than one definition, they’ll be numbered. There are many definitions for for as a preposition, and here you can see two.

3. After the definition, you’ll often find an example of how to use the word as that part of speech and definition. You can see the examples in italics. 

I cried, for I knew that the pie was gone. (conjunction)

1. Below all of the definitions for for as a preposition, we can see a listing for another part of speech. It’s here that we see that for can also be a conjunction.  

2. Here’s the definition. It’s not numbered because there is only one entry for for as a conjunction. 

3. Here is an example sentence for us. (It’s strange, though, that they also used for as a preposition in this example as well as a conjunction!)

Iron

Where is the iron? (noun)

1. The first part of speech listed under iron is noun. 

2. The first two definitions of iron as a noun weren’t the ones used in the sentence above, but the third entry was what I was looking for. 

3. They don’t give us an example sentence. Boohoo!

Please iron my shirt. (verb)

1. Underneath all of the definitions for iron as a noun, I came here which let me know that iron can also be used as a verb.

2. There’s only one definition for iron as a verb, so they didn’t number this entry. 

3. Again, there’s no example sentence. Perhaps everyone at the dictionary company called in sick on the day that they had to write example sentences for iron

Test Yourself

I. Label the Parts of Speech

Directions: Name the part of speech for the underlined word in each sentence. Use a dictionary if you need one. For extra credit, diagram the sentences. :) Scroll down to see the answers.

1. LIGHT

a) I will light the fire.

b) Can you see that red light?

c) This light jacket isn’t warm enough.

2. FAST 

a) Hadley is a fast runner.

b) The 12-hour fast cleared my mind.

c) He drives fast!

3. GENERAL

a) I had a general sense of how it works. 

b) The general sank low in his chair.

4. BEFORE

a) Practice piano before you play with your friends.

b) Practice piano before dinner.

5. ROLL

a) Roll the dice.

b) I will eat the soup with a roll.

6. LIKE

a) I like old books.

b) They acted like old friends.

c) The boys had like interests.

7. TILL

a) The kids were awake till midnight.

b) Open the till and count the money.

c) My grandpa, a farmer, would till his soil in the spring.

8. CUP

a) Cup your hands around your mouth and yell.

b) I’ll use the red cup.

9. DRIVE

a) The long drive through the countryside lifted my spirits.

b) I always drive within the speed limit.

10. BLUE

a) Everyone in the family photo wore blue.

b) Jackie lives in the blue house.


Would you like to download this lesson?

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  • Includes all of the instructions and exercises on this page 
  • 4 pages with blank space to write answers 
  • 7 pages of answers (All 24 sentence diagrams included) 
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II. Write Your Own Sentences

Directions: Write your own sentences using the words below. Make sure the word is being used as the part of speech indicated on the left side. Underline the word in your sentence. The first one is done for you. Feel free to use a dictionary!

1. Drive

Noun: The long drive through the countryside lifted my spirits.

Verb: I always drive within the speed limit.

2. Baby

Noun: ___________________________________

Adjective: ________________________________

Verb: ___________________________________

3. Up

Preposition: ________________________________

Adverb: ___________________________________

Answers

I. Label the Parts of Speech

1. LIGHT

a) I will light the fire. VERB

b) Can you see that red light? NOUN

c) This light jacket isn’t warm enough. ADJECTIVE

6. LIKE

a) I like old books. VERB

b) They acted like old friends. PREPOSITION

c) The boys had like interests. ADJECTIVE

2. FAST 

a) Hadley is a fast runner. ADJECTIVE

b) The 12-hour fast cleared my mind. NOUN

c) He drives fast! ADVERB

7. TILL

a) The kids were awake till midnight. PREPOSITION

b) Open the till and count the money. NOUN

c) My grandpa, a farmer, would till his soil in the spring. VERB

3. ABOVE

a) I had a general sense of how it works. ADJECTIVE

b) The general sank low in his chair. NOUN

8. CUP

a) Cup your hands around your mouth and yell. VERB

b) I’ll use the red cup. NOUN

4. BEFORE

a) Practice piano before you play with your friends. CONJUNCTION

b) Practice piano before dinner. PREPOSITION

9. DRIVE

a) The long drive through the countryside lifted my spirits. NOUN

b) I always drive within the speed limit. VERB

5. ROLL

a) Roll the dice. VERB

b) I will eat the soup with a roll. NOUN

10. BLUE

a) Everyone in the family photo wore blue. NOUN

b) Jackie lives in the blue house. ADJECTIVE

* The sentence diagrams for 4, 5, 9, and 10 are available in the downloadable version of this lesson.

Answers for II. Write Your Own Sentences are also available in the free, downloadable version of this lesson.


Would you like to download this lesson?

  • 20 Pages 
  • Includes all of the instructions and exercises on this page 
  • 4 pages with blank space to write answers 
  • 7 pages of answers (All 24 sentence diagrams included) 
  • Printable 
  • If you only want to print out the pages where you’ll be writing (I’m looking at you, expensive ink cartridges.), print pages 4, 9, 10, and 11.
  • FREE

Would you like to see another example of this concept? Let’s look at how the word balance can be a noun or a verb, and how it can help you think about your life.

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