Learn the 4 Jobs
1Nouns name.
People, places, things, ideas: dragon, London, treasure, courage.
2Verbs do (or are).
Actions and states: guarded, ran, is, seems. Every sentence needs one.
3Adjectives describe nouns; adverbs describe verbs.
old dragon · guarded fiercely. Many adverbs end -ly (but not all: fast, well).
Worked Example
Name the word class of each underlined word: ‘The tired explorer slowly crossed the desert.’
Watch Out! Common Mistakes
Half the story! Being verbs count too: is, was, seems, becomes. ‘The dragon IS old’ has a verb.
Usually — not always! ‘A lovely day’ describes the day: adjective. Check the JOB, not the ending.
Words moonlight! ‘Run’ is a verb in ‘I run’ but a noun in ‘a fun run’. Judge each sentence fresh.
⬇ Cheat Sheet
- Noun: names person/place/thing/idea.
- Verb: action OR being (is, was, seems).
- Adjective describes a noun; adverb a verb (often -ly).
- Judge the word's job in THIS sentence.
📖 Continue Your Journey
Quick summary
- Nouns name; verbs do or are; adjectives describe nouns; adverbs describe verbs.
- Being verbs count: is, was, seems, becomes.
- Most -ly words are adverbs, but 'lovely' is an adjective — check the job.
- The same word can take different jobs in different sentences.
Frequently asked questions
What are the four main word classes?
Nouns (naming words), verbs (doing or being words), adjectives (describing nouns) and adverbs (describing verbs, adjectives or other adverbs).
Is 'is' a verb?
Yes — being verbs like is, was, are and seems are full verbs, and many sentences have no other.
How can a word be two classes?
English words change jobs by position: 'light the light' uses light as a verb then a noun. Classify by the job in the sentence at hand.
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