Parts of Speech

PARTS OF SPEECH
The GRE never directly tests your ability to classify words by part of speech, but you'll do better
if you can distinguish nouns, adjectives, and verbs.

Nouns
A noun names a person, place, or thing. A noun answers the questions "who," "where," or
"what." A noun can function as the subject ("The soliloquy was eloquentn) or object of a verb
("He wrote an eloquent soliloquyn).
If you know the meaning of the word, you can tell if it's a noun by thinking about the way it
would be used in a sentence.
If the word can function as the subject of a sentence, it's a noun.
If it can be replaced by a pronoun like he, she, it, or thq: it's a noun. - If you can put an article like the, a, an, or some in front of it, it's a noun.
If it has a plural form (usually the ending -s), it's a noun. If it has a possessive form
(usually the ending -'s), it's a noun.
If you don't know the meaning of a word, but it has one of the following suffutes, then
it's probably a noun.
-ACY
-AGE
-ANCE
- ANCY
-DOM
-ENCE
-ENCY
-ERY
-HOOD
-ICE
-ICS
-ISM
-IST
-ITY
-MENT
-NESS
-OGY
-OR
-RY
-SHIP
-SION
-TION
-TUDE
-URE

Adjectives
An adjective describes a noun, answering the questions "what kind," "which one," or "how
many." In a sentence, you will generally find adjectives right in front of the nouns they describe
("The book is full of sophomoric humor") or after a form of the verb be or some other linking
verb ("The book's humor is sophomoric").
If you know the meaning of a word, you can tell if it's an adjective by thinking about the way
the word would be used in a sentence. If the word can be used to describe a noun, it's an adjective.
Most adjectives have comparative and superlative forms (rife, rifer, rifest and sanguine,
more sanguine, most sanguine). Most adjectives can be turned into adverbs by adding -1y
(intemperately.)
If you don't know the meaning of a word, but it has one of the following suffixes, then it's
probably an adjective.
-ABLE
-AL
-ANE
-ANT
-AR
-ENT
-OUS
-FUL
-IBLE
-IC
-ILE
-INE
-ISH
-IVE
-LESS
-OSE

Verbs
A verb is a word that represents an action or state of being. Every sentence must have at least
one verb. The main verb usually comes right after the subject ("They squander their fortunes"),
but sometimes is separated from the subject ("The contestant with the second highest
vote total wins the consolation prize") and sometimes even precedes the subject ("Quickly
flow the years.")
If you know the meaning of the word, you can tell if it's a verb by thinking about the way the
word would be used in a sentence. If, with the addition of an -s, it can follow a pronoun like
he or it and make a sentence, it's a verb ("Hepanders"). If it has a past form ending in -ed (pandered)
and a progressive form ending in -ing (pandering), it's a verb.
If you don't know the meaning of a word, but it has one of the following suffixes, then it's
probably a verb.
-EN
-ESCE
-IFY
-IZE

Split-Personality Words
Remember that many words in the English language can function as more than one part of
speech. Here's a single word used as a noun, adjective, and verb:
As the test tube rested overnight, some precipitate formed. (noun)
It would be better to proceed with caution than to take precipitate action. (adjective)
Passage of the resolution could well precipitate rebellion. (verb)
When you see a word all by itself in an analogy or an antonym, with no sentence to show you
the word in use, you may not be able to tell at &st what part of speech it is. For example, if
you see the word brook out of context, don't assume you're looking at a noun. It can also be
a verb, as in: "She would brook no interference with her intentions." Instead, look at the
answer choices or the other word in an analogy's stem. They should make it pretty clear what
meaning they are testing.