Parts of Speech in English for SAT & ACT Exams

When we say “parts of speech,” we’re just talking about the different types of words we use in sentences. Every word in English fits into one of these types based on what it does in the sentence. For the SAT Writing section, there are seven main parts of speech you should know. Why does this matter? Because understanding parts of speech makes it way easier to spot grammar mistakes, fix sentence structure issues, and choose the best answer choices on the SAT Exam. The truth is, many students don’t get a solid grammar foundation in school anymore. So if you’ve forgotten what an adverb is, or you never really understood prepositions, you’re not alone.

This guide is here to help you review the most important parts of speech that show up on the SAT. We’ll keep it simple and clear—no confusing grammar terms—just what you need to know to feel confident on test day. Let’s break down the 7 parts of speech that matter most for the SAT and how each one works in real sentences.

What are Parts of Speech in English Grammar?

Parts of speech are the basic types of words we use in sentences, based on how they work or function. In English, there are eight main parts of speech you should know:

• Nouns
• Pronouns
• Adjectives
• Verbs
• Adverbs
• Prepositions
• Conjunctions
• Interjections

Each word in a sentence falls into one of these groups depending on what it’s doing. For example, a noun names a person, place, or thing, while a verb shows action. We can also group these parts of speech into two types:

• Open classes – These include nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs. New words are often added to these groups.
• Closed classes – These include pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. They don’t change much over time.

Understanding parts of speech helps you recognize grammar rules faster, especially on the SAT Writing and ACT English sections. Once you know how words function in a sentence, it becomes much easier to spot errors and choose the correct answers.

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8 Parts of Speech in English Grammar

Check out the chart below to see each part of speech, what it does, and some examples. You can also download the Parts of Speech Notes PDF to help you study for the SAT, ACT, and other exams.

Part of Speech	What It Does	Examples
Noun	Names a person, place, thing, or idea	Harvard, freedom, engineer, river
Pronoun	Replaces a noun to avoid repetition	he, they, who, them, ours
Verb	Shows action or a state of being	run, seem, was, discover, have
Adverb	Describes a verb, adjective, or another adverb (usually tells how, when, or where)	quickly, rarely, very, easily
Adjective	Describes or gives more information about a noun	ancient, successful, blue, happy
Preposition	Shows a relationship (like direction, place, or time) between a noun/pronoun and other words	on, under, during, in front of
Conjunction	Connects words, phrases, or clauses	and, but, because, although
Interjection	Shows strong feeling or emotion (often stands alone)	Wow!, Oops!, Hey!

Parts of Speech Explained (For SAT and ACT Prep)

Understanding the parts of speech is really important for the SAT and ACT English sections. They test your grammar, sentence structure, and word choice, and knowing these basics can make a big difference in your score. Let’s break it down in an easy way:

1. Nouns

A noun is a word that names a person, place, thing, idea, or event. Nouns are one of the building blocks of English. In a sentence, nouns can act as the subject, object, or complement.

Types of nouns:

Knowing nouns helps with sentence structure questions on the SAT and ACT!

2. Pronouns

Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns. They make sentences sound better and less repetitive. Instead of saying a noun again and again, we use a pronoun.

Example: Maya saw Sanjay, and she waved at him.
Here, she replaces Maya and him replaces Sanjay.

Types of pronouns:

Pronouns are heavily tested on both SAT and ACT for clarity and agreement!

3. Verbs

Verbs are action words. They show what the subject is doing or feeling. They also show a state of being (like is, was, are). In a sentence, the verb is usually the most important word.

Types of verbs:

Verb tense, subject-verb agreement, and verb forms are major topics on the SAT and ACT!

4. Adverbs

Adverbs describe or add more information to a verb, adjective, or another adverb. They often answer questions like how, when, where, how much, and why.

Example: She ran quickly.

Types of adverbs:

Adverbs are key for modifying meaning clearly in SAT/ACT grammar questions!

5. Adjectives

Adjectives describe or modify nouns and pronouns. They give extra information like what kind, how many, or which one.

Example: The blue car sped by.

Types of adjectives:

Adjectives are often tested for placement and comparison (bigger, most beautiful) on the exams!

6. Prepositions

A preposition links nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other words in a sentence. It shows relationships like direction, place, or time.

Example: The book is on the table.

Types of prepositions:

Prepositions are important for spotting idiom errors on the SAT and ACT!

7. Conjunctions

Conjunctions are words used to join words, phrases, or clauses in a sentence. They help connect ideas, making sentences easier to understand and flow more smoothly.

Example: I want pizza and pasta.

Types of conjunctions:

Understanding conjunctions helps you with connecting ideas and fixing run-on sentences in SAT/ACT questions!

8. Interjections

Interjections are words used to express strong emotions. They are usually followed by an exclamation mark or a comma.

Examples: Wow! Oh no! Ouch!

Even though interjections are not tested heavily, knowing them helps you understand tone and informal writing on reading passages!