unit 0 : Parts of the Speech : cours 1 Bac SM

1Course Objectives & Prerequisites

This opening section establishes what students will be able to do by the end of the unit and recalls the foundational knowledge required before starting. It sets a clear learning roadmap for the entire course.

Learning Objectives

Objective 1

Identify all 8 parts of speech — noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection — in any given sentence.

Objective 2

Use correct noun forms : apply plural rules (regular and irregular) and form possessives using apostrophe-s ('s) or s-apostrophe (s').

Objective 3

Apply the OSASCOMP adjective order (Opinion - Size - Age - Shape - Colour - Origin - Material - Purpose) when using multiple adjectives before a noun.

Objective 4

Form adverbs from adjectives by applying the correct suffixation rules (e.g., adding -ly, handling exceptions such as adjectives ending in -y, -le, or -ic).

Objective 5

Use coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS) — For, And, Nor, But, Or, Yet, So — and common subordinating conjunctions (because, although, when, if\dots) to connect ideas correctly.

Objective 6

Perform word-class transformations : convert words across grammatical categories (noun \to adjective, verb \to noun, adjective \to adverb, etc.) using common prefixes and suffixes.

Before diving into the unit content, make sure you are comfortable with the following four prerequisite areas . These are not new topics — they are concepts you have already encountered in previous years. This unit will revisit and reinforce each of them as you work through the eight parts of speech.

Prerequisite 1 — Basic Sentence Structure

A correct English sentence must contain at least a subject and a predicate (verb phrase). Example: 'The sun shines.' — 'The sun' is the subject; 'shines' is the predicate. Understanding this structure helps you locate nouns, pronouns, and verbs accurately.

Prerequisite 2 — Subject Verb Agreement

The verb must agree in number with its subject. A singular subject takes a singular verb form, and a plural subject takes a plural verb form. ✓ 'She studies every evening.' ✗ 'She study every evening.' Mastering this rule is essential when working with nouns and verbs.

Prerequisite 3 — Elementary Punctuation

You should be able to use and recognise four basic punctuation marks: the period (.) to end a statement, the comma (,) to separate items or clauses, the question mark (?) to end a question, and the exclamation mark (!) to express strong emotion or emphasis.

Prerequisite 4 — Singular and Plural Noun Forms

You should already know the difference between singular nouns (referring to one person, place, or thing, e.g., 'book') and plural nouns (referring to more than one, e.g., 'books'). This unit will expand this knowledge with irregular plurals and possessive forms.

Key Reminder

These four prerequisites are not reviewed separately in a dedicated lesson. Instead, they are integrated and reinforced naturally throughout every section of Unit 0. Each time a new part of speech is introduced, you will see these foundational rules in action. Pay attention to how they connect to the new material.

	$Learning Objective$	$Related Part(s) of Speech$
$1$	$Identify all 8 parts of speech in context$	$All eight$
$2$	$Use correct plural and possessive noun forms$	$Nouns$
$3$	$Apply OSASCOMP adjective order$	$Adjectives$
$4$	$Form adverbs correctly from adjectives$	$Adverbs$
$5$	$Use FANBOYS & subordinating conjunctions$	$Conjunctions$
$6$	$Perform word-class transformations$	$All eight$

Summary table mapping each learning objective to its corresponding part(s) of speech covered in Unit 0.

Before studying each part of speech in depth, students need a clear bird's-eye view of all eight categories, their definitions, and a quick example for each. This panoramic section provides the essential framework for everything that follows.

Part of Speech

A category assigned to a word based on its grammatical function and meaning within a sentence. Every word in English belongs to one of eight such categories.

Key Insight: Context Changes Word Class

The same word can belong to different parts of speech depending on how it is used in a sentence.

Verb

"I walk to school every day." \to walk expresses an action.

Noun

"Let's go for a walk ." \to walk names an activity.

Always identify a word's part of speech by looking at its role in context, not just the word itself.

	$Part of Speech$	$Definition$	$Example$
$1$	$Noun$	$Names a person, place, thing, or idea$	$Rabat, book, freedom$
$2$	$Pronoun$	$Replaces a noun to avoid repetition$	$She (replacing Fatima)$
$3$	$Verb$	$Expresses an action, state, or occurrence$	$run, is, become$
$4$	$Adjective$	$Describes or modifies a noun or pronoun$	$beautiful flower$
$5$	$Adverb$	$Modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb$	$runs quickly$
$6$	$Preposition$	$Shows the relationship between a noun/pronoun and other words$	$in the bag$
$7$	$Conjunction$	$Links words, phrases, or clauses together$	$and, because, but$
$8$	$Interjection$	$Expresses sudden emotion; stands outside sentence grammar$	$Wow!, Oh!$

Quick-Reference Table — The Eight Parts of Speech

To see all eight parts of speech working together, examine the following annotated sentence carefully. Each word has been labelled according to its grammatical function in the sentence.

Annotated Sentence Analysis

Statement

Label every word in the sentence: 'The young student studies diligently in the library.'

Data

The young student studies diligently in the library.

Method

Identify each word's grammatical role within the sentence — what it names, describes, replaces, links, or modifies.

Solution

The \to Article (Adjective): a determiner that introduces the noun 'student'. young \to Adjective: describes the noun 'student'. student \to Noun: names a person. studies \to Verb: expresses the action performed by the subject 'student'. diligently \to Adverb: modifies the verb 'studies', telling us how the action is done. in \to Preposition: shows the relationship between the verb 'studies' and the noun 'library'. the \to Article (Adjective): a determiner introducing the noun 'library'. library \to Noun: names a place.

Interpretation

Even a single short sentence uses six of the eight parts of speech. Noticing how each word functions — not just what it means — is the foundation of all English grammar.

Things to Remember

Function first

Always ask: What job does this word do in the sentence? — that determines its part of speech.

Context matters

A word like walk, light, or round can be a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb depending on the sentence.

Eight categories

Noun — Pronoun — Verb — Adjective — Adverb — Preposition — Conjunction — Interjection. These eight cover every word in English.

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