The Mother Tongue, Book I: Lessons in Speaking, Reading and Writing English · Secs. 380–382 · Part 2: Part Second
106. The eight parts of speech
Goal: Your child names the eight parts of speech and sorts words by the work they do.
You'll need
- The book, open to this lesson
- Paper and pencil (a notebook kept just for this book works well)
- A ruled sheet with eight columns
What's in the book
Section 380 gathers together the work which words do: nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions and interjections, the eight parts of speech. Section 381 asks the child to sort the words of some sentences into eight columns, leaving doubtful words aside. Section 382 shows that the same word can be different parts of speech (a fast horse; the horse ran fast).
The lesson, step by step
Read the summary (Section 380)
Read the eight paragraphs together. For each part of speech, your child gives one example of their own.
The work which a word has to do determines its place among the Parts of Speech.
Rule the sheet (Section 381)
Your child rules a sheet with eight columns, headed Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives, Verbs, Adverbs, Prepositions, Conjunctions, Interjections.
Sort some words
Use three sentences from Section 355 (page 246); the Answers give three easy ones. Your child writes each word in its column. The book says: if you are not sure of a word, put it in a separate list and pass it by for now.
Same word, different work (Section 382)
The fast horse ran in the race.
The horse ran fast.
Ask: What does fast do in each? Then try "walk": "Our walk was a pleasant one." "We walk to school."
Find more
Your child finds three words in the dictionary that can be used in more than one way (light, run, play, watch ...) and makes two sentences for one of them.
Check it gently
Look at the columns together. For any word in the wrong column, ask: "What work does it do in this sentence?" Let your child move it.
What a good result looks like
Example (written for this guide, not from the book):
Light (noun): The light is too bright.
Light (verb): Please light the lamp.
Light (adjective): This bag is light.
Answers to the book's problems
Three sentences from Section 355 sorted: Catch me if you can. Catch (verb), me (pronoun), if (conjunction), you (pronoun), can (verb). Fools make feasts and wise men eat them. Fools (noun), make (verb), feasts (noun), and (conjunction), wise (adjective), men (noun), eat (verb), them (pronoun). Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry makes all things easy. Sloth (noun), makes (verb), all (adjective), things (noun), difficult (adjective), but (conjunction), industry (noun), makes (verb), all (adjective), things (noun), easy (adjective).
Worked out for this site from the scan. If a number in your copy differs, trust the book.