Parts of Speech

In English, there are different classes of words. They are called parts of speech. This excerpt from a poem captures the essence of the different parts of speech exactly:

A NOUN's the name of anything;
As school or garden, hoop, or swing,
ADJECTIVES tell the kind of noun;
As great, small, pretty, white, or brown
Instead of nouns the PRONOUNS stand;
Her face, his face, our arms, your hand.
VERBS tell of something being done;
To read, count, sing, laugh, jump, or run.
How things are done the ADVERBS tell;
As slowly, quickly, ill or well.
CONJUNCTIONS join the words together;
As men and women, wind or weather;
The PREPOSITION stands before
A noun, as in or through a door;
The INTERJECTION shows surpise;
As oh! how pretty! ah! how wise!

(Day, 1995:23-24)