Parts of Speech in Language I

Overview

Parts of speech form the grammatical backbone of any language. Whether you are attempting Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, Hindi, or English as your Language I in Assam TET, understanding how words function in sentences is essential for answering grammar-based questions in comprehension passages and direct grammar items.

This topic typically appears in two forms: direct identification questions ("Identify the adjective in this sentence") and application-based questions where you must correct errors or fill blanks. Mastery of parts of speech also strengthens your ability to analyse unseen prose and poetry passages, as examiners often test whether candidates can distinguish between word classes in context.

For Assam TET Paper I and Paper II, expect 2–4 marks directly on parts of speech, with additional indirect marks in passage comprehension where grammatical understanding is tested implicitly.

Key Concepts

• **Eight traditional parts of speech exist in English and Hindi; similar categories apply to Assamese, Bengali, and Bodo** — Noun, Pronoun, Verb, Adjective, Adverb, Preposition (or Postposition in Indian languages), Conjunction, and Interjection.

• **A word's part of speech is determined by its function in the sentence, not its form alone** — "water" can be a noun ("Give me water") or a verb ("Water the plants").

• **Nouns (Bisheshya/Bishekhyo/Nam)** name persons, places, things, or ideas. They can be proper, common, collective, material, or abstract.

• **Pronouns (Sarbonaam/Sorbonām)** replace nouns to avoid repetition — personal, demonstrative, interrogative, relative, reflexive, and indefinite types.

• **Verbs (Kriya/Kriyā)** express action or state of being. They change form based on tense, person, and number.

• **Adjectives (Bisheshan/Bisheshon)** modify nouns, describing quality, quantity, or which one. In Indian languages, they often precede the noun.

• **Adverbs (Kriya-bisheshan)** modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs — answering how, when, where, or to what extent.

• **Postpositions in Assamese, Bengali, Bodo, and Hindi function like English prepositions but follow the noun** — e.g., "ghorar upor" (on the horse) in Assamese.

• **Conjunctions (Yojak/Abyay)** join words, phrases, or clauses — coordinating (and, but, or) and subordinating (because, although, if).

Formulas / Key Facts

| Part of Speech | English Example | Hindi Example | Assamese Example | Function | |----------------|-----------------|---------------|------------------|----------| | Noun | river, honesty | नदी, ईमानदारी | নদী, সততা | Names things | | Pronoun | he, this, who | वह, यह, कौन | তাই, এই, কোন | Replaces noun | | Verb | run, is, write | दौड़ना, है, लिखना | দৌৰা, আছে, লিখা | Shows action/state | | Adjective | beautiful, five | सुंदर, पाँच | ধুনীয়া, পাঁচ | Describes noun | | Adverb | quickly, here | जल्दी, यहाँ | সোনকালে, ইয়াত | Modifies verb/adj | | Preposition/Postposition | in, on / में, पर | — / में, पर | — / ত, ওপৰত | Shows relation | | Conjunction | and, because | और, क्योंकि | আৰু, কাৰণ | Joins elements | | Interjection | Alas! Hurrah! | अरे! वाह! | আহা! বাঃ! | Expresses emotion |