Ready to conquer the ParaPro Writing test? This guide empowers you to master parts of speech with confidence, boosting your teaching assistant skills!
What Are Parts of Speech?
Building on sentence parts, punctuation, and usage, this ParaPro Writing Study Guide explores parts of speech—the fundamental categories of words, including nouns, verbs, adjectives, and more. The exam tests your ability to identify and use these correctly to enhance sentence clarity and structure. As a paraprofessional, this knowledge enables you to guide students in effective writing.
These skills are crucial for tackling 10-15 of the 90 exam questions focused on practical application.
Why Parts of Speech Matter
Approximately 10-15 of the 90 ParaPro questions assess your ability to recognize and correct issues with parts of speech in writing scenarios. Proper use ensures grammatical accuracy and meaning, a key responsibility for teaching assistants, directly supporting classroom success and exam performance.
Types of Parts of Speech
Mastering Nouns
Nouns name people, places, things, or ideas (e.g., “teacher,” “park”). They can be proper (capitalized, e.g., “Paris”) or common, singular or plural. Errors include incorrect pluralization (e.g., “childs” instead of “children”) or misuse as other parts of speech. Identify nouns by asking “what” or “who” is being discussed.
Example 1
Directions: Identify the noun in the sentence.
“The dog chased the ball.”
- A) The
- B) Dog
- C) Chased
- D) Ball
Answer: B) Dog & D) Ball
Explanation: Both “dog” and “ball” are nouns naming things. Test tip: Look for names of people, places, or things!
Example 2
Directions: Identify the error with the noun.
“The childrens toys are lost.”
- A) No error
- B) “childrens” should be “children’s”
- C) “toys” should be “toy’s”
- D) “are” should be “is”
Answer: B) “childrens” should be “children’s”
Explanation: “Children’s” is the correct plural possessive form. Test tip: Check plural possessive forms!
Example 3
Directions: Identify the noun in the sentence.
“Paris is a beautiful city.”
- A) Paris
- B) Is
- C) Beautiful
- D) City
Answer: A) Paris & D) City
Explanation: “Paris” (proper) and “city” (common) are nouns. Test tip: Note proper nouns with capitals!
Example 4
Directions: Identify the error with the noun.
“She has three sheeps in the field.”
- A) No error
- B) “sheeps” should be “sheep”
- C) “three” should be “3”
- D) “field” should be “fields”
Answer: B) “sheeps” should be “sheep”
Explanation: “Sheep” is the correct plural form. Test tip: Learn irregular plural nouns!
Understanding Verbs
Verbs express action or state (e.g., “run,” “is”). They must agree with the subject in number and tense (e.g., “She runs” vs. “They run”). Errors include subject-verb disagreement (e.g., “He walk”) or incorrect tense (e.g., “She run yesterday”). Identify verbs by asking “what is happening?”
Example 1
Directions: Identify the verb in the sentence.
“The cat sleeps quietly.”
- A) The cat
- B) Sleeps
- C) Quietly
- D) The
Answer: B) Sleeps
Explanation: “Sleeps” shows the action. Test tip: Look for the action or state word!
Example 2
Directions: Identify the error with the verb.
“The boys runs in the park.”
- A) No error
- B) “runs” should be “run”
- C) “boys” should be “boy”
- D) “in” should be “at”
Answer: B) “runs” should be “run”
Explanation: “Boys” (plural) requires “run,” not “runs.” Test tip: Match verb to subject number!
Example 3
Directions: Identify the verb in the sentence.
“They have finished the project.”
- A) They
- B) Have finished
- C) The project
- D) Finished
Answer: B) Have finished
Explanation: “Have finished” is the complete verb phrase. Test tip: Include helping verbs like “have”!
Example 4
Directions: Identify the error with the verb.
“She go to school yesterday.”
- A) No error
- B) “go” should be “went”
- C) “yesterday” should be “today”
- D) “she” should be “he”
Answer: B) “go” should be “went”
Explanation: “Went” is the correct past tense. Test tip: Use the right tense for the time!
Using Adjectives and Adverbs
Adjectives describe nouns (e.g., “tall tree”), while adverbs modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs (e.g., “runs quickly”). Errors include using adjectives instead of adverbs (e.g., “She runs good”) or overusing modifiers. Identify adjectives by asking “what kind?” and adverbs by asking “how?” or “to what extent?”
Example 1
Directions: Identify the adjective in the sentence.
“The bright sun shines.”
- A) The
- B) Bright
- C) Sun
- D) Shines
Answer: B) Bright
Explanation: “Bright” describes “sun.” Test tip: Ask “what kind of sun?”
Example 2
Directions: Identify the error with adjectives/adverbs.
“He plays good in the game.”
- A) No error
- B) “good” should be “well”
- C) “plays” should be “played”
- D) “in” should be “at”
Answer: B) “good” should be “well”
Explanation: “Well” is the adverb needed to modify “plays.” Test tip: Use adverbs with verbs!
Example 3
Directions: Identify the adverb in the sentence.
“She sings very beautifully.”
- A) She
- B) Very
- C) Beautifully
- D) Sings
Answer: B) Very & C) Beautifully
Explanation: “Very” modifies “beautifully,” and “beautifully” modifies “sings.” Test tip: Look for “-ly” endings or intensity words!
Example 4
Directions: Identify the error with adjectives/adverbs.
“The extremely tall man runs slow.”
- A) No error
- B) “slow” should be “slowly”
- C) “extremely” should be “extreme”
- D) “tall” should be “taller”
Answer: B) “slow” should be “slowly”
Explanation: “Slowly” is the adverb needed to modify “runs.” Test tip: Use adverbs to describe actions!
Working with Pronouns
Pronouns replace nouns (e.g., “he” for “John”). They include personal (e.g., “she”), possessive (e.g., “hers”), and reflexive (e.g., “myself”). Errors include unclear antecedents (e.g., “They left, but it was unclear who”) or incorrect case (e.g., “Me went” instead of “I went”). Identify pronouns by their role in replacing nouns.
Example 1
Directions: Identify the pronoun in the sentence.
“She gave her book to him.”
- A) She
- B) Her
- C) Him
- D) Book
Answer: A) She, B) Her, C) Him
Explanation: All are pronouns replacing nouns. Test tip: Look for words replacing people or things!
Example 2
Directions: Identify the error with the pronoun.
“Me and him are friends.”
- A) No error
- B) “Me” should be “I”
- C) “him” should be “he”
- D) “are” should be “is”
Answer: B) “Me” should be “I”
Explanation: “I” is the correct subject case. Test tip: Use “I” as a subject, “me” as an object!
Example 3
Directions: Identify the pronoun in the sentence.
“The cat licked itself clean.”
- A) The cat
- B) Licked
- C) Itself
- D) Clean
Answer: C) Itself
Explanation: “Itself” is a reflexive pronoun. Test tip: Look for reflexive pronouns ending in “-self” or “-selves”!
Example 4
Directions: Identify the error with the pronoun.
“When they arrived, it was unclear who left.”
- A) No error
- B) Unclear antecedent for “who”
- C) “they” should be “them”
- D) “it” should be “they”
Answer: B) Unclear antecedent for “who”
Explanation: “Who” lacks a clear noun to replace. Test tip: Ensure pronouns have clear antecedents!
Handling Prepositions and Conjunctions
Prepositions show relationships (e.g., “in,” “under”), while conjunctions connect words or clauses (e.g., “and,” “because”). Errors include using the wrong preposition (e.g., “on time” vs. “in time”) or omitting conjunctions in compound sentences. Identify prepositions by their role in phrases and conjunctions by their linking function.
Example 1
Directions: Identify the preposition in the sentence.
“The book is on the table.”
- A) The book
- B) Is
- C) On
- D) Table
Answer: C) On
Explanation: “On” shows the relationship between “book” and “table.” Test tip: Look for words indicating location or time!
Example 2
Directions: Identify the error with prepositions/conjunctions.
“She arrived in time, not on time.”
- A) No error
- B) “in” should be “on”
- C) “not” should be “and”
- D) Add a comma after “time”
Answer: A) No error
Explanation: Both “in time” and “on time” are correct depending on context; here, the contrast is clear. Test tip: Learn common prepositional phrases!
Example 3
Directions: Identify the conjunction in the sentence.
“I wanted to go, but I stayed.”
- A) I wanted
- B) To go
- C) But
- D) Stayed
Answer: C) But
Explanation: “But” connects the two clauses. Test tip: Look for words linking ideas!
Example 4
Directions: Identify the error with prepositions/conjunctions.
“He runs fast he jumps high.”
- A) No error
- B) Missing conjunction
- C) “runs” should be “ran”
- D) “high” should be “highly”
Answer: B) Missing conjunction
Explanation: A conjunction (e.g., “and”) or punctuation is needed to join the clauses. Test tip: Use conjunctions in compound sentences!
Reading and Analyzing Parts of Speech
On the exam, dissect sentences to identify each part of speech. Check for agreement (e.g., subject-verb) and proper use (e.g., adjective vs. adverb). Ensure pronouns have clear antecedents and conjunctions connect correctly. This practice mirrors editing student work, strengthening your classroom support skills.
Easy Steps to Master Parts of Speech
Follow these steps to excel:
- Identify nouns by asking “what or who?”
- Locate verbs by asking “what is happening?”
- Distinguish adjectives from adverbs with “what kind?” vs. “how?”
- Check pronouns for clear antecedents.
- Practice with diverse sentences daily.
Test tip: Label each word’s part of speech in a sentence!
Quiz for Topic
Ready to test your skills? Take our 10-question parts of speech quiz below to sharpen your expertise!
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I identify a noun?
Ask “what or who?” and look for proper or common names. Tip: Check for plural forms!
What’s the difference between adjectives and adverbs?
Adjectives describe nouns; adverbs modify verbs or adjectives. Tip: Look for “-ly” endings for adverbs!
How many parts of speech questions are on the exam?
About 10-15 of 90 questions. Tip: Use our free quizzes to prepare!
Can this improve my teaching?
Yes! It helps you teach students grammar basics. Tip: Apply with students daily!
Where can I practice more?
Explore our free ParaPro writing tests online. Tip: Review one topic per day!
What if a verb doesn’t agree with the subject?
Adjust the verb to match the subject’s number and tense. Tip: Check singular vs. plural!
How do I use conjunctions correctly?
Use them to connect clauses or words, adding a comma with compound sentences. Tip: Test with “and,” “but,” or “because”!