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13 Speeches in English for Listening and Speaking Practice

Giving a speech in front of a whole room of people can be pretty scary. Especially if you are giving a speech in English as a non-native speaker.

But you can learn from the best.

You can watch videos of famous, effective speeches in English to learn how to do it the right way .

In this post we will share 13 amazing speeches in English that you can use to become a more confident speaker yourself.

1. Speech on Kindness by a 10-year-old Girl

2. “the effects of lying” by georgia haukom, 3. “education for all” by cameron allen, 4. gender equality speech by emma watson, 5. “rocky balboa speech” by sylvester stallone, 6. 2008 presidential acceptance speech by president barack obama, 7. “this is water” speech by david foster wallace, 8. “the great dictator speech” by charlie chaplin, 9. 2018 golden globe speech by oprah winfrey, 10. “i have a dream” speech by martin luther king jr., 11. “the gettysburg address” by abraham lincoln, 12. “britain does owe reparations” by shashi tharoor, 13. mark antony’s speech by william shakespeare, and one more thing....

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Level: Beginner

Do you think people should be kind to one another? This speaker sure does. And she knows how to convince you of the same.

This is a perfect informative speech for beginner English learners . The speaker is a child who is able to speak fluently but with simple words . She also uses her gestures and facial expressions to communicate her emotions with the audience.

This speech is perfect for listening practice . However, learners should be aware that her pauses are not perfect. Learners should focus more on her words and the content of the speech than her intonation or pacing while practicing.

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Even though the speaker is a student in the fourth grade, her speech is one of the most interactive speeches I have seen. She starts with a game and is able to make her main point through the game itself.

English learners will enjoy her speech especially because the vocabulary she uses is simple and can be easily learned. But it does not feel like a beginner wrote this speech because she uses her words so well.

If you want to learn the art of making basic arguments while speaking, you should watch this speech. She is able to convince her audience because she is able to connect with them through games and stories.

She also uses scientific studies to back up (support) her main points.

Level: Intermediate

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This is a short and simple speech about why everyone in the world should get an education. Because the speaker is a child, the speech does not have complex words or sentence structures.

This is also a classic example of an informative speech. The speaker presents the main argument and the facts simply and clearly . She also gives the basic definitions of important terms in the speech itself.

This speech is perfect for English listening and speaking practice because it is so short but also full of useful information. It is also a good example of the standard American English accent .

Emma Watson is a famous English actress who is best known for her role in the “Harry Potter” movie series as Hermione. She is also a United Nations Women Goodwill Ambassador .

In this speech, she is trying to both inform and convince the audience  of why men should support feminism. Feminism is a movement that asks for equal rights and opportunities for women.

She mixes her formal tone with personal stories to do this. The speech is also a good example of British English .

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This is a speech taken from the movie “Rocky Balboa.”  In this scene, Rocky, played by Sylvester Stallone, is talking to his son.

His speech is a classic example of a motivational speech . In these kinds of speeches, a person tries to inspire someone else, especially when the listener feels hopeless or is full of shame.

The basic message of the speech is that no matter how strong a person is, he or she will always face difficulties. And even though the message does not sound positive, Stallone’s way of speaking still makes it inspiring.

Stallone is able to communicate his message with love, even though he is criticizing his son and telling him difficult facts about the world. Generally, this is called “tough love” in English.

Listeners should also notice how he uses gestures to make his point .

Compare this speech with the Oprah Winfrey and Martin Luther King speeches (later in this list). All of them inspire their audiences but have really different tones. Stallone’s speech is the most informal and personal while Martin Luther King’s speech is the most formal and written for a large audience. All these speeches are in American English.

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Barack Obama was the first African American elected as president by U.S. citizens. He gave this speech after he won the election.

English learners can discover a lot from his speech. Obama talks about the most important issues Americans were facing back then and are still important to them. He also uses a kind of American English that is easy to understand . His speech is mainly about the values that he and Americans stand for.

Obama’s accent is a mixture of standard American English and the way of speaking commonly popular in African American communities. He is an expert in using pauses so that the audience can follow his words without breaking his rhythm.

As the speech is longer than most others on this list, you may want to listen to it in parts rather than beginning-to-end.

Level: Advanced

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This speech is a perfect example of the mixture of casual and formal English . David Foster Wallace was an award-winning American writer who wrote about the culture of the U.S.

In this speech, he talks about the value of an education in liberal arts (general academic subjects, as opposed to technical/professional training). He believes that this kind of education teaches you how to think and think about others.

This is a good example of American English. Be aware that in some parts of the speech he also uses swear words (rude/offensive words) to create an emotional impact on the audience. This is very close to how people generally communicate with one another in daily life.

So, this speech is better for learning casual English even though it is a speech given at a university.

Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Charlie Chaplin is generally known for his gestures and facial expressions. In this movie, he proves that he can use speech as well to inspire and entertain the viewers.

The movie “The Great Dictator” is a satire about the rise of authoritarian governments in Europe. The word “authoritarian” means a person or a government that believes in controlling others and does not believe in freedom.

In this speech, Charlie Chaplin copies Adolf Hitler , but his message is exactly the opposite of Hitler’s ideas.

The interesting thing about the speech is how Chaplin uses short sentences for the most impact . There is also a lot of repetition that makes it easy for the audience to follow the speech.

Chaplin uses the tone, rhythm and pitch of his voice to make the speech interesting instead of using varied words. Chaplin’s speech can be categorized as inspirational or motivational. It does not use formal words but neither is it casual or informal.

Oprah Winfrey is an American talk show host and actor who is known around the world for her interviews. In the 2018 Golden Globe Awards, she was awarded the Cecil B. deMille award .

Her speech at the award show is about many different topics related to American society. She is the first African American woman to be awarded the prize . She talks about how watching an African American celebrity get another big entertainment award many years ago changed her life.

She also talks about sexual assault and the search for justice in American society. The MeToo movement is the main subject of the speech.

Even though the speech is in formal English , Oprah is able to make it emotional and personal .

Learners should focus on how she uses chunking in her sentences . Chunking is the technique of grouping words (called chunks) in a sentence with a slight pause between every chunk. It also helps with intonation and the rhythm of speaking.

This is one of the most well-known speeches of the last century . Martin Luther King Jr. was a leader of the civil rights movement in the U.S. The movement demanded that people of different races should be treated equally. This speech summarized the main vision of the movement using metaphors and repetition .

The speech begins by referring to the “Emancipation Proclamation.”  The proclamation (official announcement) was an order by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863 that freed many slaves in the U.S. Martin Luther King talks about this because most of the slaves were African Americans and it was their first step towards freedom.

Advanced learners can learn about the history and cultural conflicts of America through this speech. It is also a perfect example of the use of formal English to convince other people .

Some of the words used in this speech are no longer common in American English. “Negro” is often regarded as an insult and learners should use words like “African American” instead.

This speech, delivered by the 16th president of the U.S. (Abraham Lincoln, whom we just discussed above) is considered to be one of the best speeches in English .

Lincoln delivered this in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania where many soldiers had died fighting a civil war. It was fought between Americans who wanted to ban slavery and people who did not. Lincoln was there to dedicate a graveyard to the soldiers.

In this speech, Lincoln reminds the people why this was an important war. He mentions that the U.S. was created on the values of liberty and equality. And this civil war was a test of whether a nation based on these values can last for long or not.

He honors the soldiers by saying that they have already “consecrated” the land for the people of America. (“To consecrate” means to make something sacred or holy.) He reminds the audience that they have to make sure that the idea of America as a nation of freedom continues so that the efforts of these soldiers are not wasted.

This is a very short speech . Learners can easily listen to it multiple times in a practice session. But only advanced learners can understand it since it has several difficult words in it. For instance, “score” is an outdated term used for the number 20. And when he mentions the word “fathers” in the first line he is actually referring to the leaders who had founded the country of America.

Even though Shashi Tharoor is not a native English speaker, his English is so fluent that he sounds like one. Learners from India will instantly recognize him because he is famous there for his English skills.

In this video, he is giving a speech as a part of a debate at Oxford University . He lists out arguments that support the idea that the U.K. should give reparations to its colonies. “Reparations” are payments to a country or community for some harm done to them. A colony is a region or a country that is controlled by another country by force.

Britain had a large number of colonies throughout the world between the 16th and 20th centuries. In this speech, Tharoor tries to convince his audience that the U.K. should give something for the damage they did to the countries they had colonized.

This is one of the finest examples of a formal speech in today’s English . Learners who want to go into academics can learn how to organize their arguments with evidence.

The speech is also great for vocabulary practice . Plus, Tharoor has deep knowledge of both the national history of the U.K. and the colonial history of India. Apart from the content of the speech, his way of speaking is also impressive and is similar to formal British English .

This speech is part of a play called “Julius Caesar”  written by William Shakespeare. The play is based on the life and murder of Caesar who was a leader of the Roman Empire. The speech is considered to be one of the finest pieces of English literature .

It is also one of the best examples of the use of rhetoric (the art of speaking and persuasion).

Mark Antony makes this speech after Caesar is killed by other leaders of the Roman Empire. Antony was a close friend of Caesar’s and here he tries to remind the people of Rome that Caesar was actually a good man. He has to convince the people that his murderers like Brutus are actually criminals. But he has to do so without directly blaming the murderers.

Advanced learners should know this speech mainly because of its cultural value.

Many words in this speech have been replaced by other words in today’s English. “Hath” is the older form of “has” or “had.” “Thou” has also been replaced by the word “you.”

So rather than memorizing the vocabulary, learners should focus on how Damian Lewis delivers the speech instead. The intonation, tone, pitch and rhythm is similar to the formal English used today. He is also good at conveying emotions through pauses and expressions.

If you keep watching videos of native speakers talking, you’ll get used to hearing how different people talk in English. After watching these speeches, you could look for more speeches or interviews on YouTube. 

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The best way to learn the art of speaking is to first copy great speakers. Try to speak the same words in a style that is natural and comfortable to you. These speeches in English are the perfect material to master it!

If you like learning English through movies and online media, you should also check out FluentU. FluentU lets you learn English from popular talk shows, catchy music videos and funny commercials , as you can see here:

If you want to watch it, the FluentU app has probably got it.

The FluentU app and website makes it really easy to watch English videos. There are captions that are interactive. That means you can tap on any word to see an image, definition, and useful examples.

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• All TIP Sheets

The Eight Parts of Speech

• Prepositions
• Conjunctions
• Interjections
• Basic Sentence Structure
• Sentence Fragments
• Run-on Sentences and Comma Splices
• Sentence Type and Purpose
• Independent and Dependent Clauses: Coordination and Subordination
• Subject Verb Agreement
• Consistent Verb Tense
• Other Phrases: Verbal, Appositive, Absolute
• Pronoun Reference
• Relative Pronouns: Restrictive and Nonrestrictive Clauses
• Avoiding Modifier Problems
• Transitions
• Would, Should, Could
• Achieving Parallelism
• Definite and Indefinite Articles
• Two-Word Verbs

TIP Sheet THE EIGHT PARTS OF SPEECH

There are eight parts of speech in the English language: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, and interjection. The part of speech indicates how the word functions in meaning as well as grammatically within the sentence. An individual word can function as more than one part of speech when used in different circumstances. Understanding parts of speech is essential for determining the correct definition of a word when using the dictionary.

1. NOUN

• A noun is the name of a person, place, thing, or idea.

man... Butte College... house... happiness

A noun is a word for a person, place, thing, or idea. Nouns are often used with an article ( the , a , an ), but not always. Proper nouns always start with a capital letter; common nouns do not. Nouns can be singular or plural, concrete or abstract. Nouns show possession by adding 's . Nouns can function in different roles within a sentence; for example, a noun can be a subject, direct object, indirect object, subject complement, or object of a preposition.

The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher , and then she quickly disappeared. Oh my!

See the TIP Sheet on "Nouns" for further information.

2. PRONOUN

• A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun.

She... we... they... it

A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. A pronoun is usually substituted for a specific noun, which is called its antecedent. In the sentence above, the antecedent for the pronoun she is the girl. Pronouns are further defined by type: personal pronouns refer to specific persons or things; possessive pronouns indicate ownership; reflexive pronouns are used to emphasize another noun or pronoun; relative pronouns introduce a subordinate clause; and demonstrative pronouns identify, point to, or refer to nouns.

The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared. Oh my!

See the TIP Sheet on "Pronouns" for further information.

3. VERB

• A verb expresses action or being.

jump... is... write... become

The verb in a sentence expresses action or being. There is a main verb and sometimes one or more helping verbs. (" She can sing." Sing is the main verb; can is the helping verb.) A verb must agree with its subject in number (both are singular or both are plural). Verbs also take different forms to express tense.

The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared . Oh my!

See the TIP Sheet on "Verbs" for more information.

4. ADJECTIVE

• An adjective modifies or describes a noun or pronoun.

pretty... old... blue... smart

An adjective is a word used to modify or describe a noun or a pronoun. It usually answers the question of which one, what kind, or how many. (Articles [a, an, the] are usually classified as adjectives.)

See the TIP Sheet on "Adjectives" for more information.

5. ADVERB

• An adverb modifies or describes a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

gently... extremely... carefully... well

An adverb describes or modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb, but never a noun. It usually answers the questions of when, where, how, why, under what conditions, or to what degree. Adverbs often end in -ly.

See the TIP Sheet on "Adverbs" for more information.

6. PREPOSITION

• A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase modifying another word in the sentence.

by... with.... about... until

(by the tree, with our friends, about the book, until tomorrow)

A preposition is a word placed before a noun or pronoun to form a phrase modifying another word in the sentence. Therefore a preposition is always part of a prepositional phrase. The prepositional phrase almost always functions as an adjective or as an adverb. The following list includes the most common prepositions:

See the TIP Sheet on "Prepositions" for more information.

7. CONJUNCTION

• A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses.

and... but... or... while... because

A conjunction joins words, phrases, or clauses, and indicates the relationship between the elements joined. Coordinating conjunctions connect grammatically equal elements: and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet. Subordinating conjunctions connect clauses that are not equal: because, although, while, since, etc. There are other types of conjunctions as well.

The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared. Oh my!

See the TIP Sheet on "Conjunctions" for more information.

8. INTERJECTION

• An interjection is a word used to express emotion.

Oh!... Wow!... Oops!

An interjection is a word used to express emotion. It is often followed by an exclamation point.

The young girl brought me a very long letter from the teacher, and then she quickly disappeared. Oh my !

See the TIP Sheet on "Interjections" for more information.

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• 5 Famous Speeches To Help you Learn English

• Posted on 16/06/2021
• Categories: Blog
• Tags: Famous Speeches , Listening , Listening Comprehension , Resources to learn English , Speaking

Everyone likes listening to inspiring speeches. Gifted speakers have a way of making people want to listen and take action to change their lives.

But speeches aren’t just interesting because of their content. They are also great tools to help you improve your English.

Listening to a speech and taking notes can help you develop your comprehension skills. Repeating the words of the speaker allows you to improve your pronunciation. And writing a summary can help you practise your spelling and grammar.

To help you get started, we’ve found 5 famous speeches to help you learn English.

1. Steve Jobs: Stanford Commencement Speech

Steve Jobs was no doubt a great speaker. Millions around the globe were enchanted by the presentations that he gave for Apple as the company’s CEO.

However, he wasn’t just known for speeches related to product launches , like the iconic 2007 speech where he introduced the iPhone . He’s also known for inspirational speeches, like the one he gave in 2005 at a Stanford Commencement ceremony.

In this speech, he addresses the graduating students of Stanford University. He starts by saying that he never actually graduated from college. This makes for an honest and heart-warming speech . For nearly 15 minutes, he talks about his life, telling stories that are funny, relatable, and emotional. He also offers tips for students to apply to their own lives.

Why is it good for learning English?

Jobs uses simple language and speaks in short sentences. He clearly pronounces every word so it’s easy to understand and mimic. Also, this video comes with big subtitles that make the speech even easier to follow.

2. Greta Thunberg: 2019 UN Climate Action Summit Speech

At just 18 years old, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is one of the most well-known speakers of our time. Some of her speeches have even gone viral on social media. And her powerful words have been repeated thousands of times on climate strike placards around the world.

In one of her most moving speeches, Greta Thunberg addresses world leaders at the 2019 UN Climate Action Summit in New York. She challenges them for not taking action to fight global warming and ensure a future for the younger generations.

“How dare you? You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words,” she says.

Greta’s speech is a lesson in how to express yourself on a variety of environmental issues like climate change. It’s full of lots of useful vocabulary. Plus, the subtitles will help you to understand any complicated language!

3. Will Smith: Speech About Self Discipline

You probably know Will Smith as an actor. He’s played a wide variety of characters – from a police officer in Men in Black to a single father in The Pursuit of Happyness . But did you know that he’s also a great motivational speaker?

A few years ago, a video featuring Will Smith talking about the secret to success went viral on YouTube. In it, he talks about mastering self-discipline as a way to achieve your dreams.

“You cannot win the war against the world if you can’t win the war against your own mind,” he says.

As an actor, Will Smith has a clear and compelling voice, which is easy to follow. Some parts of this talk also sound improvised so it’s great for practising natural speech. It’s also excellent listening practice for understanding an American accent. And there’s lots of slang which you’ll have to guess from the context.

4. Emma Watson: Gender Equality Speech

You may associate Emma Watson’s name with Hermione Granger, the quirky and smart witch from the Harry Potter movies. When she’s not chasing evil wizards, Emma Watson campaigns for real-world issues such as gender equality.

In one of her most famous speeches, which she gave at a special event for the UN’s HeForShe campaign, Emma Watson talks about feminism and fighting for women’s rights. In particular, she explains why neither of these should be confused with ‘man-hating’.

While the actress’s voice is pleasant and calming, the issues she talks about are thought-provoking and will leave you thinking long after this short, 4-minute speech.

This talk is great for helping you get used to a southern English accent. It can also give you some essential vocabulary about a relevant topic. Look out for uses of the passive voice in her speech, and write down those sentences to practise this grammar structure.

5. Benjamin Zander: The Transformative Power of Classical Music

Benjamin Zander is the musical director of the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra. He is also a well-known motivational speaker who loves to share his love for music.

In his 2008 TED talk, he found an engaging way to talk about classical music to people who know nothing about it. As you can see in the video below, he switches between speaking and playing the piano. And, he isn’t afraid to tell a joke or two.

This speech is a bit more of a challenge than the ones described above. Benjamin Zander speaks fast and in a conversational style, using many examples and short stories to tell his tale .

However, the pauses he takes to play the piano give you time to take some notes. Write down any unfamiliar words you heard him say so you can look them up later. If you’re having trouble understanding him, you can always turn on the subtitles.

Glossary for Language Learners

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn’t know.

Gifted (adj): talented.

To enchant (v): to captivate.

Launch (n): a product release.

Heart-warming (adj): emotional.

To go viral (v): something spreads quickly on the internet.

Placards (n): cardboard signs.

Moving (adj): emotional.

Compelling (adj): captivating.

Quirky (adj): interesting and different.

Thought-provoking (adj): something interesting that makes you think a lot about the topic.

To switch (v): to change.

Tale (n): story.

To look something up (v): to search for a piece of information in a dictionary or online.

adj = adjective

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How To Write A B2 First Formal Email/Letter

• By: oxfordadmin
• Posted on 01/06/2021

8 Resources To Help Beginner English Learners

• Posted on 23/06/2021

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What this handout is about

This handout will help you create an effective speech by establishing the purpose of your speech and making it easily understandable. It will also help you to analyze your audience and keep the audience interested.

What’s different about a speech?

Writing for public speaking isn’t so different from other types of writing. You want to engage your audience’s attention, convey your ideas in a logical manner and use reliable evidence to support your point. But the conditions for public speaking favor some writing qualities over others. When you write a speech, your audience is made up of listeners. They have only one chance to comprehend the information as you read it, so your speech must be well-organized and easily understood. In addition, the content of the speech and your delivery must fit the audience.

What’s your purpose?

People have gathered to hear you speak on a specific issue, and they expect to get something out of it immediately. And you, the speaker, hope to have an immediate effect on your audience. The purpose of your speech is to get the response you want. Most speeches invite audiences to react in one of three ways: feeling, thinking, or acting. For example, eulogies encourage emotional response from the audience; college lectures stimulate listeners to think about a topic from a different perspective; protest speeches in the Pit recommend actions the audience can take.

As you establish your purpose, ask yourself these questions:

• What do you want the audience to learn or do?
• If you are making an argument, why do you want them to agree with you?
• If they already agree with you, why are you giving the speech?
• How can your audience benefit from what you have to say?

Audience analysis

If your purpose is to get a certain response from your audience, you must consider who they are (or who you’re pretending they are). If you can identify ways to connect with your listeners, you can make your speech interesting and useful.

As you think of ways to appeal to your audience, ask yourself:

• What do they have in common? Age? Interests? Ethnicity? Gender?
• Do they know as much about your topic as you, or will you be introducing them to new ideas?
• Why are these people listening to you? What are they looking for?
• What level of detail will be effective for them?
• What tone will be most effective in conveying your message?
• What might offend or alienate them?

For more help, see our handout on audience .

Creating an effective introduction

Get their attention, otherwise known as “the hook”.

Think about how you can relate to these listeners and get them to relate to you or your topic. Appealing to your audience on a personal level captures their attention and concern, increasing the chances of a successful speech. Speakers often begin with anecdotes to hook their audience’s attention. Other methods include presenting shocking statistics, asking direct questions of the audience, or enlisting audience participation.

Establish context and/or motive

Explain why your topic is important. Consider your purpose and how you came to speak to this audience. You may also want to connect the material to related or larger issues as well, especially those that may be important to your audience.

Get to the point

Tell your listeners your thesis right away and explain how you will support it. Don’t spend as much time developing your introductory paragraph and leading up to the thesis statement as you would in a research paper for a course. Moving from the intro into the body of the speech quickly will help keep your audience interested. You may be tempted to create suspense by keeping the audience guessing about your thesis until the end, then springing the implications of your discussion on them. But if you do so, they will most likely become bored or confused.

For more help, see our handout on introductions .

Making your speech easy to understand

Repeat crucial points and buzzwords.

Especially in longer speeches, it’s a good idea to keep reminding your audience of the main points you’ve made. For example, you could link an earlier main point or key term as you transition into or wrap up a new point. You could also address the relationship between earlier points and new points through discussion within a body paragraph. Using buzzwords or key terms throughout your paper is also a good idea. If your thesis says you’re going to expose unethical behavior of medical insurance companies, make sure the use of “ethics” recurs instead of switching to “immoral” or simply “wrong.” Repetition of key terms makes it easier for your audience to take in and connect information.

Incorporate previews and summaries into the speech

For example:

“I’m here today to talk to you about three issues that threaten our educational system: First, … Second, … Third,”

“I’ve talked to you today about such and such.”

These kinds of verbal cues permit the people in the audience to put together the pieces of your speech without thinking too hard, so they can spend more time paying attention to its content.

Use especially strong transitions

This will help your listeners see how new information relates to what they’ve heard so far. If you set up a counterargument in one paragraph so you can demolish it in the next, begin the demolition by saying something like,

“But this argument makes no sense when you consider that . . . .”

If you’re providing additional information to support your main point, you could say,

“Another fact that supports my main point is . . . .”

Helping your audience listen

Rely on shorter, simpler sentence structures.

Don’t get too complicated when you’re asking an audience to remember everything you say. Avoid using too many subordinate clauses, and place subjects and verbs close together.

Too complicated:

The product, which was invented in 1908 by Orville Z. McGillicuddy in Des Moines, Iowa, and which was on store shelves approximately one year later, still sells well.

Easier to understand:

Orville Z. McGillicuddy invented the product in 1908 and introduced it into stores shortly afterward. Almost a century later, the product still sells well.

Limit pronoun use

Listeners may have a hard time remembering or figuring out what “it,” “they,” or “this” refers to. Be specific by using a key noun instead of unclear pronouns.

Pronoun problem:

The U.S. government has failed to protect us from the scourge of so-called reality television, which exploits sex, violence, and petty conflict, and calls it human nature. This cannot continue.

Why the last sentence is unclear: “This” what? The government’s failure? Reality TV? Human nature?

More specific:

The U.S. government has failed to protect us from the scourge of so-called reality television, which exploits sex, violence, and petty conflict, and calls it human nature. This failure cannot continue.

Keeping audience interest

Incorporate the rhetorical strategies of ethos, pathos, and logos.

When arguing a point, using ethos, pathos, and logos can help convince your audience to believe you and make your argument stronger. Ethos refers to an appeal to your audience by establishing your authenticity and trustworthiness as a speaker. If you employ pathos, you appeal to your audience’s emotions. Using logos includes the support of hard facts, statistics, and logical argumentation. The most effective speeches usually present a combination these rhetorical strategies.

Use statistics and quotations sparingly

Include only the most striking factual material to support your perspective, things that would likely stick in the listeners’ minds long after you’ve finished speaking. Otherwise, you run the risk of overwhelming your listeners with too much information.

Watch your tone

Be careful not to talk over the heads of your audience. On the other hand, don’t be condescending either. And as for grabbing their attention, yelling, cursing, using inappropriate humor, or brandishing a potentially offensive prop (say, autopsy photos) will only make the audience tune you out.

Creating an effective conclusion

Restate your main points, but don’t repeat them.

“I asked earlier why we should care about the rain forest. Now I hope it’s clear that . . .” “Remember how Mrs. Smith couldn’t afford her prescriptions? Under our plan, . . .”

Call to action

Speeches often close with an appeal to the audience to take action based on their new knowledge or understanding. If you do this, be sure the action you recommend is specific and realistic. For example, although your audience may not be able to affect foreign policy directly, they can vote or work for candidates whose foreign policy views they support. Relating the purpose of your speech to their lives not only creates a connection with your audience, but also reiterates the importance of your topic to them in particular or “the bigger picture.”

Practicing for effective presentation

Once you’ve completed a draft, read your speech to a friend or in front of a mirror. When you’ve finished reading, ask the following questions:

• Which pieces of information are clearest?
• Where did I connect with the audience?
• Where might listeners lose the thread of my argument or description?
• Where might listeners become bored?
• Where did I have trouble speaking clearly and/or emphatically?
• Did I stay within my time limit?

Other resources

• Toastmasters International is a nonprofit group that provides communication and leadership training.
• Allyn & Bacon Publishing’s Essence of Public Speaking Series is an extensive treatment of speech writing and delivery, including books on using humor, motivating your audience, word choice and presentation.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Boone, Louis E., David L. Kurtz, and Judy R. Block. 1997. Contemporary Business Communication . Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Ehrlich, Henry. 1994. Writing Effective Speeches . New York: Marlowe.

Lamb, Sandra E. 1998. How to Write It: A Complete Guide to Everything You’ll Ever Write . Berkeley: Ten Speed Press.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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• Speech Topics For Kids
• Speech On The Importance Of English

Speech on the Importance of English Language

The English language plays a very important role in our lives. As a result of globalisation and with the help of the English language, the entire world has now become familiar to all people. It is considered the principal language of communication by many nations, and everyone has accepted it as the global language. Do you want to know more about the topic? Read the article for cues and tips, and prepare a mesmerising speech on the importance of the English language – one of the interesting speech topics for kids .

Table of Contents

Sample speeches on the importance of the english language, speech about the importance of learning english.

• Importance of Learning English Speech

Frequently Asked Questions on the Importance of English Language

A couple of sample speeches are given below. Go through them, utilise the resources, and prepare a speech about the importance of the English language on your own.

Have you ever wondered about our condition if there was no common language like English to share our thoughts and feelings with one another? There are numerous languages in our world. Most countries have a national language, and there are multiple regional languages within a nation. The English language is a great boon in such situations; it serves as a common language and helps everyone to communicate.

The English language bridges the gap between nations and offers everyone the possibility of attaining wide exposure. The adoption of the English language as the principal source of communication has resulted in increasing international relationships in travel and tourism, education, business, entertainment, science, technology, and so on.

The English language helps individuals to transcend international boundaries and get a global reach. For example, a book written in English will get far better reach than a book written in any of the regional languages. A regional language has limitations; it cannot be understood by anyone who doesn’t know it; as a result, the audience will be minimal. A common language like English will eradicate this limitation and help everyone to connect with wider audiences. Similar is the condition for any content presented in English.

The worldwide reach of the English language is the main reason for setting English as the language of the internet. By knowing the English language, a person can easily access all the information on any topics that are available on the internet. English content like songs, movies, news, entertaining programmes, public events, and all can be enjoyed by everyone who knows the language. Like the words of Frank Smith, “One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way”. Let’s try to learn more languages and open every opportunity in our lives.

Speech on the Importance of Learning English

The English language was initially the national language of England. Later, as a result of British imperialism and colonisation, the language was introduced to many nations. Eventually, it became the primary and secondary language of their colonies, such as India, Australia, Sri Lanka, Canada etc. Gone are the times when the British ruled over more than half the world, but their language is still ruling almost half the entire world.

Today, nearly sixty-seven countries all over the world have declared English as their official language, and twenty-seven countries consider English as their secondary language. Without a second thought, we can declare the English language as one of the most dominant languages in the world.

The English language is the key to opening the door to the world. It is one of the most used languages in the world. The knowledge of the English language helps everyone to attain personal and professional growth. As a result, people all over the world have started to learn English as a second language. Many nations have included English as their second language in their school curriculums to assist students in learning English at a young age. Almost all the materials and subjects for learning are drafted in English to make it more accessible for everyone all around the world. The initiative of using the English language as a medium of instruction in schools and colleges brings a commonality to the structure of education and brings multiple positive impacts to the students.

Good communication skills in English is considered one of the most important soft skills required for an employee. Other than this benefit provided by the English language, it helps us understand different nations’ cultures. A piece of good knowledge in English guides us to travel to any new nation. With the support of good understanding and communication skills, a person can easily transfer ideas and thoughts to one another. An insight of the English language increases the chance of setting up a good career.

The impacts brought by the English language on our lives are boundless. Let’s realise the true potential of language and remember the words of Roger Bacon – “Knowledge of languages is the doorway to wisdom.”

How did English become a global language?

The English language is one of the most dominant languages in the world. The English language was initially the national language of England. Later, as a result of British imperialism and colonisation, the language got introduced to many nations. Eventually, it became the primary and secondary language of their colonies, such as India, Australia, Sri Lanka, Canada etc. Today, nearly sixty-seven countries all over the world have declared English as their official language, and twenty-seven countries consider English as their secondary language.

What is the importance of learning English?

The English language bridges the gap between nations and offers everyone the possibility of attaining wide exposure. The adoption of the English language as the principal source of communication has resulted in increasing international relationships in travel and tourism, education, business, entertainment, science, technology, and so on. The English language helps individuals to remove international boundaries and helps them to get a global reach.

List some advantages of the English language.

• English is considered the principal language of communication by many nations, and everyone has accepted it as the global language.
• The English language knowledge helps everyone attain personal and professional growth.
• A piece of good knowledge in English guides us to travel to any new nations.
• English helps every content creator to receive a wider audience.
• The English language helps us to enjoy content like songs, movies, news, entertaining programmes, public events and so on.

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Understanding Parts of Speech (9 Types With Examples)

What are parts of speech? In the American English language, parts-of-speech is a category to which a word is assigned in accordance with its syntactic functions. They exist under the verb , noun, pronoun, interjection , adjective , conjunction, adverb, and preposition forms.

Learn more about parts of the speech in this comprehensive worksheet…

What are parts of speech?

“Parts of speech” refers to the essential words used in sentence formation in the English language.

Every word used in a sentence structure plays an important role in defining the sentence’s meaning. These words use and placement give proper intentions in sentence structures.

Parts of speech are the basic grammar lessons taught during the primary phases of learning English.

Any word used in sentence formation falls into one of these categories for proper sentence structure.

Some of those words can be a part of one or more parts of speech. This topic further explores the essential parts of speech used in the English language.

Watch this as a video lesson

In total, there are nine categories of parts of speech

These nine parts of speech are namely: Verbs, Nouns , Adjectives, Determiners, Adverbs , Pronouns, Prepositions , Conjunctions, and Interjections.

Another additional classification is used as a part of speech, i.e. , Articles, a subprogram of determiners.

To comprehend the meaning and use of each word in the English language, it is essential to clearly understand the various parts of speech and select the right parts of speech form at the appropriate place in the sentence.

What are the 9 parts of speech with their functions?

Here are the nine parts of speech and how they impact the English language.

‘Verbs’ are the words used in a sentence to define the action/state of action being performed. Most of the sentences in sentence formation require the inclusion of verbs.

Some examples of verbs used in the English language are Love, Break, Fall , and Cry . These are the basic forms of verbs and are known as infinitives .

Most of the verbs used have two other major forms called participles . The use of these participles is for the formation of various verb-tense combinations.

These participles define the forms of verbs concerning the time of action/performance. These verb-tense combinations can be used in two types: Active voice and passive voice .

A ‘noun’ are words used in a sentence to give recognition or the name of an object, individual, or animal.

Nouns can be sub-classified into two major categories: Common nouns , which give generic descriptor names to things, and common items, such as a bat, a bicycle , etc. The other category of nouns is Proper nouns , which have specific descriptor names to refer to a specialized object, place, or individual, such as Charley, The Empire State Building, The Telegraph , etc.

Additionally, nouns can be classified as singular nouns and plural nouns based on the number of individuals/objects.

Singular Nouns

The definition of a Singular Noun is the same as that of a noun when used commonly. It carries the same definition as the noun: “A word referring towards an individual/object/event/material/place.”

Plural Nouns

The word plural relates to “more than one in certain languages or more than two in certain languages.”

Thus singular nouns can be converted to their plural noun format when there is an implication of more than one or two objects/individuals/places.

A general Singular/Common Noun can be turned into the appropriate form of a Plural Noun by adding a ‘s’/’es’/’ ies’/’ves.’ It is also initiated by changing ‘us’ to ‘i’, ‘is’ to ‘es’ , or ‘on’ to ‘a’ .

Some common nouns do not change when interchanged between their singular and plural noun forms. Some other common nouns do not fall under plural nouns and are called irregular nouns, which are made plural by changing the spelling or adding a suffix to the word.

‘Adjectives’ are words that give a description or modify the scope of nouns/pronouns by being specific. For example, adjectives used to define a noun can be red, small, hot, common, etc.

An adjective is usually placed before a noun or after the verb that it modifies. Three forms of adjectives are used to compare similar characteristics of different individuals/objects. These three degrees of comparison are:

• Positive/Absolute form

This comparison of adjectives defines the original form of the adjective as stated in English. For example, “this candy is tasty .” This degree of comparison states that no relative subject is available for comparison.

• Comparative form

This form of the adjective gives a relative comparison between two objects performing similar actions with identical characteristics. For example, “the candy we had today is tastier than the one we received yesterday.”

• Superlative form

This form of the adjective gives the superiority declaration of one object over similar objects possessing similar characteristics. For example, “this candy is the tastiest I have ever had in the last two years .”

Adjectives can be sub-classified based on their function in sentence formation. This sub-classification is:

• Possessive Adjectives

These adjectives show/represent the possessiveness of an object. For example, mine, my, his/her, their, its, etc.

• Interrogative Adjectives

These adjectives modify the noun/pronoun by interrogation. Only a select few adjectives are available in this form. For example, whose, which, what, and where.

• Demonstrative Adjectives

These adjectives describe the current state/position of the noun/pronoun concerning space/time. For example, this, these, those, that.

• Compound Adjectives

These adjectives are a result of the combination of two or more adjectives. The resulting adjective modifies the subject in the sentence. For example, hand-dried, heavy-weighted, spike-haired, etc.

‘Determiners’ are the words placed before a noun/pronoun group terms to refer to a single/multiple things. Some commonly used determiners in English are ‘a’, ‘the’, ‘some’, ‘any’, and ‘this.’ Determiners are generally placed before descriptive adjectives . It tells the reader more about the description of the noun being referred to.

Determiners are classified into sub-categories, articles, and demonstratives.

An ‘Article’ can be either definite or indefinite. An article modifies a noun/pronoun without specifying any description of the object. In English, an example of a ‘definite article’ is the , whereas examples of two ‘indefinite articles’ are a and an .

Here, the refers to specific things or things that are identified beforehand. A or a refer to non-specific things that have not been identified beforehand.

Demonstratives

A ‘Demonstrative’ is defined as a demonstrative adjective/pronoun based on its usage in the sentence. Some examples of demonstratives are ‘this’, ‘that’, and ‘those’ .

A determiner has the same rules of use as in the case of adjectives in sentence formation. Thus, confusion takes place when carefully choosing the type of parts of speech to assign when given a choice of either a determiner or adjective.

An ‘Adverb’ defines essential information about the verb, similar to what an adjective is to a noun. It provides a descriptor for a verb used in a sentence and some cases, can also describe an adjective or another adverb.

Some adverbs used in sentences with verbs are ‘slowly’, ‘hastily’, ‘unfortunately’, and ‘angrily’.

Adverbs are further sub-classified into various types based on their application in a sentence.

• Adverbs of Time (to inform about the occurrence of a verb), For example, ‘now’, ‘tomorrow’, and ‘soon’.
• Adverbs of Manner (to describe the action of a verb), For example, ‘hastily’, ‘slowly’, and ‘minutely’.
• Adverbs of Place (to indicate the place of action of the verb),
• Adverbs of Frequency (to describe the frequency of a verb action),
• Adverbs of Degree (to describe the intensity of an action),
• Conjunctive Adverbs (are used to link/act as a conjunction to two sentences).

A ‘Pronoun’ is a word used in specifically providing an alternate name for a non/noun phrase. They are alternate words for referring to an object/individual when the requirement of a noun is unnecessary, as the noun has been mentioned previously in some parts of the sentence.

Some examples of pronouns are ‘it’, ‘he/she’, and ‘himself/herself’.

Pronouns are sub-classified into different categories based on their use in the sentence.

Some of these sub-categories are:

• Relative Pronouns (to relate a part of a sentence with the other)
• Possessive Pronouns (to show possessiveness)
• Reflexive Pronouns (to refer back to the subject of discussion)
• Demonstrative Pronouns (to refer to specific objects/individuals)
• Interrogative Pronouns (to ask questions)
• Indefinite Pronouns (to avoid reference to any specific object/individual/place)
• Personal Pronouns (to use as substitutes for proper names)
• Subject Pronouns (to assign acting on an object)
• Object Pronouns (to assign receiving action towards an object)
• Reciprocal Pronouns (to express two-way/mutual relationship)
• Preposition

A ‘Preposition’ is a word used as a connective between a noun, a noun phrase, or a pronoun with another word.

Prepositions are used in sentence formations to convey these meanings:

• To show the direction towards/of something/someone
• To refer to the period of an action taking place
• To specify the location/position of an object
• To present the space and time relationship between objects

Based on their use and function, prepositions are classified into four subtypes:

• Prepositions of Time (to indicate the happening of an action/event)
• Preposition of Place (to indicate the location of an object)
• Preposition of Direction (to indicate the direction/orientation of an object)
• Prepositions of Spatial Relationship (to indicate an object moving away/towards a source)
• Conjunction

A ‘Conjunction’ is a word that combines two/more objects and behaves as connectives in a sentence. These can appear in the beginning/middle/end of the sentence following the location of the objects.

There are three types of conjunctions used in sentence formation:

• Coordinate conjunction (to combine two independent clauses )
• Subordinate conjunction (to combine an independent with a dependent clause)
• Correlation conjunction (to combine two phrases having equal weightage)

Interjection

An ‘Interjection’ is a word to convey the expression of a variety of emotions/feelings. As such, there is no specific rule for the use of interjection and where it is to be placed.

However, in most cases, it is placed at the beginning of the sentence. For example, some of the most commonly used interjections are ‘ouch’, ‘phew’, and ‘well’.

Parts of speech examples

Here are some examples of the parts of speech used in sentences. Note the placement and its relation with other parts of speech present in the sentence format.

• John is  cutting  a pipe.
• John intends to  come  to the office this Monday .
• Jogging  regularly is good for health.
• Drinking  and  driving  put other motorists in danger.
• Would you want to wear  a suit?
• I love  to sing  in between classes.

See another example in the image below.

• Juno  ran towards the classroom.
• The janitor  requested the students to clear their lockers.
• The monkey  was caged after being sedated.
• I gifted my brother a  phone .
• Why did you purchase the  book ?
• I misplaced the  manuscript .
• Do you want to eat some  ice cream ?
• Mum loved my new car .
• Daniel gifted  his brother  a Porsche.

• I purchased a blue suit for the reception.
• Mary purchased two oranges from the fruit seller.
• The curry is tasty .
• Juno’s brother is arrogant .
• The documentary that premiered on television was fascinating .
• Giovanni Giorgio is a great music composer.

• My house is currently under lease.
• This novel is lengthy.
• I purchased some fruits and vegetables.
• She sent me an expensive watch.
• Velma loved  the  dress gifted by her parents.
• Joyce and Jill watched  a  movie together.
• Grandma gave us materials to prepare  the   dessert.

• Typically , we visit Mom on Mondays.
• Don’t you taste the coffee to be  too  bitter?
• Do not be nervous. You will  eventually get the hang of it.
• The movie I watched was  very  scientific.
• It is  scorching hot inside the workshop.
• Can I visit the office  today ?

• His aunt will be staying at the apartment for a while .
• He is the man I was referring to.
• I found my missing luggage outside the airport.

• I won’t be coming  to  the office  in  the afternoon.
• He arranged the cutlery  on  the table.
• Bhaskar made the dog hide  under  its bed.
• I enjoy strolling by the lake in the mornings.

• James  and  I trekked to the hilltop today.
• I stayed back home  because  I felt uneasy.
• He did not enjoy the yogurt ,  yet  he finished it.

• Interjection
• Hurray!  We got the funding.
• Ouch!  That wound looks severe.
• Wow!  You look great in the wedding gown.
• Oh my God !  I hope he is safe.

See an example in the image below.

Words with more than one job

Many parts of speech can have more than one function/job in the sentence. This improves the versatility of the words being used and makes the use more situational in its placement and conveyance of meaning.

• Myers can shift for herself (Preposition)
• Give prayers to the Almighty; for He is the one above all (Conjunction)
• We require more women to have the same vigor. (Adjective)
• More of the women died in the operating room than in the cabin. (Pronoun)
• Agatha needs to shut the gossiping and work more (Adverb)

To see how all the objects work together, see the table below.

Here is a chart showing the parts of speech:

How to identify parts of speech

In sentence formation, it often becomes difficult to ascertain the parts of speech represented by each word. To help out and to make the process of identification easier, follow these steps:

• Identify any word which names an object/individual/place in a generalized form as a noun .
• To identify a specific noun, use pronouns .
• Any words which describe/identify actions/performance are verbs .
• Any word that modifies or gives a greater definition to nouns is an adjective.
• Any word that modifies or gives meaning to the actions of verbs, are adverbs.
• It is easy to pick out prepositions as they describe relationships between a noun/pronoun with other nouns/pronouns.
• Any joiner used to join two clauses is a conjunction .
• Exclamations generally follow any interjections in the text.

• Parts of speech

More parts of speech:

• Conjunctions
• Prepositions
• Possessive nouns
• Irregular plural nouns
• Proper nouns
• Concrete nouns
• Collective nouns
• Possessive and plural nouns
• Verbs: The Definitive Guide
• Nouns | Explore Definition, Examples & Types with Examples
• What Are Pronouns? Definitions and Examples
• What Are Adverbs? (with Examples)
• Interjections – Explore Meaning, Definition, Usage and Examples
• What Is A Conjunction? Types & Examples
• The 9 Parts of Speech: Definitions and Examples
• What Is a Determiner?
• The 8 Parts of Speech: Examples and Rules
• Adverbs – What is It? Explore the Meaning, Definition, Types, Usage and Examples

Inside this article

Fact checked: Content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. Learn more.

About the author

Dalia Y.: Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. She covers English, ESL, and all things grammar on GrammarBrain.

Core lessons

• Abstract Noun
• Accusative Case
• Active Sentence
• Alliteration
• Adjective Clause
• Adjective Phrase
• Adverbial Clause
• Appositive Phrase
• Body Paragraph
• Compound Adjective
• Complex Sentence
• Compound Words
• Compound Predicate
• Common Noun
• Comparative Adjective
• Comparative and Superlative
• Compound Noun
• Compound Subject
• Compound Sentence
• Copular Verb
• Collective Noun
• Colloquialism
• Conciseness
• Conditional
• Concrete Noun
• Conjugation
• Conditional Sentence
• Comma Splice
• Correlative Conjunction
• Coordinating Conjunction
• Coordinate Adjective
• Cumulative Adjective
• Dative Case
• Declarative Statement
• Direct Object Pronoun
• Direct Object
• Dangling Modifier
• Demonstrative Pronoun
• Demonstrative Adjective
• Direct Characterization
• Definite Article
• Doublespeak
• Equivocation Fallacy
• Future Perfect Progressive
• Future Simple
• Future Perfect Continuous
• Future Perfect
• First Conditional
• Gerund Phrase
• Genitive Case
• Helping Verb
• Irregular Adjective
• Irregular Verb
• Imperative Sentence
• Indefinite Article
• Intransitive Verb
• Introductory Phrase
• Indefinite Pronoun
• Indirect Characterization
• Interrogative Sentence
• Intensive Pronoun
• Inanimate Object
• Indefinite Tense
• Infinitive Phrase
• Intensifier
• Indicative Mood
• Juxtaposition
• Linking Verb
• Misplaced Modifier
• Nominative Case
• Noun Adjective
• Object Pronoun
• Object Complement
• Order of Adjectives
• Parallelism
• Prepositional Phrase
• Past Simple Tense
• Past Continuous Tense
• Past Perfect Tense
• Past Progressive Tense
• Present Simple Tense
• Present Perfect Tense
• Personal Pronoun
• Personification
• Persuasive Writing
• Parallel Structure
• Phrasal Verb
• Predicate Adjective
• Predicate Nominative
• Phonetic Language
• Plural Noun
• Punctuation
• Punctuation Marks
• Preposition of Place
• Parts of Speech
• Possessive Adjective
• Possessive Determiner
• Possessive Case
• Possessive Noun
• Proper Adjective
• Proper Noun
• Present Participle
• Quotation Marks
• Relative Pronoun
• Reflexive Pronoun
• Reciprocal Pronoun
• Subordinating Conjunction
• Simple Future Tense
• Stative Verb
• Subjunctive
• Subject Complement
• Subject of a Sentence
• Sentence Variety
• Second Conditional
• Superlative Adjective
• Slash Symbol
• Topic Sentence
• Types of Nouns
• Types of Sentences
• Uncountable Noun
• Vowels and Consonants

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Home » 8 Parts of Speech with Types, Definitions and their Examples

8 Parts of Speech with Types, Definitions and their Examples

Are you curious to Speak or Learn the English Language? well, Every word in the English language is referred to as a component of speech. The 8 parts of speech are Nouns , Pronouns, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections. we will go over the Common Eight parts of speech in this tutorial, along with their definitions, types, and Examples. This is the article on the different 8 parts of speech and Their examples and definitions as well as Example Sentences.

The 8 parts of speech are the regular grammar categories to which words are allocated based on their functions of syntax, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and so on. Stated differently, they talk about the varied roles that words might play in a sentence and the connections that words have to one another as defined by syntax and grammar .

Every single English word can be classified into one of the eight components of speech. A word’s part of speech is the purpose it fulfills in a sentence. These jobs were also designed to work as a team, much like any workplace or ensemble cast television series.

Also Check:

• Kitchen Sentences in English
• Types of furniture items names 
• Masculine and feminine Jenders
• Vegetables vocabulary words
• Kitchen vocabulary words
• Household items vocabulary words

Table of Contents

What Is a Part of Speech?

Before delving into the specifics, let’s clarify what we mean by a “Part of speech.” In English grammar, a part of speech is a category of main and a lot of words. These types of categories help us to understand how the words we use and Speak within the daily life Conversation.

8 Parts of Speech Are:

• Prepositions
• Conjunctions
• Interjections

Names of 8 Parts of speech

 The 8 parts of speech:

Noun: the foundation of sentences.

• Types: Common, proper, abstract, concrete, and countable nouns. See more…
• Definition: A noun is a word that tells of a person, place, thing, or idea.
• Example: cat , London , happiness ,
• Nouns Example Sentences: She has an Adorable Cat . They are going to London. may god give you happiness.

Pronoun: Substitutes for Nouns

• Types: Personal pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, indefinite pronouns. See More…
• Definition: A pronoun is a word that represents a noun to avoid repetition.
• Example: he , she , it , they He is a good boy. she is studying. it is an amazing sight. they live in New York.

Verb: The Action Words

• Types: Action verbs, linking verbs, helping verbs. See More….
• Definition: in the English Language, A verb explains an action, occurrence, or state of being.
• Example: Runs, smell, Going, playing,  He runs every morning. The flowers smell delicious. I am going with my Friends. they are Playing Football.

Adjective: Describing Words

• Types: Descriptive adjectives, limiting adjectives. See More… 
• Definition: An adjective describes or modifies a noun or pronoun.
• Example: blue , tall , delicious today the sky is blue. He is a tall man. She makes delicious food.

Adverb: Modifiers of Verbs

• Types: Adverbs of manner, place, time, degree. See More…
• Definition: An adverb tells about the verb, adjective, or another adverb
• Example: quickly,   beautifully, Loudly This boy runs quickly. She sings beautifully . He Speaks Loudly .

Preposition: Indicators of Position or Relationship

• Types: Simple prepositions, compound prepositions. See More…
• Definition: A preposition describes the relationship between its object and another word in the sentence.
• Example: on, in, at, across The book is on the table. I am in the car. He is at the bus stand. She walked across the bridge.

Conjunction: Joining Words

• Types: Coordinating conjunctions, subordinating conjunctions. See more…
• Definition: A conjunction connects words, phrases, or clauses.
• Examples: And, Because, that,  She likes tea and coffee. He went to the store because he needed groceries. this is the pen, that writes very well.

Interjection: Expressions of Emotion

• Types: Expressive interjections, introductory interjections. See More…. 
• Definition: An interjection Describe strong emotions or sudden bursts of feelings.
• Example: wow! ouch! Ouwww! Wow! That was amazing! Ouch! That hurt. Ouwww! That’s amazing.

Eight parts of Speech and their Types, Definition and Examples

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The 9 Parts of Speech: Definitions and Examples

• Ph.D., Rhetoric and English, University of Georgia
• M.A., Modern English and American Literature, University of Leicester
• B.A., English, State University of New York

A part of speech is a term used in traditional grammar for one of the nine main categories into which words are classified according to their functions in sentences, such as nouns or verbs. Also known as word classes, these are the building blocks of grammar.

Every sentence you write or speak in English includes words that fall into some of the nine parts of speech. These include nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, articles/determiners, and interjections. (Some sources include only eight parts of speech and leave interjections in their own category.)

Parts of Speech

• Word types can be divided into nine parts of speech:
• prepositions
• conjunctions
• articles/determiners
• interjections
• Some words can be considered more than one part of speech, depending on context and usage.
• Interjections can form complete sentences on their own.

Learning the names of the parts of speech probably won't make you witty, healthy, wealthy, or wise. In fact, learning just the names of the parts of speech won't even make you a better writer. However, you will gain a basic understanding of sentence structure  and the  English language by familiarizing yourself with these labels.

Open and Closed Word Classes

The parts of speech are commonly divided into  open classes  (nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs) and  closed classes  (pronouns, prepositions, conjunctions, articles/determiners, and interjections). Open classes can be altered and added to as language develops, and closed classes are pretty much set in stone. For example, new nouns are created every day, but conjunctions never change.

In contemporary linguistics , parts of speech are generally referred to as word classes or syntactic categories. The main difference is that word classes are classified according to more strict linguistic criteria. Within word classes, there is the lexical, or open class, and the function, or closed class.

The 9 Parts of Speech

Read about each part of speech below, and practice identifying each.

Nouns are a person, place, thing, or idea. They can take on a myriad of roles in a sentence, from the subject of it all to the object of an action. They are capitalized when they're the official name of something or someone, and they're called proper nouns in these cases. Examples: pirate, Caribbean, ship, freedom, Captain Jack Sparrow.

Pronouns stand in for nouns in a sentence . They are more generic versions of nouns that refer only to people. Examples:​  I, you, he, she, it, ours, them, who, which, anybody, ourselves.

Verbs are action words that tell what happens in a sentence. They can also show a sentence subject's state of being ( is , was ). Verbs change form based on tense (present, past) and count distinction (singular or plural). Examples:  sing, dance, believes, seemed, finish, eat, drink, be, became.

Adjectives describe nouns and pronouns. They specify which one, how much, what kind, and more. Adjectives allow readers and listeners to use their senses to imagine something more clearly. Examples:  hot, lazy, funny, unique, bright, beautiful, poor, smooth.

Adverbs describe verbs, adjectives, and even other adverbs. They specify when, where, how, and why something happened and to what extent or how often. Many adjectives can be turned into adjectives by adding the suffix - ly . Examples:  softly, quickly, lazily, often, only, hopefully, sometimes.

Preposition

Prepositions  show spatial, temporal, and role relations between a noun or pronoun and the other words in a sentence. They come at the start of a prepositional phrase , which contains a preposition and its object. Examples:  up, over, against, by, for, into, close to, out of, apart from.

Conjunction

Conjunctions join words, phrases, and clauses in a sentence. There are coordinating, subordinating, and correlative conjunctions. Examples:  and, but, or, so, yet.

Articles and Determiners

Articles and determiners function like adjectives by modifying nouns, but they are different than adjectives in that they are necessary for a sentence to have proper syntax. Articles and determiners specify and identify nouns, and there are indefinite and definite articles. Examples of articles:  a, an, the ; examples of determiners:  these, that, those, enough, much, few, which, what.

Some traditional grammars have treated articles  as a distinct part of speech. Modern grammars, however, more often include articles in the category of determiners , which identify or quantify a noun. Even though they modify nouns like adjectives, articles are different in that they are essential to the proper syntax of a sentence, just as determiners are necessary to convey the meaning of a sentence, while adjectives are optional.

Interjection

Interjections are expressions that can stand on their own or be contained within sentences. These words and phrases often carry strong emotions and convey reactions. Examples:  ah, whoops, ouch, yabba dabba do!

How to Determine the Part of Speech

Only interjections ( Hooray! ) have a habit of standing alone; every other part of speech must be contained within a sentence and some are even required in sentences (nouns and verbs). Other parts of speech come in many varieties and may appear just about anywhere in a sentence.

To know for sure what part of speech a word falls into, look not only at the word itself but also at its meaning, position, and use in a sentence.

For example, in the first sentence below,  work  functions as a noun; in the second sentence, a verb; and in the third sentence, an adjective:

• Bosco showed up for  work  two hours late.
• The noun  work  is the thing Bosco shows up for.
• He will have to  work  until midnight.
• The verb  work  is the action he must perform.
• His  work  permit expires next month.
• The  attributive noun  (or converted adjective) work  modifies the noun  permit .

Learning the names and uses of the basic parts of speech is just one way to understand how sentences are constructed.

Dissecting Basic Sentences

To form a basic complete sentence, you only need two elements: a noun (or pronoun standing in for a noun) and a verb. The noun acts as a subject, and the verb, by telling what action the subject is taking, acts as the predicate. 

In the short sentence above,  birds  is the noun and  fly  is the verb. The sentence makes sense and gets the point across.

You can have a sentence with just one word without breaking any sentence formation rules. The short sentence below is complete because it's a verb command with an understood "you" noun.

Here, the pronoun, standing in for a noun, is implied and acts as the subject. The sentence is really saying, "(You) go!"

Constructing More Complex Sentences

Use more parts of speech to add additional information about what's happening in a sentence to make it more complex. Take the first sentence from above, for example, and incorporate more information about how and why birds fly.

• Birds fly when migrating before winter.

Birds and fly remain the noun and the verb, but now there is more description. 

When  is an adverb that modifies the verb fly.  The word before  is a little tricky because it can be either a conjunction, preposition, or adverb depending on the context. In this case, it's a preposition because it's followed by a noun. This preposition begins an adverbial phrase of time ( before winter ) that answers the question of when the birds migrate . Before is not a conjunction because it does not connect two clauses.

• What Are Word Blends?
• Figure of Speech: Definition and Examples
• Definition and Examples of Adjectives
• Subjects, Verbs, and Objects
• What Is a Rhetorical Device? Definition, List, Examples
• What Is The Speech Act Theory: Definition and Examples
• A List of Exclamations and Interjections in English
• What Is Nonverbal Communication?
• Examples and Usage of Conjunctions in English Grammar
• Linguistic Variation
• Definition and Examples of Interjections in English
• Definition and Examples of Jargon
• Understanding the Types of Verbs in English Grammar
• Complementary vs. Complimentary: How to Choose the Right Word
• Basic Grammar: What Is a Diphthong?
• Subordinating Conjunctions

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• Knowledge Base
• Parts of speech

The 8 Parts of Speech | Chart, Definition & Examples

A part of speech (also called a word class ) is a category that describes the role a word plays in a sentence. Understanding the different parts of speech can help you analyze how words function in a sentence and improve your writing.

The parts of speech are classified differently in different grammars, but most traditional grammars list eight parts of speech in English: nouns , pronouns , verbs , adjectives , adverbs , prepositions , conjunctions , and interjections . Some modern grammars add others, such as determiners and articles .

Many words can function as different parts of speech depending on how they are used. For example, “laugh” can be a noun (e.g., “I like your laugh”) or a verb (e.g., “don’t laugh”).

Table of contents

• Prepositions
• Conjunctions
• Interjections

Other parts of speech

Interesting language articles, frequently asked questions.

A noun is a word that refers to a person, concept, place, or thing. Nouns can act as the subject of a sentence (i.e., the person or thing performing the action) or as the object of a verb (i.e., the person or thing affected by the action).

There are numerous types of nouns, including common nouns (used to refer to nonspecific people, concepts, places, or things), proper nouns (used to refer to specific people, concepts, places, or things), and collective nouns (used to refer to a group of people or things).

Ella lives in France .

Other types of nouns include countable and uncountable nouns , concrete nouns , abstract nouns , and gerunds .

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A pronoun is a word used in place of a noun. Pronouns typically refer back to an antecedent (a previously mentioned noun) and must demonstrate correct pronoun-antecedent agreement . Like nouns, pronouns can refer to people, places, concepts, and things.

There are numerous types of pronouns, including personal pronouns (used in place of the proper name of a person), demonstrative pronouns (used to refer to specific things and indicate their relative position), and interrogative pronouns (used to introduce questions about things, people, and ownership).

That is a horrible painting!

A verb is a word that describes an action (e.g., “jump”), occurrence (e.g., “become”), or state of being (e.g., “exist”). Verbs indicate what the subject of a sentence is doing. Every complete sentence must contain at least one verb.

Verbs can change form depending on subject (e.g., first person singular), tense (e.g., simple past), mood (e.g., interrogative), and voice (e.g., passive voice ).

Regular verbs are verbs whose simple past and past participle are formed by adding“-ed” to the end of the word (or “-d” if the word already ends in “e”). Irregular verbs are verbs whose simple past and past participles are formed in some other way.

“I’ve already checked twice.”

“I heard that you used to sing .”

Other types of verbs include auxiliary verbs , linking verbs , modal verbs , and phrasal verbs .

An adjective is a word that describes a noun or pronoun. Adjectives can be attributive , appearing before a noun (e.g., “a red hat”), or predicative , appearing after a noun with the use of a linking verb like “to be” (e.g., “the hat is red ”).

Adjectives can also have a comparative function. Comparative adjectives compare two or more things. Superlative adjectives describe something as having the most or least of a specific characteristic.

Other types of adjectives include coordinate adjectives , participial adjectives , and denominal adjectives .

An adverb is a word that can modify a verb, adjective, adverb, or sentence. Adverbs are often formed by adding “-ly” to the end of an adjective (e.g., “slow” becomes “slowly”), although not all adverbs have this ending, and not all words with this ending are adverbs.

There are numerous types of adverbs, including adverbs of manner (used to describe how something occurs), adverbs of degree (used to indicate extent or degree), and adverbs of place (used to describe the location of an action or event).

Talia writes quite quickly.

Other types of adverbs include adverbs of frequency , adverbs of purpose , focusing adverbs , and adverbial phrases .

A preposition is a word (e.g., “at”) or phrase (e.g., “on top of”) used to show the relationship between the different parts of a sentence. Prepositions can be used to indicate aspects such as time , place , and direction .

I left the cup on the kitchen counter.

A conjunction is a word used to connect different parts of a sentence (e.g., words, phrases, or clauses).

The main types of conjunctions are coordinating conjunctions (used to connect items that are grammatically equal), subordinating conjunctions (used to introduce a dependent clause), and correlative conjunctions (used in pairs to join grammatically equal parts of a sentence).

You can choose what movie we watch because I chose the last time.

An interjection is a word or phrase used to express a feeling, give a command, or greet someone. Interjections are a grammatically independent part of speech, so they can often be excluded from a sentence without affecting the meaning.

Types of interjections include volitive interjections (used to make a demand or request), emotive interjections (used to express a feeling or reaction), cognitive interjections (used to indicate thoughts), and greetings and parting words (used at the beginning and end of a conversation).

Ouch ! I hurt my arm.

I’m, um , not sure.

The traditional classification of English words into eight parts of speech is by no means the only one or the objective truth. Grammarians have often divided them into more or fewer classes. Other commonly mentioned parts of speech include determiners and articles.

• Determiners

A determiner is a word that describes a noun by indicating quantity, possession, or relative position.

Common types of determiners include demonstrative determiners (used to indicate the relative position of a noun), possessive determiners (used to describe ownership), and quantifiers (used to indicate the quantity of a noun).

My brother is selling his old car.

Other types of determiners include distributive determiners , determiners of difference , and numbers .

An article is a word that modifies a noun by indicating whether it is specific or general.

• The definite article the is used to refer to a specific version of a noun. The can be used with all countable and uncountable nouns (e.g., “the door,” “the energy,” “the mountains”).
• The indefinite articles a and an refer to general or unspecific nouns. The indefinite articles can only be used with singular countable nouns (e.g., “a poster,” “an engine”).

There’s a concert this weekend.

If you want to know more about nouns , pronouns , verbs , and other parts of speech, make sure to check out some of our language articles with explanations and examples.

Nouns & pronouns

• Common nouns
• Proper nouns
• Collective nouns
• Personal pronouns
• Uncountable and countable nouns
• Verb tenses
• Phrasal verbs
• Types of verbs
• Active vs passive voice
• Subject-verb agreement

A is an indefinite article (along with an ). While articles can be classed as their own part of speech, they’re also considered a type of determiner .

The indefinite articles are used to introduce nonspecific countable nouns (e.g., “a dog,” “an island”).

In is primarily classed as a preposition, but it can be classed as various other parts of speech, depending on how it is used:

• Preposition (e.g., “ in the field”)
• Noun (e.g., “I have an in with that company”)
• Adjective (e.g., “Tim is part of the in crowd”)
• Adverb (e.g., “Will you be in this evening?”)

As a part of speech, and is classed as a conjunction . Specifically, it’s a coordinating conjunction .

And can be used to connect grammatically equal parts of a sentence, such as two nouns (e.g., “a cup and plate”), or two adjectives (e.g., “strong and smart”). And can also be used to connect phrases and clauses.

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What are the parts of speech?

Today's the day for you to learn about this important grammatical concept! But first...let's see what the parts of speech have to do with your clothes.

Imagine that it's laundry day, and you've just finished washing and drying your clothes. You dump the contents of the laundry basket onto your bed, and you begin to organize everything. You fold matching socks together, you create a pile of perfectly folded shirts that you would be proud to show Marie Kondo, and you do the same thing with your pants, jackets, and everything else.

In the same way that we organize our clothes into groups based on each item's function and features, we organize our words into categories based on each word's function and features. We call these categories of words the parts of speech .

Some people categorize words into eight parts of speech, and some people categorize them into nine parts of speech. Neither one is wrong; they're just two ways of looking at things. We'll go over these categories below. Here at English Grammar Revolution, we categorize words into eight groups, but I'll tell you about the ninth one as well.

There's one important thing for you to know before we look at these categories: most words can function as more than one part of speech . They will only do one job at a time, but they can do different things in different sentences. Look at the word love in the following sentences.

My  love  of grammar inspired me to make this website.

Here, love is functioning as a noun. It's the subject of the sentence. 

I  love  you.

Now, love is acting as a  verb ! It's telling us an action.

The only way we can know how to categorize a word is to look at how it's acting within a sentence.

Okay, let's check out the parts of speech!

The 8 Parts of Speech

Nouns  name people, places, things, or ideas. They're important parts of our sentences because they perform  important jobs  (subjects, direct objects, predicate nouns, etc.).

A peacock walked through our yard .

The dog howled during the night , and it woke up our whole family .

Sometimes people get bogged down with this part of speech because there are also many subcategories of nouns. This is similar to the way that we have subcategories for our clothes. You may have a whole drawer full of pants, but you may also have different types of pants that you use for different purposes (workout pants, lounge pants, work pants, etc.). This is similar to the way that we can further categorize nouns into smaller groups. 

Here are a few of the subcategories of nouns:  proper nouns, common nouns ,  collective nouns ,  possessive nouns , and compound nouns.

Tip : Other parts of speech also have subcategories. If you're studying this information for the first time, ignore the subcategories and focus on learning about each broader category.

2. Pronouns

Pronouns  take the place of nouns. When most people hear the word pronoun , they think of words like I, we, me, he,   she, and they . These are indeed all pronouns, but they're a part of a subcategory called personal pronouns. Know that there are other kinds of pronouns out there as well. Here are some examples: myself, his, someone , and who .

Here are a few of the subcategories of pronouns:  reflexive pronouns ,  indefinite pronouns ,  possessive pronouns , and  relative pronouns . 

When we walked across the bridge,  we saw someone who  knows you .

I will fix the dishwasher  myself .

Verbs  show actions or states of being. They are integral elements of  sentences .   

The shuttle will fly into space.

The loving mother comforted  and soothed the baby.

In the Montessori tradition of education, they use a large red circle or ball to symbolize a verb, and they often teach children to think of verbs as a sun providing the energy of a sentence. Isn't that a lovely way to think of verbs?

I know that you're getting tired of hearing about subcategories, but linking verbs, action verbs, and helping verbs are described on the  verb page here . 

Modal verbs  are described on that link, and you can learn even more about  action verbs  and  linking verbs  from those links.

4. Adjectives

Adjectives  describe, or  modify , nouns and pronouns. I like to think of them as adding color to language. It would be hard to describe a beautiful sunset or the way a touching story makes us feel without using adjectives.

The wise, handsome owl had orange eyes.

The caring father rocked the baby.

One helpful strategy for learning about and identifying adjectives is to learn how they are diagrammed . Sentence diagrams are pictures of sentences that help us see how all of the words are grammatically related. Since adjectives modify nouns and pronouns, we diagram them on slanted lines under the nouns/pronouns that they are modifying. 

My green and white book fell.

Book is a noun. It's the subject of this sentence. My, green , and white are all adjectives describing book , so we diagram them on slanted lines underneath book . Isn't that a great way to SEE what adjectives do?

Nine Parts of Speech

When people categorize words into eight parts of speech, they say that articles/determiners ( a, an,   the, this, that, etc. ) are subcategories of adjectives.  

When people categorize words into nine parts of speech, they say that articles/determiners make up their own category and are not a part of the adjective category. 

Adverbs  modify (describe) verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs. Adverbs are similar to adjectives in that they both modify things. 

The extremely cute koala hugged its mom very tightly .

The dog howled loudly .

Sentence diagrams also make it really easy to see what adverbs do. Take a look at this diagram. What do you notice about the way the adverbs are diagrammed? 

James ran very quickly.

Did you notice that the adverbs are diagrammed on slanted lines under the words that they are modifying?

Ran is a verb. Quickly is an adverb telling us more about the verb ran . Very is an adverb telling us more about the adverb quickly .

Doesn't the diagram make it easier to SEE what adverbs do?

6. Prepositions

Prepositions  are probably the most difficult part of speech to explain, but people generally have an easier time understanding them when they look at lots of examples. So...let's start with some examples of commonly used prepositions! 

in, for, of, off, if, until

The frog sat in the flower.

The baby cried for a long time.

I'm so convinced that memorizing some of the prepositions will be helpful to you that  I'll teach you a preposition song . 

Okay, now that we've looked at some examples, let's look at the definition of a preposition. 

Prepositions show the relationship between a noun or a pronoun and some other word in the rest of the sentence. 

Sentence diagrams will come to the rescue again to help us visualize what prepositions do. Think of prepositions as "noun hooks" or "noun bridges." In the diagram below, notice how the preposition down links the noun tree to the rest of the sentence.  

The cat ran down the tree.

Since prepositions always function as "noun hooks," they'll always be accompanied by a noun. The preposition plus its noun is called a prepositional phrase .

If you find a word from the preposition list that's not a part of a prepositional phrase, it's not functioning as a preposition. (You remember that words can function as different parts of speech , right?)

7. Conjunctions

Conjunctions  join things together. They can join words or groups of words (phrases and clauses).

The hummingbird sat   and   waited .

The conjunction and is joining the words sat and waited .

Do you live  near the park or near the hospital ?

The conjunction or is joining the phrases near the park and near the hospital.  

The two conjunctions we just looked at ( and and or ) belong to a subcategory called coordinating conjunctions, but there are other subcategories of conjunctions as well. The other one that we use most often is  subordinating conjunctions . Subordinating conjunctions are a little trickier to learn because they involve a more complicated concept ( dependent adverb clauses ).

For now, just know that all conjunctions, no matter what type they are, connect things together. In fact, let's LOOK at how they do this by looking at a sentence diagram.

Here is a sentence diagram  showing how the coordinating conjunction  and  connects two clauses. 

She cooked, and he cleaned. 

8. Interjections

Interjections show excitement or emotion. 

Wow ! That jump was amazing!

Phew , the baby finally fell asleep.

They are different from the other parts of speech in that they're not grammatically related to the rest of the sentence, and the way that we diagram them reflects that. Look at how we diagram interjections :

Yes ! We won the lottery!

The interjection yes sit sits there on its own line floating above the rest of the sentence. This helps show that it's not grammatically related to the other words in the sentence. 

It's time to review what we covered on this page.

• We can categorize the words that we use into groups based on their functions and features. We call these groups the parts of speech.
• Many words can function as multiple parts of speech. You need to look at each word in the context of a sentence in order to say what part of speech it is. 
• The eight parts of speech are nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections. 
• You just learned about all of the parts of speech. Give yourself a high five! 

If you'd like to teach or learn grammar the easy way—with sentence diagrams—check out our  Get Smart Grammar Program .

It starts from the very beginning and teaches you grammar and sentence diagramming in easy, bite-size lessons. 

Hello! I'm Elizabeth O'Brien, and my goal is to get you jazzed about grammar. 

This is original content from  https://www.english-grammar-revolution.com/parts-of-speech.html

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Understanding the Parts of Speech in English

Yes, the parts of speech in English are extensive and complex. But we’ve made it easy for you to start learning them by gathering the most basic and essential information in this easy-to-follow and comprehensive guide.

Parts of Speech: Quick Summary

Parts of speech assign words to different categories. There are eight different types in English. Keep in mind that a word can belong to more than one part of speech.

Learn About:

• Parts of Speech
• Prepositions
• Conjunctions
• Interjections

Using the Parts of Speech Correctly In Your Writing

Knowing the parts of speech is vital when learning a new language.

When it comes to learning a new language, there are several components you should understand to truly get a grasp of the language and speak it fluently.

It’s not enough to become an expert in just one area. For instance, you can learn and memorize all the intricate grammar rules, but if you don’t practice speaking or writing colloquially, you will find it challenging to use that language in real time.

Conversely, if you don’t spend time trying to learn the rules and technicalities of a language, you’ll also find yourself struggling to use it correctly.

Think of it this way: Language is a tasty, colorful, and nutritious salad. If you fill your bowl with nothing but lettuce, your fluency will be bland, boring, and tasteless. But if you spend time cultivating other ingredients for your salad—like style, word choice, and vocabulary— then it will become a wholesome meal you can share with others.

In this blog post, we’re going to cover one of the many ingredients you’ll need to build a nourishing salad of the English language—the parts of speech.

Let’s get choppin’!

What Are the Parts of Speech in English?

The parts of speech refer to categories to which a word belongs. In English, there are eight of them : verbs , nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections.

Many English words fall into more than one part of speech category. Take the word light as an example. It can function as a verb, noun, or adjective.

Verb: Can you please light the candles?

Noun: The room was filled with a dim, warm light .

Adjective: She wore a light jacket in the cool weather.

The parts of speech in English are extensive. There’s a lot to cover in each category—much more than we can in this blog post. The information below is simply a brief overview of the basics of the parts of speech. Nevertheless, the concise explanations and accompanying example sentences will help you gain an understanding of how to use them correctly.

What Are Verbs?

Verbs are the most essential parts of speech because they move the meaning of sentences along.

A verb can show actions of the body and mind ( jump and think ), occurrences ( happen or occur ), and states of being ( be and exist ). Put differently, verbs breathe life into sentences by describing actions or indicating existence. These parts of speech can also change form to express time , person , number , voice , and mood .

There are several verb categories. A few of them are:

• Regular and irregular verbs
• Transitive and intransitive verbs
• Auxiliary verbs

A few examples of verbs include sing (an irregular action verb), have (which can be a main verb or auxiliary verb), be , which is a state of being verb, and would (another auxiliary verb).

My little sister loves to sing .

I have a dog and her name is Sweet Pea.

I will be there at 5 P.M.

I would like to travel the world someday.

Again, these are just the very basics of English verbs. There’s a lot more that you should learn to be well-versed in this part of speech, but the information above is a good place to start.

What Are Nouns?

Nouns refer to people ( John and child ), places ( store and Italy ), things ( firetruck and pen ), and ideas or concepts ( love and balance ). There are also many categories within nouns. For example, proper nouns name a specific person, place, thing, or idea. These types of nouns are always capitalized.

Olivia is turning five in a few days.

My dream is to visit Tokyo .

The Supreme Court is the highest court in the United States.

Some argue that Buddhism is a way of life, not a religion.

On the other hand, common nouns are not specific to any particular entity and are used to refer to any member of a general category.

My teacher is the smartest, most caring person I know!

I love roaming around a city I’ve never been to before.

This is my favorite book , which was recommended to me by my father.

There’s nothing more important to me than love .

Nouns can be either singular or plural. Singular nouns refer to a single entity, while plural nouns refer to multiple entities.

Can you move that chair out of the way, please? (Singular)

Can you move those chairs out of the way, please? (Plural)

While many plural nouns are formed by adding an “–s” or “–es,” others have irregular plural forms, meaning they don’t follow the typical pattern.

There was one woman waiting in line.

There were several women waiting in line.

Nouns can also be countable or uncountable . Those that are countable refer to nouns that can be counted as individual units. For example, there can be one book, two books, three books, or more. Uncountable nouns cannot be counted as individual units. Take the word water as an example. You could say I drank some water, but it would be incorrect to say I drank waters. Instead, you would say something like I drank several bottles of water.

What Are Pronouns?

A pronoun is a word that can take the place of other nouns or noun phrases. Pronouns serve the purpose of referring to nouns without having to repeat the word each time. A word (or group of words) that a pronoun refers to is called the antecedent .

Jessica went to the store, and she bought some blueberries.

In the sentence above, Jessica is the antecedent, and she is the referring pronoun. Here’s the same sentence without the proper use of a pronoun:

Jessica went to the store, and Jessica bought some blueberries.

Do you see how the use of a pronoun improves the sentence by avoiding repetitiveness?

Like all the other parts of speech we have covered, pronouns also have various categories.

Personal pronouns replace specific people or things: I, me, you, he, she, him, her, it, we, us, they, them.

When I saw them at the airport, I waved my hands up in the air so they could see me .

Possessive pronouns indicate ownership : mine, ours, yours, his, hers, theirs, whose.

I think that phone is hers .

Reflexive pronouns refer to the subject of a sentence or clause. They are used when the subject and the object of a sentence refer to the same person or thing: myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves.

The iguanas sunned themselves on the roof of my car.

Intensive pronouns have the same form as reflexive pronouns and are used to emphasize or intensify the subject of a sentence.

I will take care of this situation myself .

Indefinite pronouns do not refer to specific individuals or objects but rather to a general or unspecified person, thing, or group. Some examples include someone, everybody, anything, nobody, each, something, and all.

Everybody enjoyed the party. Someone even said it was the best party they had ever attended.

Demonstrative pronouns are used to identify or point to specific pronouns: this, that, these, those.

Can you pick up those pens off the floor?

Interrogative pronouns are used to ask questions and seek information: who, whom, whose, which, what.

Who can help move these heavy boxes?

Relative pronouns connect a clause or a phrase to a noun or pronoun: who, whom, whose, which, that, what, whoever, whichever, whatever.

Christina, who is the hiring manager, is the person whom you should get in touch with.

Reciprocal pronouns are used to refer to individual parts of a plural antecedent. They indicate a mutual or reciprocal relationship between two or more people or things: each other or one another.

The cousins always giggle and share secrets with one another .  

What Are Adjectives?

Adjectives modify nouns or pronouns, usually by describing, identifying, or quantifying them. They play a vital role in adding detail, precision, and imagery to English, allowing us to depict and differentiate the qualities of people, objects, places, and ideas.

The blue house sticks out compared to the other neutral-colored ones. (Describes)

That house is pretty, but I don’t like the color. (Identifies)

There were several houses I liked, but the blue one was unique. (Quantifies)

We should note that identifying or quantifying adjectives are also referred to as determiners. Additionally, articles ( a, an, the ) and numerals ( four or third ) are also used to quantify and identify adjectives.

Descriptive adjectives have other forms (known as comparative and superlative adjectives ) that allow for comparisons. For example, the comparative of the word small is smaller, while the superlative is smallest.

Proper adjectives (which are derived from proper nouns) describe specific nouns. They usually retain the same spelling or are slightly modified, but they’re always capitalized. For example, the proper noun France can be turned into the proper adjective French.

What Are Adverbs?

Adverbs are words that modify or describe verbs, adjectives, other adverbs, or entire clauses. Although many adverbs end in “–ly,” not all of them do. Also, some words that end in “–ly” are adjectives, not adverbs ( lovely ).

She dances beautifully .

In the sentence above, beautifully modifies the verb dances.

We visited an extremely tall building.

Here, the adverb extremely modifies the adjective tall.

He had to run very quickly to not miss the train.

The adverb very modifies the adverb quickly.

Interestingly , the experiment yielded unexpected results that left us baffled.

In this example, the word interestingly modifies the independent clause that comprises the rest of the sentence (which is why they’re called sentence adverbs ).

Like adjectives, adverbs can also have other forms when making comparisons. For example:

strongly, more strongly, most strongly, less strongly, least strongly

What Are Prepositions?

Prepositions provide context and establish relationships between nouns, pronouns, and other words in a sentence. They indicate time, location, direction, manner, and other vital information. Prepositions can fall into several subcategories. For instance, on can indicate physical location, but it can also be used to express time.

Place the bouquet of roses on the table.

We will meet on Monday.

There are many prepositions. A few examples include: about, above, across, after, before, behind, beneath, beside, during, except, for, from, in, inside, into, like, near, of, off, onto, past, regarding, since, through, toward, under, until, with, without.

Prepositions can contain more than one word, like according to and with regard to.

What Are Conjunctions?

Conjunctions are words that join words, phrases, or clauses together within a sentence and provide information about the relationship between those words. There are different types of conjunctions.

Coordinating conjunctions connect words, phrases, or clauses of equal importance: and, but, for, not, or, so, yet.

I like to sing, and she likes to dance.

Correlative conjunctions come in pairs and join balanced elements of a sentence: both…and, just as…so, not only…but also, either…or, neither…nor, whether…or.

You can either come with us and have fun, or stay at home and be bored.

Subordinating conjunctions connect dependent clauses to independent clauses. A few examples include: after, although, even though, since, unless, until, when , and while.

They had a great time on their stroll, even though it started raining and they got soaked.

Conjunctive adverbs are adverbs that function as conjunctions, connecting independent clauses or sentences. Examples of conjunctive adverbs are also, anyway, besides, however, meanwhile, nevertheless, otherwise, similarly, and therefore .

I really wanted to go to the party. However , I was feeling sick and decided to stay in.

I really wanted to go to the party; however , I was feeling sick and decided to stay in.

What Are Interjections?

Interjections are words that express strong emotions, sudden reactions, or exclamations. This part of speech is usually a standalone word or phrase, but even when it is  part of a sentence, it does not relate grammatically to the rest of .

There are several interjections. Examples include: ahh, alas, bravo, eww, hello, please, thanks, and oops.

Ahh ! I couldn’t believe what was happening.

When it comes to improving your writing skills, understanding the parts of speech is as important as adding other ingredients besides lettuce to a salad.

The information provided above is indeed extensive, but it’s critical to learn if you want to write effectively and confidently. LanguageTool—a multilingual writing assistant—makes comprehending the parts of speech easy by detecting errors as you write.

Give it a try—it’s free!

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The Eight Parts of Speech in English: Definitions and Examples

Speak right now to our live team of english staff.

The English language, with its vast vocabulary and intricate grammar rules, is built upon eight fundamental parts of speech. Understanding these parts of speech is crucial for effective communication, writing, and comprehension. From nouns to interjections, each part plays a unique role in constructing sentences and conveying meaning. In this article, we will explore the eight parts of speech in English, providing definitions and examples to enhance your understanding.

Nouns are words that denote a person, place, thing, or idea. They serve as the subject or object of a sentence and can be singular or plural.

• Person: Mary, teacher, doctor
• Place: London, school, hospital
• Thing: book, car, computer
• Idea: freedom, love, happiness

Pronouns are words that replace nouns in a sentence to avoid repetition. They can refer to people, places, things, or ideas previously mentioned.

• Personal Pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
• Demonstrative Pronouns: this, that, these, those
• Possessive Pronouns: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs
• Relative Pronouns: who, whom, whose, which, that

Verbs are action words that express an action, occurrence, or state of being within a sentence. They are essential for conveying actions and events.

• Action Verbs: run, jump, write, sing
• Linking Verbs: am, is, are, was, were, become, seem
• Helping Verbs: have, has, had, do, does, did, can, could, will, would, shall, should, may, might, must

Adjectives are words that modify or describe nouns or pronouns, providing additional information about their characteristics or qualities.

• Descriptive Adjectives: beautiful, intelligent, tall
• Quantitative Adjectives: many, few, several
• Demonstrative Adjectives: this, that, these, those
• Possessive Adjectives: my, your, his, her, its, our, their

Adverbs are words that modify verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs, providing information about how, when, where, or to what extent an action or state occurs.

• How: quickly, slowly, carefully
• When: now, later, yesterday
• Where: here, there, everywhere
• To What Extent: very, extremely, quite

Prepositions

Prepositions are words that establish relationships between nouns or pronouns and other words in a sentence, indicating location, direction, time, or manner.

• Location: in, on, at, under, above
• Direction: to, from, into, onto, towards
• Time: before, after, during, until, since
• Manner: with, by, through, without

Conjunctions

Conjunctions are words that connect words, phrases, or clauses within a sentence, facilitating coherence and cohesion in writing.

• Coordinating Conjunctions: and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet
• Subordinating Conjunctions: because, although, while, if, when, since
• Correlative Conjunctions: either…or, neither…nor, both…and, not only…but also

Interjections

Interjections are words or phrases used to express emotions, reactions, or exclamations. They often stand alone or appear at the beginning of a sentence and are punctuated with an exclamation mark.

The Eight Parts of Speech: The Essence of English Grammar 

The eight parts of speech in English — nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections — form the foundation of linguistic expression. By recognising and utilising these components skillfully, communicators can convey ideas, emotions, and information with clarity and precision, enriching the language and fostering effective communication across diverse contexts.

Not confident about your English skills? We’re here to help. Our expert editing and proofreading services ensure your academic or commercial documents shine with clarity and precision. Reach out to us today for polished, professional content that makes a lasting impression.

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Speech on Importance of English: Tips, Samples and Ways to Present

The English language is a key part of our modern world, connecting people across different cultures and countries. It’s essential for communication in business, education, and everyday life . Learning English opens up many opportunities and helps you interact with others globally. This article provides examples of short speeches on the importance of English, showing how knowing this language can benefit you in various aspects of your life and make it easier to connect with people around the world.

Tips to Keep in Mind Before Giving a Speech:

The following steps can be followed for a more outgoing and overall ready approach when presenting such a speech, especially on such an important topic.

Look presentable and neat. Dress well, make your hair and overall look clean and fresh before presenting your speech.

Rehearse your speech. It is important to go over and even read out your complete speech a couple times before actually presenting it, no matter how confident you are feeling about it.

Read the audience. Knowing your audience and getting a feel for them is important as it can set the vibe and tone of your speech in your head, before you even present it.

Get materials such as emergency notes, slides and presentations ready. Visual aids like this can help you take your speech to the next level.

Decide the length/duration of the speech. While this comes under knowing your audience, it is important to recognise this step and also important to know when to end. Sometimes, it may be important to finish your speech earlier than planned or extend it further, all depending on the reaction and interest of your audiences.

Complementary Format for Short Speech on Importance

You can use the format below for additional guidance or to refine your speech on the importance of the English language. This structure may help you include important points or improve your speech.

Introduction

Opening Statement: Begin with an engaging quote, question, or anecdote related to the English language to capture the audience’s interest.

Purpose of the Speech: Briefly outline what you will cover and explain why learning English is important.

Personal Connection: Share a brief personal story or experience that highlights your understanding of the importance of English.

Definition and Importance

Define the English Language: Clearly explain what the English language is and its role in global communication.

Importance: Discuss why English is crucial for personal growth , education, and professional success.

Key Benefits of Learning English

Global Communication: How English serves as a common language for people around the world.

Career Opportunities: The impact of English proficiency on job prospects and career advancement.

Educational Access: How English opens doors to higher education and learning resources.

Cultural Exchange: The role of English in connecting with diverse cultures and understanding global media .

Real-Life Examples and Success Stories

Examples: Share stories of individuals or successful professionals who have benefited from knowing English.

Lessons Learned: Highlight what can be learned from these examples and how the audience can apply these lessons.

Practical Tips for Learning English

Consistent Practice: Engage in regular practice through reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Language Immersion: Immerse yourself in English-speaking environments and media.

Seek Feedback: Use feedback from teachers or language partners to improve your skills.

Set Goals: Set clear, achievable goals for your English learning journey.

Overcoming Common Challenges

Obstacles: Discuss common challenges in learning English, such as fear of making mistakes or lack of practice opportunities.

Strategies: Offer strategies to overcome these challenges, such as using language learning apps or joining language groups.

Recap Main Points: Summarise the key takeaways from your speech.

Personal Reflection: Reinforce the importance of learning English with a final personal story or reflection.

Call to Action: Encourage the audience to embrace the English language and take steps towards improving their language skills.

Closing Statement: End with an inspiring quote or statement that underscores the value of English in today’s world.

You can adjust this format to better suit your needs or refine your speech accordingly. This structure serves as a useful guideline for crafting your speech.

Speech on Importance of English 1

Now that you know what to do before giving your speech, lets look at some actual samples of motivational speech on importance of English language.

“English is the passport to the world.” This quote shows just how vital English has become in our global society. Today, I want to talk about why English is so important, how it can open up many opportunities for you, and why learning it is worth the effort. I’ll also share some personal experiences that highlight just how impactful English can be.

English is a language spoken by millions of people worldwide. It is used for international communication, business, and education. Learning English is crucial because it allows you to connect with people from different cultures, enhances your career opportunities, and provides access to a wealth of information and resources.

One of the key benefits of learning English is global communication. English is often used as a common language among people who speak different native languages. This makes it easier to communicate and collaborate with others around the world. In terms of career opportunities, many jobs and career paths require or prefer English skills. Being proficient in English can improve your chances of getting a good job and advancing in your career. Additionally, English is the primary language of many prestigious universities and academic resources. Knowing English opens doors to higher education and valuable learning materials. Furthermore, English allows you to understand and appreciate different cultures through media, books, and conversations with people from around the world.

Consider the story of a student who learned English and was able to study abroad, experiencing different cultures and gaining a top job in an international company. This example shows how learning English can lead to amazing opportunities and personal growth.

So, how can we learn English effectively? Start with consistent practice. Make it a habit to practice English daily by reading books, watching English movies, and speaking with others. Immerse yourself in the language by surrounding yourself with English through music, TV shows, and conversations. Seek feedback from teachers or language partners to help you improve and stay on track. Set small, achievable goals for your English learning, like learning new vocabulary each week or practicing speaking for a few minutes every day.

Learning English can be challenging, especially if you’re afraid of making mistakes or don’t have many chances to practice. To overcome these challenges, use language learning apps, join English-speaking groups, and remind yourself that making mistakes is a normal part of learning.

To sum up, English is a powerful tool that can greatly enhance your personal and professional life. By learning and mastering English, you open up new opportunities for communication, education, and career advancement. Take the first step towards improving your English skills today, and remember, every bit of progress brings you closer to unlocking new doors. As Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” So let’s embrace English and see where it takes us. Thank you.

Speech on Importance of English 2:

“Language is the road map of a culture.” This quote reminds us of how language connects us with the world. Today, I’ll discuss why English is so important and how it can enrich your life. I'll share some personal experiences and practical advice to help you understand the value of learning English.

English is a global language used for communication, education, and business. It helps people from different countries understand each other and work together. Knowing English is essential because it expands your opportunities in both your personal and professional life.

One of the key benefits of learning English is the ability to connect with others. English is commonly used in international conversations, allowing you to make friends and collaborate with people from various backgrounds. In terms of career growth, many careers require English skills. Being proficient in English can enhance your job prospects and help you succeed in the workplace. Additionally, English gives you access to better educational resources and institutions, as a lot of academic materials are in English. Finally, learning English helps you experience and appreciate different cultures through books, movies, and music, opening up a world of cultural knowledge and experiences.

Think about someone who learned English and was able to travel the world, gain a scholarship, or land a job in a leading company. These success stories show how English can transform lives and create new opportunities.

So, how can we learn English effectively? Start with daily practice. Engage with English every day by reading, writing, and speaking. This builds your skills and keeps you motivated. Immerse yourself in the language by watching movies, listening to music, and reading books in English. Get feedback from teachers or language partners to improve your skills. Set small, manageable goals, like mastering a few new words each week or practicing speaking with a friend.

Learning English can be difficult, especially if you feel unsure of yourself or lack practice opportunities. To overcome these challenges, use online resources, join English clubs, and remember that making mistakes is a part of learning.

English is a powerful tool that can greatly benefit your life. By learning English, you open up a world of opportunities for communication, career advancement, and personal growth. Start working on your English skills today, and you’ll find new doors opening for you. As the saying goes, “The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.” So, let’s embrace the English language and explore the endless possibilities it offers. Thank you.

Speech on Importance of English 3:

“English is the universal language of our time .” This quote by David Crystal, a renowned linguist, highlights the central role English plays in our global society. Today, I want to talk about why English is so important and how mastering it can positively impact your life. I’ll share some personal insights and practical tips to help you see the value of learning this language.

English is spoken by people all around the world and is commonly used for international communication, education, and business. Learning English is important because it connects you with people globally, enhances career opportunities, and provides access to a vast amount of information and resources.

One of the key benefits of learning English is the ability to connect globally. English is widely used for communication between people from different countries, allowing you to engage in conversations and build relationships across cultures. In terms of career opportunities, many jobs require English skills, and being proficient can give you a competitive edge in the job market and help you advance in your career. English also provides educational access, as it is the primary language of many leading universities and academic resources. Knowing English opens doors to higher education and a wide range of learning materials. Furthermore, English helps you appreciate and enjoy various forms of media, such as books, movies, and music, connecting you to diverse cultural experiences.

Consider the example of a young professional who learned English and secured a job with an international company, or a student who earned a scholarship to study abroad because of their English skills. These stories show how English can create valuable opportunities and lead to personal and professional growth.

So, how can we effectively learn English? Start with daily practice. Incorporate English into your daily routine through reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Engage with English-language media, such as films, music, and books, to immerse yourself in the language. Seek feedback from teachers or language partners to improve your skills and build confidence. Set achievable goals by breaking your learning into smaller, manageable tasks, like learning new vocabulary or practicing speaking for a few minutes each day.

Learning English can be challenging, especially if you’re worried about making mistakes or lack practice opportunities. To overcome these challenges, use online resources, join language groups, and remember that making mistakes is a normal part of learning.

In conclusion, English is a crucial tool that can greatly enrich your personal and professional life. By learning and mastering English, you unlock new opportunities for communication, career advancement, and cultural understanding. Take the first step towards improving your English skills today, and you’ll find many doors opening for you. As David Crystal aptly put it, “English is the universal language of our time.” Embrace it and explore the endless possibilities it offers. Thank you.

2 Minute Speech on Importance of English Language

“English is not just a language; it’s a bridge to the world,” says Wilfred Funk, a well-known lexicographer. Today, I want to explain why English is so important and how learning it can greatly benefit your life.

English is a global language used for communication, education, and business. It’s spoken in many countries and helps people from different backgrounds understand each other. Knowing English opens up many opportunities for personal and professional growth.

One of the key benefits of learning English is wider communication. English allows you to interact with people from all over the world, making it easier to build connections and friendships. In terms of career advancement, many jobs require English skills, and being fluent can improve your job prospects and help you succeed in your career. English also provides educational access, as it is the language of many top universities and research materials, offering you more learning opportunities. Furthermore, learning English helps you enjoy movies, books, and music from different cultures, enriching your experience.

So, how can we effectively learn English? Start with daily practice by using English in your daily activities, such as reading news articles or speaking with friends. Engage with English-language media, such as films and songs, to become more familiar with the language. Ask for feedback from teachers or native speakers to help improve your skills. Set small, achievable goals, like learning a few new words each week.

To conclude, English is a vital tool that enhances communication, career opportunities, and cultural experiences. Embrace learning English to open up new possibilities in your life. As Wilfred Funk said, “English is not just a language; it’s a bridge to the world.” Let’s build that bridge together. Thank you.

Important Takeaways from Speech on Importance of English Language:

English is crucial for global communication, career advancement, educational access, and cultural understanding. It helps connect people across different backgrounds and opens up various opportunities.

Mastering English can improve job prospects, provide access to top educational resources, and enhance your ability to enjoy and appreciate international media.

Regular practice, engaging with English media, seeking feedback, and setting achievable goals are effective strategies for improving English skills.

A well-structured speech on the importance of English should include an introduction with a relevant quote, a clear definition of English’s significance, key benefits, practical tips for learning, and a strong conclusion reinforcing the language's value.

A speech on the importance of English can be effectively delivered in various lengths, with a concise version suitable for about 2 minutes, making it accessible and impactful for shorter presentations.

FAQs on Speech on Importance of English Language

1. What are some key points to include in a speech on self-confidence?

Include a compelling quote or personal story, define self-confidence, discuss its importance, outline key components like self-awareness and positive self-talk, provide real-life examples, offer practical tips, and address common barriers.

2. How can I structure a speech on the importance of English language?

Start with a relevant quote, define the significance of English, highlight its benefits (communication, career, education, culture), provide practical tips for learning, and conclude with a strong summary and call to action.

3. What are effective tips for improving self-confidence?

Practice self-awareness, engage in positive self-talk, set and achieve small goals, and build resilience by learning from failures.

4. Why is learning English important?

English is important for global communication, career opportunities, access to educational resources, and understanding diverse cultures.

5. How long should a typical speech on the importance of English be?

A typical speech can vary in length, but a concise version should be around 2-4 minutes, depending on the speaking pace and content depth.

6. What are some practical tips for learning English?

Incorporate English into daily routines, engage with media in English, seek feedback, and set small, achievable goals.

7. How can I make a speech on self-confidence engaging?

Use personal anecdotes, relatable examples, and practical advice. Start with a strong opening, provide clear benefits, and end with an inspiring conclusion.

8. What are common challenges in learning English and how can they be overcome?

Challenges include fear of making mistakes and lack of practice opportunities. Overcome these by using online resources, joining language groups, and remembering that mistakes are part of the learning process.

9. How can I ensure my speech on self-confidence is impactful?

Clearly define self-confidence, provide actionable tips, use personal stories, and offer practical advice. End with a motivational conclusion and a call to action.

10. What should be the focus of a speech on the importance of English?

The focus should be on how English facilitates global communication, enhances career prospects, provides educational access, and offers cultural insights.

11. How can real-life examples enhance a speech on self-confidence?

Real-life examples demonstrate how self-confidence leads to success, making the speech relatable and providing practical insights for the audience.

12. What is a good way to conclude a speech on the importance of English?

Summarise the key benefits, reinforce the language’s value, and end with a memorable quote or statement that motivates the audience to embrace learning English.

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Speech & Language Pathology Assistant at Centralia Elementary School District

Application Deadline

9/11/2024 3:30 PM Pacific

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Please submit required documents (only in PDF): 1) One letter of recommendation 2) Resume 3) Proof of High School diploma 4) SLPA License - Speech/Language Pathology Assistant with the State of California Speech/Language Pathology and Audiology Board. ONLY COMPLETE PACKETS WILL BE CONSIDERED

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SpeechCraft: A Fine-grained Expressive Speech Dataset with Natural Language Description

Speech-language multi-modal learning presents a significant challenge due to the fine nuanced information inherent in speech styles. Therefore, a large-scale dataset providing elaborate comprehension of speech style is urgently needed to facilitate insightful interplay between speech audio and natural language. However, constructing such datasets presents a major trade-off between large-scale data collection and high-quality annotation. To tackle this challenge, we propose an automatic speech annotation system for expressiveness interpretation that annotates in-the-wild speech clips with expressive and vivid human language descriptions. Initially, speech audios are processed by a series of expert classifiers and captioning models to capture diverse speech characteristics, followed by a fine-tuned LLaMA for customized annotation generation. Unlike previous tag/templet-based annotation frameworks with limited information and diversity, our system provides in-depth understandings of speech style through tailored natural language descriptions, thereby enabling accurate and voluminous data generation for large model training. With this system, we create SpeechCraft 1 , a fine-grained bilingual expressive speech dataset. It is distinguished by highly descriptive natural language style prompts, containing approximately 2,000 hours of audio data and encompassing over two million speech clips. Extensive experiments demonstrate that the proposed dataset significantly boosts speech-language task performance in stylist speech synthesis and speech style understanding.

1. Introduction

The FSNR0  (Kim et al . , 2021 ) style tags are the officially translated version from Korean. 4 4 footnotemark: 4 The NLSpeech  (Yang et al . , 2023 ) style prompts are the officially translated version from Chinese.

The success of multi-modal learning   (Xu et al . , 2023 ) has boosted a swift resurgence in the development of speech-language models over recent years, encompassing improvements in speech synthesis and automated audio captioning. Large-scale text-to-speech (TTS) models (e.g., VALL-E  (Wang et al . , 2023 ) , Natural Speech 2  (Shen et al . , 2023 ) ) and audio-to-text (ATT) models (e.g., SALMONN  (Tang et al . , 2023 ) and Qwen  (Bai et al . , 2023 ) ) not only excel in traditional tasks through a zero-shot fashion but also exhibit emergent behaviors. The utilization of vast quantities of high-quality labeled data in training plays a crucial role in facilitating these advancements  (Zhou et al . , 2017 ) . However, existing research mainly focused on fundamental audio characteristics, e.g., producing intelligible speech   (Ren et al . , 2020 ; Kong et al . , 2023 ; Shen et al . , 2018 ) and classifying broad sound event  (Kumar and Raj, 2016 ; Chan and Chin, 2020 ) . In contrast, nuanced audio interpretation that delves into the finer details of speech, particularly the speaking style, remains less explored.

The style of speech encompasses not only prosody but also the speaker’s identity, emotional undertones, contextual cues, and scenes related to the topic within an audio clip  (Vyas et al . , 2023 ) . Current TTS systems lack the necessary flexibility for precise and disentangled control over speech style. Meanwhile, current audio captioning systems struggle to capture the finer nuances besides rough detection of ‘ a man is talking while a dog is barking ’.

Nevertheless, few open-source datasets provide extensive details on vocal characteristics and nuanced descriptions  (Ji et al . , 2024 ) . The limited scale of existing fine-grained datasets significantly impedes speech-language style research. Consequently, there is an urgent demand for data that characterizes rich and detailed vocal information with natural language, both for expressive speech language understanding (SLU) and controllable speech synthesis .

It is widely acknowledged that human annotation datasets are typically costly, time-consuming, and limited in scope. To tackle the trade-off between large-scale data collection and high-quality annotation, we develop an automatic speech annotation system for expressiveness understanding , which conducts an exhaustive analysis of unlabeled audio across various dimensions and generates customized natural human language descriptions. The system incorporates expert classifiers and sophisticated captioning models to determine multiple speech attributes. Notably, for the first time, we not only take into consideration the basic speaking properties such as gender, emotion and pitch, but also pay attention to the detailed prosodic characteristics including word emphasis and topic information. Leveraging the extraordinary abilities of LLMs in language comprehension and generation, we employed a fine-tuned LLaMA 2  (Touvron et al . , 2023 ) to integrate attributes into comprehensive and stylistic descriptions. The produced descriptions are tailored for each audio piece, as opposed to previous works that employ predefined templates to fill blanks with properties. The customization significantly enhances the diversity and nuances of the descriptions, aligning them with the unique characteristics of audio clips.

The proposed annotation system can encompass the most fine-grained attributes and the most diverse natural language descriptions available. Considering English and Chinese are the two most widely used languages globally, we applied the annotation system to four popular bilingual speech datasets, including AISHELL-3  (Shi et al . , 2020 ) , Zhvoice 1 1 1 https://github.com/fighting41love/zhvoice , LibriTTS-R  (Koizumi et al . , 2023 ) , GigaSpeech-m  (Chen et al . , 2021 ) . This effort resulted in the creation of the largest open-source expressive speech dataset, named SpeechCraft , which comprises over 2,000 hours of audio data and more than two million speech clips. Examples as shown in Tab. 1 . Experiments in speech-related tasks show that SpeechCraft dataset significantly contributes to the advancement of speech-language multi-modal learning in both TTS and speech-to-text (SST) domains. It enhances the performance of expressive speech synthesis, enables precise control over speech emphasis through natural language, and equips automated captioning systems with a broader context understanding capability to describe detailed speaking styles beyond mere speech event detection.

In summary, our contributions are threefold:

We proposed an automatic speech annotation system that employs all-encompassing speech interpretation methods and a fine-tuned language model to cultivate highly descriptive comprehension of speech expressiveness.

We proposed an open-source, large-scale bilingual dataset available for advanced speech-language learning with fine-grained and expressive descriptions of speech, named SpeechCraft .

Leveraging the vast potential of SpeechCraft , we accomplished controllable speech synthesis with precise emphasis control, and automated captioning with detailed descriptions of acoustic properties and speaker identity for the first time.

2. Related Works

Approximately 85% of the corpus in PromptSpeech  (Guo et al . , 2023 ) was not released.

Content and style are two aspects of vital importance in speech audio formation. Numerous speech corpora have been released, such as LibriVox-based corpus  (Kearns, 2014 ) ; however, datasets annotated with speech styles are limited. Besides, existing datasets typically describe the style of speech using tags or templates. Such annotations may be insufficient in diversity and richness for training large-scale speech-related models.

In this section, we review existing stylistic speech datasets and related works on audio captioning, which is highly relevant to speech-style captioning as discussed in Sec.  5.3 .

2.1. Tag-based Speech Datasets

Speech style control starts from the usage of speaker ID tags in traditional speech language datasets   (Ardila et al . , 2019 ; Kearns, 2014 ) , which intrigued voice cloning and one-shot TTS. Subsequently, emotional speech datasets and multi-modal datasets, such as TESS  (Dupuis and Pichora-Fuller, 2010 ) , SAVEE  (Vlasenko et al . , 2007 ) , IEMOCAP  (Busso et al . , 2008 ) , MEAD  (Wang et al . , 2020 ) , etc., flourish the field of emotional speech synthesis and speech emotion recognition (SER). However, emotion is usually defined as a classification task with different categories by datasets. The lack of an acknowledged definition in emotion classification indicates that classifying emotion in single-word categories is not enough to represent emotion nuances. Moreover, the existing emotional data used for speech synthesis are mostly recorded in an acting style, which are usually far from daily speech.

2.2. Natural Language Stylistic Datasets

Speech datasets with natural language style prompts extend the formation of emotional tags to better capture the emotion in speech. As the pioneer in text prompt speech synthesis, InstructTTS  (Yang et al . , 2023 ) recruited human annotators to describe speech emotion from three levels. Researchers then focused on increasing the variety of style factors and the diversity in style prompt descriptions to elaborate speech style. As human annotation is always costly and size-limited, LLMs drive rapid development. PromptTTS  (Leng et al . , 2023 ) employed five style factors and adopted SimBERT  (Su, 2020 ) to generate more style prompt templates with similar semantics. PromptTTS 2  (Leng et al . , 2023 ) further promoted a prompt generation pipeline with an SLU part and a LLM part to compose high-quality text prompts. It developed diversity in vocabulary format and reused ChatGPT templates for utterances with the same labels. MM-TTS  (Guan et al . , 2024 ) and TextrolSpeech  (Ji et al . , 2024 ) adopted ChatGPT in generating various prompt templates. Notably, TextrolSpeech is so far the largest open-source stylistic speech corpus. It collected and curated a series of existing emotion datasets, and involved traditional TTS datasets as neutral emotion utterances. Comparison between stylistic speech datasets is shown in Tab. 2 .

However, the concrete categories of each style property limit the summation of total style permutation, since the templates do not provide additional speech style information. Taking TextrolSpeech as an example, descriptions are derived from five style factors including gender, pitch, speaking speed, volume, and emotion. The emotion factor has eight options while other factors have two to three options each, a total of 432 combinations. Similarly, PromptTTS 2 has 54 combinations and MM-TTS provided 48 combinations. As a result, two different audio utterances with the same labels and templates would become totally the same in after the prompt programming. The key barrier is that the descriptions are created based on LLM’s capability given barely the text attribute labels instead of real audio samples, thus LLM could not provide unique annotations for each speech segment.

Another highly descriptive style dataset is Audiobox  (Vyas et al . , 2023 ) . It leveraged all kinds of miscellaneous details with human annotation and a quality assurance rating system to gather better alignment towards human hearing perception. Yet, the data was unavailable and the method is by no means universally applicable. Consequently, there is still an urgent need to develop an automatic method that transcends the template-based description generation approach, achieving tailored style descriptions for individual audio pieces.

2.3. Auto-captioning from Audio to Speech

Audio or speech captioning refers to the task of generating descriptive text that describes the sounds, speech, and other contextual information of audio clips. It can bridge the gap between auditory content and natural language, paving the way for deeper semantic connections in a variety of advanced audio related multimodal tasks  (Sun et al . , 2024 ; Wang et al . , 2024 ; Jin et al . , 2023 ) .

Large-scale audio captioning datasets  (Kim et al . , 2019 ; Drossos et al . , 2020 ; Wu et al . , 2023 ; Mei et al . , 2023 ) enable the development of automated audio captioning (AAC) models to understand complex auditory scenes. AudioClip  (Guzhov et al . , 2022 ) and CLAP  (Radford et al . , 2021 ) employed contrastive learning paradigm to learn acoustic concepts from natural language supervision. The fellow AAC models surpassed traditional downstream audio tasks  (Koepke et al . , 2023 ; Chan and Chin, 2020 ; Kim et al . , 2019 ) .

As to speech captioning, AAC with natural language supervision casts light on captioning with speech emotion description. Despite the lack of large-scale speech description data, SECap  (Xu et al . , 2024 ) proposed a speech emotion captioning framework based on a small-scale human-annotated internal dataset. It further employed the Q-former strategy to better disentangle the emotion-related speech information from the general semantic features. We made a good application of SECap in our automatic speech annotation system to capture unlabeled speech data with detailed and unique descriptions in emotional tone. It provides us with partial stylistic information which enables LLMs to directly interpret from authentic audio features. Regrettably, to the best of our knowledge, current speech interpretation models fall short of addressing any stylistic dimensions beyond emotion in fine-grained natural language captions. Furthermore, there is an absence of a speech captioning model capable of describing the full spectrum of speech style within a complete sentence.

3. Descriptive Speech Interpretation

3.1. overview of the annotation system.

We propose an automatic speech annotation system for expressiveness interpretation. It contains a three-stage data processing pipeline: data preparation for multiple sourced raw speech segments, property extraction with an all-aspect SLU framework, and customized rewriting with a fine-tuned LLM. The system can equip in-the-wild speech with detailed and diverse descriptions.

3.2. Data Preparation

Multiple sourced raw audio varied in data quality and the form of original metadata. To reform the data with enhanced format, we first conduct data preprocessing to improve data quality, prepare data transcription, and establish standard metadata (metadata example in supplementary materials and GitHub repository). All the speech segments, if not sourced from professional audiobooks, are fed into the speech enhancement system for audio quality improvement. Parallel to audio enhancement, the content of speech audio is transcribed using Whisper Large-v3  (Radford et al . , 2022 ) if not provided. Other sundry items available in the original audio information such as title, raw descriptions from the data uploader, and video category tags from the website, are mutually transferred by a language model to summarize the topic of the speech utterance.

3.3. Speech Style Recognition

The workflow of the speech style recognition is described as Fig.  1 . The speech is processed through various audio feature extraction models for characterizing speech in terms of its style properties. The output labels consist of pitch, energy, speed, age, gender, emotion description, and word emphasis, as illustrated in Fig.  1 .

Signal Processing Tools. We utilize traditional signal processing tools to analyze audio signals and further predict acoustic properties such as pitch, energy, and speed. Speed and energy labels are categorized three-fold. As to the pitch label, following the precedent standard of Audiobox  (Vyas et al . , 2023 ) , we obey the common sense that female tends to have a higher pitch than male, setting categories of pitch by gender.

Speaker Information Identification. With the rapid development of large-scale audio representative learning methods, the high-level speaking features are well-detected by the hidden layers of powerful audio encoders. The pre-trained large-scale audio foundation models outperformed all kinds of downstream tasks compared to the respective task-specific models, including speaker features recognition and classification. Wav2vec 2.0   (Baevski et al . , 2020 ) , attached with some additional linear layers, are fine-tuned for identifying speaker information like gender and age.

Emotion Caption. Emotional tone is the fundamental key to style in speech. It is important to preserve the nuances of emotional tone in the original audio to the fullest extent possible. The audio utterances from the audiobooks are primarily storytelling narration with minimal emotion. In line with TextrolSpeech, we set their emotional tones to be ‘neutral’. In the case of other emotion caption options, we take advantage of the most advanced emotion recognition technologies according to languages. As to English audio data, we adopt a pre-trained speech emotion representation model, Emotion2vec  (Ma et al . , 2023 ) . It provides convincing nine-class emotion recognition results and achieves SOTA on SER tasks. For Chinese audio data, we adopt the speech emotion captioning model SECap  (Xu et al . , 2024 ) . It captures the nuances of emotional cues, including intensity and fluctuations, through short sentences rather than predefined single words. The customization of emotional tune makes the caption of each audio piece unique from others. The content serves as the textual basis for the final speech expressiveness description.

Word Emphasis Detection. Word emphasis plays a crucial role in speech expressiveness, conveying particular attitudes beyond the mere lexical content of what is spoken. Emphasis typically manifests as the strategic accentuation of certain words within a sentence. Therefore, the minimum unit for emphasis detection is set to be words in Chinese and English. Inspired by the lexical stress detection 2 2 2 https://github.com/LexicalStressDetection/lexical-stress-detection in isolated English characters, we consider both the spectral and non-spectral features to hierarchically model the acoustic information. We model the spectral features with a residual convolutional neural network and non-spectral features with a deep neural network respectively. Details of the model implementation can be found in supplementary materials. The emphasis of sentence is the word predicted with top 1 probability.

3.4. Rewriting via LLMs

Capitalizing on the exceptional annotation capabilities of LLMs, we employed an expertise LLaMA 2 3 3 3 Due to the original LLaMA’s limited proficiency in Chinese, we adopted an alternate version of LLaMA (Baichuan2-7B-Base  (Yang and et al, 2023 ) ) trained on bilingual corpus. to transfer the group of attribute contents to natural language description for speech expressiveness. It is worth noting that we do not provide any structured formats for the description in advance to fill in the blanks as PromptTTS 2 does, but put emphasis on the richness of vocabulary and the accuracy in conveying the meaning of labels. To regularize LLaMA 2 to create promising results, we concentrated on detecting illegality and improving diversity during the fine-tuning progress. LLM may distort or omit content in the input that renders the output unusable, such as excluding certain labels or slightly altering the transcript. Irrelevant hallucination and contextual continuation between the multiple inputs also needs to be prevented. Therefore, we conducted thorough verification to abandon the low-quality generation. To better cultivate diversity and reduce the rough connection of labels instead of generating coherent sentences, three types of data enhancement methods were conducted, including order rearrangement of input attributes, expression synonym substitution, and multiple rounds of description translation. GPT-4 Turbo  (OpenAI, 2024 ) is used to undertake a primary proportion of data and the fine-tuned LLaMA 2 undertakes the main role of rewriting.

Remarkably, we aimed to generate two versions of speech prompts to make the data more widely applicable. The speech description (denoted as the Description version) contains all available attributes regardless of the transcript. Besides, we involved speech transcript as an extra attribute to form a so-called speech instruction (denoted as the Instruction version). The primary motivation for involving transcripts in the text prompt can be described as the convenience for unified control tendency in the future development of speech interpretation.

Unified control of style and content. Both style and transcript are significant in achieving unified control formation of speech audio in text speech interaction.

Unified control of global and detailed style information. Previous models process transcript and description through two channels respectively, resulting in difficulty to model the fine-grained instruction among different parts of transcript. With the transcript contained in the description, it would be easier to model the global style, additionally, fine-grained instruction.

Unified control of speech and audio. The unified construction form can be easily expanded from speech instruction to audio instruction datasets in the future, describing the overall scenario of sound events, speech content, and scene atmosphere.

4. SpeechCraft Dataset

Deploying the annotation system on public speech datasets, here we introduce SpeechCraft , a bilingual dataset for fine-grained and expressive descriptions of speech. It is the largest open-sourced text description dataset in terms of both data scale and number of properties to characterize style. SpeechCraft encompasses a total of 2,108,710 speech descriptions for approximately 1,000 hours of audio data per language. Due to the absence of public data with emphasis labels, we propose a method to generate speech with stress pronunciation on word emphasis with paired description to cater to word-level fine-grained style control. Furthermore, we conduct experiments to test the effectiveness of components within the data construction process in this section.

4.1. Data Sources

To facilitate further research in speech-language learning, we have implemented an annotation system for large-scale speech datasets, including precise attribute labeling and the crafting of expressive portrayals. Considering a comprehensive set of factors such as dataset audio quality, the number and distribution of speakers, and the richness of emotional tones, we have selected the Chinese AISHELL-3 and Zhvoice, along with the English GigasSpeech-m and LibriTTS-R, as our foundational datasets. Word clouds illustrating these datasets are presented in Fig. 2 . Detailed implementations of these four datasets are provided in the supplementary materials.

Notably, given the high-quality of corpus such as AISHELL-3, which explicitly marks various speaker attributes (gender, age group, native accents), some functionalities of the system were omitted in the actual construction of SpeechCraft , adapting to local conditions.

4.2. Fine-grained Emphasis Speech Dataset

TTS Backbone with Disentangled Feature Control. Word emphasis is typically achieved through a combination of pitch variation, volume increase, elongation of sounds, and strategic pauses. These vocal cues work together to draw attention to the emphasized words. To better simulate the principles behind the generation of emphasis, we employed FastSpeech 2  (Ren et al . , 2020 ) as the backbone due to its ability to generate high-quality speech with disentangled control over phoneme-level acoustic properties, including pitch, energy, and duration. By adjusting the predictions of these acoustic features, we can achieve increased volume, higher pitch, and prolonged sounds on the designed words. We tested a mix of energy, pitch, and duration scaling factors to pinpoint the optimal combination that aligns with human perception.

Emphasis Speech Generation. Regarding the decision on emphasized words, we primarily assume that the keywords of a sentence are the most reasonable candidates for emphasis. Thus, we conducted keyword extraction from the transcripts of speech datasets. The FastSpeech 2 model was pre-trained on AISHELL-3 and LibriTTS-R for the purpose of regenerating both datasets with keyword emphasis. Ultimately, we obtained 63,000 emphasized audio clips from AISHELL-3 and 75,000 from LibriTTS. A detailed implementation of emphasis speech generation is illustrated in the supplementary materials.

4.3. Validation of the Annotation System

The overall annotation system works by integrating detailed audio analysis with language model rewriting to create descriptions that can capture the nuances of speech expressiveness automatically. As a result, it is important to validate the accuracy of detailed attributes and the performance of the fine-tuned LLM in overall rewriting.

Initially, we conduct an evaluation of the attribute predictors in style recognition using human-labeled data. The Wav2vec 2.0   (Baevski et al . , 2020 ) based age and gender classification model achieved precisions of 97.72% and 87.7% respectively on the AISHELL 3 dataset, which provides authentic speaker information. The officially released fine-tuned version of Emotion2vec  (Ma et al . , 2023 ) model for speech emotion recognition task outperformed other SERs with an accuracy of 84% on the internal English emotion dataset. To evaluate the performance of SECap  (Xu et al . , 2024 ) , which describes speech emotion with short sentences, we employed ChatGPT to summarize the main emotional tendency of the captioned sentence within the range of single-word emotions. The results indicated that the accuracy of the summary of SECap captions is 70.45% on a twelve-class internal Chinese emotion dataset.

Subsequently, we implement a series of assessments on the annotations of the fine-tuned LLaMA 2 with multiple dimensions to evaluate the effect of rewriting. We take the descriptions produced by GPT-3.5 Turbo  (Brown et al . , 2020 ) and TextrolSpeech as baselines. The accuracy and completeness in preserving given labels reflect the fidelity of the language model in preserving authentic information through the rewriting process. As shown in Tab.  3 , the LLaMA 2 with instructional fine-tuning on data generated by GPT 4.0 had competitive results with GPT-3.5 Turbo  (Brown et al . , 2020 ) . The overall error rates of the fine-tuned LLaMA was the lowest among three types of descriptions, indicating less omission or distortion throughout the transformation process. It thereby guaranteed precise semantics embedded within a broader range of intricate attributes. The distribution of sentence length in descriptions indirectly indicates that our longer sentences possess the potential to encapsulate a greater depth of detail, as shown in Fig. 3 . Another interesting statistical discovery concerns the position of spoken transcript among the speech instruction annotation . The transcript exhibits probabilities of 5.55%, 33.05%, and 61.40% for occurring at the beginning, middle, and end of a sentence, respectively, showcasing syntactic diversity.

Statistics contain the original version and regeneratation with emphasis.

TextrolSpeech dataset doesn’t contain age label.

Finally, we conducted a mutual experiment to evaluate both the quality of the regenerated emphasis data and the effectiveness of the proposed emphasis detection model. Initially, we trained models using the proposed regeneration of AISHELL-3 and LibriTTS-R datasets respectively. The AISHELL-3-stressed achieved an accuracy of 88.55% on test set, while the LibriTTS-R-stressed achieves an accuracy of 85.60%. Additionally, the emphasis experiment on an internal dataset, with human annotation on word emphasis, is provided in supplementary materials, further demonstrating the effectiveness of our approach in modeling real-life stress patterns.

4.4. Data Analysis

The SpeechCraft dataset is distributed evenly across both Chinese and English datasets, encompassing over 2,000,000 audio clips annotated with speech Descriptions and speech Instructions . The detailed information of the modified data in SpeechCraft that sourced from public speech datasets are listed in Tab.  4 .

Distribution of gender and age are shown in Fig.  4 . The gender distribution is nearly balanced with a slight variation among different age groups. Most ages are distributed as Teenager , Young Adult , and Middle-aged , indicating a focus on individuals likely within the most active stages of life. English part of SpeechCraft contains 36.1% emotional data mostly regarded as Happy , Sad , and Angry . The quantities of clips expressing Surprised , Disgusted , and Fearful are 5,626, 4,038, and 3,223, respectively, exceeding the scale of existing datasets. However, their proportions remain low in the context of the vast total amount of data. The unbalanced distribution of emotions resulting from in-the-wild data also indicates the frequency of real-life emotion tendency outside datasets.

5. Boost Performance via SpeechCraft

To assess the impact of the proposed SpeechCraft dataset, we conduct comprehensive experiments across various speech-language multi-modal learning tasks, including expressive speech synthesis, fine-grained emphasis control in TTS systems, and automated speech style captioning.

5.1. Expressive Speech Synthesis

The expressive speech synthesis task aims to generate high-quality speech audio under the intended speaking style in a seamless manner. Typically, the task employs a natural language description prompt as input to modulate the expressiveness of style. To validate the effectiveness of SpeechCraft in replicating the intended expressiveness, we reproduce two text prompt TTS models, Salle and ParlerTTS  (Lyth and King, 2024 ) , and conduct training on both the TextrolSpeech dataset and the proposed SpeechCraft dataset for comparative analysis. Both Salle and ParlerTTS facilitate speech synthesis task by conditional codec language modeling with residual vector quantization   (Défossez et al . , 2022 ) (RVQ) as audio representations, but mainly differs in their methods of autoregressive token generation.

As the TextrolSpeech dataset does not contain transcripts within its descriptions, we perform rigorous comparison experiments on the Description version of SpeechCraft . We strictly follow the official guidelines, training each model 600,000 steps on Salle and 50,000 steps on ParlerTTS. The evaluation was conducted across three key dimensions: the recall accuracy of the style factors, audio quality, and user study. The testset is consist of 316 randomly sampled audio clips from GigaSpeech-s TTS corpus, embodying a diverse array of all attribute dimensions. We used the speech annotation pipeline in Sec.  3.3 to characterize the groundtruth and synthesized speech. Attributes recall accuracy was calculated by comparing the two versions of style labels. Traditional objective evaluation metrics, namely Speaker Encoder Cosine Similarity (SECS  (Casanova et al . , 2021 ) ) and Mel-Cepstral Distortion (MCD), were further utilized to assess the similarity of speaker identity and MFCC features between synthesized and original speech.

As illustrated in Tab.  5 , the substantial potential utility of large scale data is evidenced by the English subset of SpeechCraft Description outperforming TextrolSpeech from all aspects and the mean accuracy with ParlerTTS reached 80%. Notably, the labels of pitch, energy and speed are classified based on a relative percentage borderline within the testset domain.

5.2. Fine-grained Speech Emphasis Control

Utilizing synthesized emphasis data with paired fine-grained style instructions, we explore the potential applications of speech emphasis control by fine-tuning the expressive speech synthesis model. To assess the impact of incorporating transcript into the text description on fine-grained control capabilities like emphasis, we compare the emphasized speech effects between the Description version and the Instruction version of SpeechCraft .

We evaluate emphasis accuracy in the synthesized speech in English and Chinese respectively. According to the design of the emphasis detection model in Sec. 3.3 , emphasis is detected by the unit of words. Therefore, word-level accuracy ( Acc w subscript Acc 𝑤 \text{Acc}_{w} Acc start_POSTSUBSCRIPT italic_w end_POSTSUBSCRIPT ) denotes the nominal accuracy across all word pieces segmented from sentences. Sentence-level accuracy ( Acc s subscript Acc 𝑠 \text{Acc}_{s} Acc start_POSTSUBSCRIPT italic_s end_POSTSUBSCRIPT ) refers to the true accuracy of correctly predicting an emphasized word based on the complete sentence. Importantly, we include instructions without emphasis demands in the test set to evaluate the system’s reliability through precise emphasis control. Sentences without emphasis demands are considered correct only if no word is incorrectly identified as emphasized. As illustrated in Tab. 7 , the proposed Instruction version excels over the Description version across all metrics, achieving 95.43% accuracy in Chinese sentences and 90.96% in English. Furthermore, ablation experiments on ParlerTTS in Tab. 5 indicates that involving transcript does not decrease the performance of other global style factors. This demonstrates conclusively that our data, enriched with emphasis word instructions and specific features of stressed pronunciation, fuses the fine-grained speech emphasis control with outstanding effectiveness.

Case Study. We further conduct a case study using a series of same base instructions varied only in the words emphasized, as illustrated in Fig.  5 . The line of speech energy (green) shows a clear peak at the targeted words and aligns with the highest fundamental frequency (yellow) within the sentence. The distinct emphasis on the words highlights the flexibility and precision of our dataset’s fine-grained, style-controllable synthesis capabilities.

5.3. Automated Speech Style Captioning

Automated speech style captioning transcends emotion captioning by providing comprehensive descriptions that encompass not only the emotional tone but also stylistic nuances such as acoustic properties and speaker identity. Owing to the nascent stage of speech style captioning development, we replicate the state-of-the-art automated emotion captioning model SECap (refer to Sec.  2.3 ), and retrain it on the Description version of SpeechCraft . Utilizing the semantic features extracted by the pre-trained audio encoder within SECap, the model achieves a remarkably coherent interpretation of the overall speech style to a significant degree. For the first time, it was capable of capturing a descriptive sentence that included acoustic properties, speaker identity, and emotional tone. This accomplishment marks a substantial advancement in the nuanced articulation of speech characteristics. Some of the cases are documented in Tab.  6 .

We conduct a user study to evaluate the detail and accuracy of the descriptions in capturing the audio style. Although our model marginally outperforms the original SECap (3.79 vs 3.58), there is consensus that speech style captioning, while capturing a broader range of audio characteristics, does so in a less expressive manner compared to SECap. SECap deals with nuanced emotional variations more explicitly, highlighting the need for further research into the trade-offs involved in fine-grained speech style captioning regarding the scope and detail of dimensions.

6. Conclusion

In this work, we proposed an automatic speech annotation system for expressiveness interpretation, which adopted refined speech style recognition with LLMs rewriting to form detailed and customized speech descriptions. Furthermore, we created SpeechCraft , the largest open-source expressive bilingual speech dataset with natural language descriptions, which has great potential in large speech-language model training. Experiments showed that our dataset strongly enhances the performance of both text-to-speech and speech-to-text models. It boosts fine-grained style control such as word emphasis in expressive speech synthesis, and facilitates automated speech-style captioning in the broader field of speech comprehension and interaction technologies.

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Appendix A Details in Speech Annotation

A.1. example of metadata.

In Section 3.2 of the paper, we conduct data preprocessing to establish standard metadata before the whole annotation framework and further utilize the raw metadata to extract prior information of the audio clip such as the topic. An example of preprocessed metadata is shown as follows.

A.2. Label Categories

As described in Section 3.3, our proposed annotation system characterized speech in terms of various style properties including pitch, energy, speed, age, gender, emotion description, and word emphasis. The subset labels of each attribute are listed below.

Gender : Male, Female

Age : Child, Teenager, Youth adult, Middle-aged, Elderly

Pitch : low, normal, high

Speed : slow, normal, fast

Volume : low, normal, high

Emotion (English): Fearful, Happy, Disgusted, Sad, Surprised, Angry, Neutral

Appendix B SpeechCraft Data Sources

As illustrated in Section 4.1, we implemented the annotation system across large-scale bilingual speech datasets to conduct speech descriptions, resulting in the SpeechCraft dataset. The detailed information of the four open-source speech datasets is introduced as follows.

AISHELL-3   (Shi et al . , 2020 ) is a high-fidelity Mandarin speech corpus containing roughly 85 hours of recordings spoken by 218 speakers and a total of 88, 035 utterances.

Zhvoice 4 4 4 https://github.com/fighting41love/zhvoice corpus consists of eight open-source subdatasets, processed through noise reduction and quality enhancement, with approximately 3200 speakers, and 900 hours of audio, totally 1,032,940 utterances.

LibriTTS-R   (Koizumi et al . , 2023 ) is a restored English TTS Corpus with 585 hours of speech from 2, 456 speakers. It is derived by applying speech restoration to the LibriTTS  (Zen et al . , 2019 ) corpus with sound quality improved.

GigaSpeech   (Chen et al . , 2021 ) is an evolving, multi-domain ASR Corpus collected from three different sources of data, including audiobook, podcast, and YouTube videos. It provides a wide range of choices on the dataset scale. The GigaSpeech-m is an officially recommended subset as a 1000-hour dataset for research experiments.

Appendix C Details in Emphasis Studies

C.1. emphasis regeneration.

As introduced in Section 4.2, we employed FastSpeech 2  (Ren et al . , 2020 ) as the backbone to regenerate the AISHELL-3 and LibriTTS-R datasets with keyword emphasized in each piece.

C.1.1. FastSpeech 2 Backbone Model.

FastSpeech 2 achieved modulation of phoneme-level characteristics with the key component of Variance Adaptor. It consists of three primary Predictors for energy, pitch and duration respectively. Adjusting the output of Predictors by scale, we can obtain loud volume, high pitch, and elongated sounds on the designed phoneme. The different combination of scaling factors determines various acoustic effects.

C.1.2. Keyword Extraction.

We used the TextRank  (Mihalcea and Tarau, 2004 ) algorithm for Chinese content and Gensim  (Vrehuuvrek and Sojka, 2010 ) for English to conduct keyword extraction. Words such as particles and proper nouns are overlooked as they are seldom stressed in conversational speech.

C.2. Emphasis Detection

We introduced a word-level emphasis detection model in Section 3.3. The detection model works by conducting forced alignment for each waveform to get the separate audio slice for a minimum word unit. As the emphasis is a relative concept that becomes significant only when compared to the surrounding words, we concatenate features of predecessor and successor to form the final representation for each audio unit in the neural network training.

C.3. Emphasis Evaluation on Real-Life Dataset

In Section 4.3, we demonstrated the accuracy of emphasis detection on the testset of the regenerated AISHELL-3-stressed and LibriTTS-R-stressed data. To further evaluate the effectiveness of our detection approach in modeling real-life stress patterns, we utilized an internal dataset with human annotation on word emphasis over 10, 000 audio utterances read by professional voice actors to test the the model’s generalization ability on real-world data. The emphasis detection models achieve 66.90% on word-level accuracy and 41.63% on sentence-level accuracy on the human-annotated dataset, which showcase the model’s promising ability to generalize on natural word emphasis. However, the limited accuracy may stem from the inherent complexity of real-world emphasizing effects, which are more nuanced and varied than the mixed feature adjustments in our data construction.

Appendix D Model Configuration in TTS Experiments

We adopted the Salle  (Ji et al . , 2024 ) model to conduct Expressive Speech Synthesis in Section 5.1, which facilitate speech synthesis task by codec language modelling with RVQ  (Défossez et al . , 2022 ) . RVQ is a method of high fidelity neural audio compression which features multi-layer discrete quantizers that can be reconstructed to high-quality waveforms by the pre-trained neural audio codec model.

Salle employed a hybrid approach combining an autoregressive style conditional codec model (AR) and a non-autoregressive TTS codec model (NAR). The AR model is employed to generate the first layer of RVQ, which encapsulates the fundamental speaking information. Conversely, the NAR model is reserved for the subsequent layers of quantizers that capture fine acoustic details. Text style prompt embedding is concatenated ahead of the phoneme text embedding, serving as the condition. The strategic embedding integration significantly enhances the expressive capacity and accuracy of the speech synthesis.

Appendix E LLM Prompt

The text prompt given to the LLM for label rewriting is as followed.

Given the pitch, volume, age, gender, tone, and text, use sentiment analysis techniques to describe in natural language what age, what gender of a person, with what kind of emotion and tone, using what kind of pitch and volume, spoke the words in the text.

Note: You must vividly describe the sentence’s intonation, pitch, tone, and emotion. All outputs must strictly avoid identical wording and sentence structure. There is no need to describe body language or psychological state, no need to emphasize specific words, and do not repeat the input content.

Refer to the format of the following four cases:

Example Input - Example Output

Now try to process the following sentences, directly output the converted sentences according to the examples without missing any labels.