A word is normally labelled by the job it performs in a sentence. A phrase contains two or more words and can either perform a grammatical job or act as a recognised expression.
Parts of speech for words
Noun
Names a person, place, thing or idea.
Examplesdog, city, apple, joy“That idea changed everything.”
Pronoun
Replaces a noun or noun phrase.
Exampleshe, she, it, they“They arrived early.”
Verb
Shows an action, event or state of being.
Examplesrun, jump, is, feel“We laughed loudly.”
Adjective
Describes or adds information about a noun or pronoun.
Examplesbig, red, happy, loud“It was a strange day.”
Adverb
Describes a verb, adjective, another adverb or a whole sentence.
Examplesquickly, very, well, softly“She replied quickly.”
Preposition
Shows relationships involving place, direction, time or method.
Examplesin, on, under, through“The keys are under the sofa.”
Conjunction
Connects words, phrases or clauses.
Examplesand, but, or, because“I stayed because it was raining.”
Interjection
Expresses a sudden feeling, reaction or greeting.
Exampleswow, ouch, oh, hey“Ouch! That hurt.”
Types of phrases and expressions
Noun phrase
A group of words centred on a noun that acts like a noun.
“The person by the window waved.”
Verb phrase
A main verb together with helping verbs or closely related words.
“She has been waiting all day.”
Adjective phrase
A group of words that describes a noun or pronoun.
“The room was full of people.”
Adverb phrase
A group of words that describes how, when, where or why something happens.
“He answered with complete confidence.”
Prepositional phrase
A preposition followed by its object and any modifiers.
“The parcel is beside the door.”
Idiom
A fixed expression whose overall meaning is not fully predictable from its individual words.
“Spill the beans” means reveal a secret.
Proverb
A traditional short statement that offers advice or expresses a general truth.
“Actions speak louder than words.”
Saying
A familiar expression commonly repeated. It does not have to give advice.
“Better late than never.”
Catchphrase
A memorable expression repeatedly associated with a person, group or character.
A phrase friends repeatedly use in the same situation.
Collocation
Words that commonly appear together in natural language.
“Strong coffee” and “make a decision.”