Free HESI A2 Grammar guide
October 2026 - Parts of Speech Study Guide for nursing students in
Nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions and interjections. A word's part of speech depends on the job it does in the sentence, not on the word itself — which is why the same word can be two different parts of speech in two sentences.
The eight parts of speech
| Part | Job | Example in use |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | Names a person, place, thing or idea | The nurse updated the chart. |
| Pronoun | Stands in for a noun | She updated it. |
| Verb | Action or state of being | She updated the chart. She is tired. |
| Adjective | Describes a noun | The senior nurse, a detailed chart. |
| Adverb | Describes a verb, adjective or another adverb | She updated it quickly. Very tired. |
| Preposition | Shows relationship in space, time or logic | The chart on the desk, before handover. |
| Conjunction | Joins words or clauses | Charts and notes; she left because it was late. |
| Interjection | Expresses emotion, standing apart | Oh, the results are back. |
The same word, different parts of speech
This is what the harder questions test. In she will chart the observations, chart is a verb; in she updated the chart, it is a noun. In the light was dim, light is a noun; in a light dressing, it is an adjective; in light the lamp, it is a verb.
So never answer from the word alone. Ask what the word is doing in this particular sentence: naming something, describing something, or expressing an action.
How to identify each quickly
- Noun — can you put "the" or "a" in front of it?
- Verb — can you change its tense? If "she walks" becomes "she walked",
walksis a verb. - Adjective — does it answer which, what kind, or how many about a noun?
- Adverb — does it answer how, when, where or to what extent? Many end in -ly, but not all:
very,often,never,here. - Preposition — can you complete "the chart ___ the desk"? On, under, beside, near, before.
Not every -ly word is an adverb, and not every adverb ends in -ly. Friendly and lonely are adjectives; fast, often, never and here are adverbs. Judge by the job the word does, not by its ending.
Identifying a word in context
Worked example
What part of speech is well in each sentence? She recovered well. / He is not well. / Well, that settles it.
- First: it describes how she recovered, so it modifies a verb — adverb.
- Second: it describes his state, following the linking verb "is" — adjective.
- Third: it stands apart at the start, expressing a reaction — interjection.
- One word, three jobs, three answers.
Adverb, adjective, interjection. This is exactly why the question is always about the sentence rather than the word.
Terms to know
- Noun
- A word naming a person, place, thing or idea.
- Pronoun
- A word standing in for a noun.
- Verb
- A word expressing an action or a state of being.
- Adjective
- A word describing a noun.
- Adverb
- A word describing a verb, adjective or another adverb.
- Preposition
- A word showing relationship in space, time or logic.
- Conjunction
- A word joining words, phrases or clauses.
- Interjection
- A word expressing emotion, grammatically separate from the sentence.
- Linking verb
- A verb such as is, seems or becomes, joining a subject to a description.
What the HESI asks most
The same core ideas appear in different wording. If you can answer these without stopping to think, you have what this section requires.
What part of speech is the underlined word?
Ask what job it does in this sentence, not what the word usually is.
Which word in the sentence is an adverb?
The one answering how, when, where or to what extent. It need not end in -ly.
Which sentence uses this word as a verb?
The one where the word expresses the action and can change tense.
Key points
- Eight parts: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, interjection.
- Part of speech is decided by function in the sentence, not by the word itself.
- Adjectives describe nouns; adverbs describe verbs, adjectives and other adverbs.
- Not all -ly words are adverbs, and many adverbs do not end in -ly.
- Test a verb by changing its tense and a noun by putting "the" in front of it.
Review quiz
4 questions on this topic, each with the reasoning worked through. Pick an answer to see how it went, or open the explanation straight away.
-
Question 1 of 4
In the sentence
The nurse recorded the readings carefully, what part of speech iscarefully?Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Adverb
It answers how the recording was done, which means it modifies the verb — the defining job of an adverb. An adjective would describe a noun such as "the nurse" or "the readings" instead.
-
Question 2 of 4
In which sentence is
chartused as a verb?Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. Please chart the observations before you leave.
Only the third asks someone to perform the action of charting, and the tense could change to "charted". In the other three the word names a thing, and each takes an article in front of it.
-
Question 3 of 4
Which word in this sentence is a preposition?
The trolley beside the door needs restocking.Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. beside
Besideshows the spatial relationship between the trolley and the door, which is what a preposition does. "Trolley" names a thing, and "needs" is the verb of the sentence. -
Question 4 of 4
What part of speech is
friendlyinHe gave a friendly reminder?Show the answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Adjective, because it describes the noun "reminder"
It tells you what kind of reminder, which makes it an adjective despite the -ly ending. The ending is a genuinely unreliable guide —
friendlyandlonelyare adjectives, whilefastandoftenare adverbs without it.
Put this HESI topic into practice
Build a set on parts of speech and use the rationale on every question to reinforce what you just reviewed.
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