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What Is a Hypothesis and How Do I Write One?

General Education

Think about something strange and unexplainable in your life. Maybe you get a headache right before it rains, or maybe you think your favorite sports team wins when you wear a certain color. If you wanted to see whether these are just coincidences or scientific fact, you would form a hypothesis, then create an experiment to see whether that hypothesis is true or not.

But what is a hypothesis, anyway? If you’re not sure about what a hypothesis is--or how to test for one!--you’re in the right place. This article will teach you everything you need to know about hypotheses, including: 

• Defining the term “hypothesis” 
• Providing hypothesis examples 
• Giving you tips for how to write your own hypothesis

So let’s get started!

What Is a Hypothesis?

Merriam Webster defines a hypothesis as “an assumption or concession made for the sake of argument.” In other words, a hypothesis is an educated guess . Scientists make a reasonable assumption--or a hypothesis--then design an experiment to test whether it’s true or not. Keep in mind that in science, a hypothesis should be testable. You have to be able to design an experiment that tests your hypothesis in order for it to be valid. 

As you could assume from that statement, it’s easy to make a bad hypothesis. But when you’re holding an experiment, it’s even more important that your guesses be good...after all, you’re spending time (and maybe money!) to figure out more about your observation. That’s why we refer to a hypothesis as an educated guess--good hypotheses are based on existing data and research to make them as sound as possible.

Hypotheses are one part of what’s called the scientific method .  Every (good) experiment or study is based in the scientific method. The scientific method gives order and structure to experiments and ensures that interference from scientists or outside influences does not skew the results. It’s important that you understand the concepts of the scientific method before holding your own experiment. Though it may vary among scientists, the scientific method is generally made up of six steps (in order):

• Observation
• Asking questions
• Forming a hypothesis
• Analyze the data
• Communicate your results

You’ll notice that the hypothesis comes pretty early on when conducting an experiment. That’s because experiments work best when they’re trying to answer one specific question. And you can’t conduct an experiment until you know what you’re trying to prove!

Independent and Dependent Variables 

After doing your research, you’re ready for another important step in forming your hypothesis: identifying variables. Variables are basically any factor that could influence the outcome of your experiment . Variables have to be measurable and related to the topic being studied.

There are two types of variables:  independent variables and dependent variables. I ndependent variables remain constant . For example, age is an independent variable; it will stay the same, and researchers can look at different ages to see if it has an effect on the dependent variable. 

Speaking of dependent variables... dependent variables are subject to the influence of the independent variable , meaning that they are not constant. Let’s say you want to test whether a person’s age affects how much sleep they need. In that case, the independent variable is age (like we mentioned above), and the dependent variable is how much sleep a person gets. 

Variables will be crucial in writing your hypothesis. You need to be able to identify which variable is which, as both the independent and dependent variables will be written into your hypothesis. For instance, in a study about exercise, the independent variable might be the speed at which the respondents walk for thirty minutes, and the dependent variable would be their heart rate. In your study and in your hypothesis, you’re trying to understand the relationship between the two variables.

Elements of a Good Hypothesis

The best hypotheses start by asking the right questions . For instance, if you’ve observed that the grass is greener when it rains twice a week, you could ask what kind of grass it is, what elevation it’s at, and if the grass across the street responds to rain in the same way. Any of these questions could become the backbone of experiments to test why the grass gets greener when it rains fairly frequently.

As you’re asking more questions about your first observation, make sure you’re also making more observations . If it doesn’t rain for two weeks and the grass still looks green, that’s an important observation that could influence your hypothesis. You'll continue observing all throughout your experiment, but until the hypothesis is finalized, every observation should be noted.

Finally, you should consult secondary research before writing your hypothesis . Secondary research is comprised of results found and published by other people. You can usually find this information online or at your library. Additionally, m ake sure the research you find is credible and related to your topic. If you’re studying the correlation between rain and grass growth, it would help you to research rain patterns over the past twenty years for your county, published by a local agricultural association. You should also research the types of grass common in your area, the type of grass in your lawn, and whether anyone else has conducted experiments about your hypothesis. Also be sure you’re checking the quality of your research . Research done by a middle school student about what minerals can be found in rainwater would be less useful than an article published by a local university.

Writing Your Hypothesis

Once you’ve considered all of the factors above, you’re ready to start writing your hypothesis. Hypotheses usually take a certain form when they’re written out in a research report.

When you boil down your hypothesis statement, you are writing down your best guess and not the question at hand . This means that your statement should be written as if it is fact already, even though you are simply testing it.

The reason for this is that, after you have completed your study, you'll either accept or reject your if-then or your null hypothesis. All hypothesis testing examples should be measurable and able to be confirmed or denied. You cannot confirm a question, only a statement! 

In fact, you come up with hypothesis examples all the time! For instance, when you guess on the outcome of a basketball game, you don’t say, “Will the Miami Heat beat the Boston Celtics?” but instead, “I think the Miami Heat will beat the Boston Celtics.” You state it as if it is already true, even if it turns out you’re wrong. You do the same thing when writing your hypothesis.

Additionally, keep in mind that hypotheses can range from very specific to very broad.  These hypotheses can be specific, but if your hypothesis testing examples involve a broad range of causes and effects, your hypothesis can also be broad.  

The Two Types of Hypotheses

Now that you understand what goes into a hypothesis, it’s time to look more closely at the two most common types of hypothesis: the if-then hypothesis and the null hypothesis.

#1: If-Then Hypotheses

First of all, if-then hypotheses typically follow this formula:

If ____ happens, then ____ will happen.

The goal of this type of hypothesis is to test the causal relationship between the independent and dependent variable. It’s fairly simple, and each hypothesis can vary in how detailed it can be. We create if-then hypotheses all the time with our daily predictions. Here are some examples of hypotheses that use an if-then structure from daily life: 

• If I get enough sleep, I’ll be able to get more work done tomorrow.
• If the bus is on time, I can make it to my friend’s birthday party. 
• If I study every night this week, I’ll get a better grade on my exam. 

In each of these situations, you’re making a guess on how an independent variable (sleep, time, or studying) will affect a dependent variable (the amount of work you can do, making it to a party on time, or getting better grades). 

You may still be asking, “What is an example of a hypothesis used in scientific research?” Take one of the hypothesis examples from a real-world study on whether using technology before bed affects children’s sleep patterns. The hypothesis read s:

“We hypothesized that increased hours of tablet- and phone-based screen time at bedtime would be inversely correlated with sleep quality and child attention.”

It might not look like it, but this is an if-then statement. The researchers basically said, “If children have more screen usage at bedtime, then their quality of sleep and attention will be worse.” The sleep quality and attention are the dependent variables and the screen usage is the independent variable. (Usually, the independent variable comes after the “if” and the dependent variable comes after the “then,” as it is the independent variable that affects the dependent variable.) This is an excellent example of how flexible hypothesis statements can be, as long as the general idea of “if-then” and the independent and dependent variables are present.

#2: Null Hypotheses

Your if-then hypothesis is not the only one needed to complete a successful experiment, however. You also need a null hypothesis to test it against. In its most basic form, the null hypothesis is the opposite of your if-then hypothesis . When you write your null hypothesis, you are writing a hypothesis that suggests that your guess is not true, and that the independent and dependent variables have no relationship .

One null hypothesis for the cell phone and sleep study from the last section might say: 

“If children have more screen usage at bedtime, their quality of sleep and attention will not be worse.” 

In this case, this is a null hypothesis because it’s asking the opposite of the original thesis! 

Conversely, if your if-then hypothesis suggests that your two variables have no relationship, then your null hypothesis would suggest that there is one. So, pretend that there is a study that is asking the question, “Does the amount of followers on Instagram influence how long people spend on the app?” The independent variable is the amount of followers, and the dependent variable is the time spent. But if you, as the researcher, don’t think there is a relationship between the number of followers and time spent, you might write an if-then hypothesis that reads:

“If people have many followers on Instagram, they will not spend more time on the app than people who have less.”

In this case, the if-then suggests there isn’t a relationship between the variables. In that case, one of the null hypothesis examples might say:

“If people have many followers on Instagram, they will spend more time on the app than people who have less.”

You then test both the if-then and the null hypothesis to gauge if there is a relationship between the variables, and if so, how much of a relationship. 

4 Tips to Write the Best Hypothesis

If you’re going to take the time to hold an experiment, whether in school or by yourself, you’re also going to want to take the time to make sure your hypothesis is a good one. The best hypotheses have four major elements in common: plausibility, defined concepts, observability, and general explanation.

#1: Plausibility

At first glance, this quality of a hypothesis might seem obvious. When your hypothesis is plausible, that means it’s possible given what we know about science and general common sense. However, improbable hypotheses are more common than you might think. 

Imagine you’re studying weight gain and television watching habits. If you hypothesize that people who watch more than  twenty hours of television a week will gain two hundred pounds or more over the course of a year, this might be improbable (though it’s potentially possible). Consequently, c ommon sense can tell us the results of the study before the study even begins.

Improbable hypotheses generally go against  science, as well. Take this hypothesis example: 

“If a person smokes one cigarette a day, then they will have lungs just as healthy as the average person’s.” 

This hypothesis is obviously untrue, as studies have shown again and again that cigarettes negatively affect lung health. You must be careful that your hypotheses do not reflect your own personal opinion more than they do scientifically-supported findings. This plausibility points to the necessity of research before the hypothesis is written to make sure that your hypothesis has not already been disproven.

#2: Defined Concepts

The more advanced you are in your studies, the more likely that the terms you’re using in your hypothesis are specific to a limited set of knowledge. One of the hypothesis testing examples might include the readability of printed text in newspapers, where you might use words like “kerning” and “x-height.” Unless your readers have a background in graphic design, it’s likely that they won’t know what you mean by these terms. Thus, it’s important to either write what they mean in the hypothesis itself or in the report before the hypothesis.

Here’s what we mean. Which of the following sentences makes more sense to the common person?

If the kerning is greater than average, more words will be read per minute.

If the space between letters is greater than average, more words will be read per minute.

For people reading your report that are not experts in typography, simply adding a few more words will be helpful in clarifying exactly what the experiment is all about. It’s always a good idea to make your research and findings as accessible as possible. 

Good hypotheses ensure that you can observe the results. 

#3: Observability

In order to measure the truth or falsity of your hypothesis, you must be able to see your variables and the way they interact. For instance, if your hypothesis is that the flight patterns of satellites affect the strength of certain television signals, yet you don’t have a telescope to view the satellites or a television to monitor the signal strength, you cannot properly observe your hypothesis and thus cannot continue your study.

Some variables may seem easy to observe, but if you do not have a system of measurement in place, you cannot observe your hypothesis properly. Here’s an example: if you’re experimenting on the effect of healthy food on overall happiness, but you don’t have a way to monitor and measure what “overall happiness” means, your results will not reflect the truth. Monitoring how often someone smiles for a whole day is not reasonably observable, but having the participants state how happy they feel on a scale of one to ten is more observable. 

In writing your hypothesis, always keep in mind how you'll execute the experiment.

#4: Generalizability 

Perhaps you’d like to study what color your best friend wears the most often by observing and documenting the colors she wears each day of the week. This might be fun information for her and you to know, but beyond you two, there aren’t many people who could benefit from this experiment. When you start an experiment, you should note how generalizable your findings may be if they are confirmed. Generalizability is basically how common a particular phenomenon is to other people’s everyday life.

Let’s say you’re asking a question about the health benefits of eating an apple for one day only, you need to realize that the experiment may be too specific to be helpful. It does not help to explain a phenomenon that many people experience. If you find yourself with too specific of a hypothesis, go back to asking the big question: what is it that you want to know, and what do you think will happen between your two variables?

Hypothesis Testing Examples

We know it can be hard to write a good hypothesis unless you’ve seen some good hypothesis examples. We’ve included four hypothesis examples based on some made-up experiments. Use these as templates or launch pads for coming up with your own hypotheses.

Experiment #1: Students Studying Outside (Writing a Hypothesis)

You are a student at PrepScholar University. When you walk around campus, you notice that, when the temperature is above 60 degrees, more students study in the quad. You want to know when your fellow students are more likely to study outside. With this information, how do you make the best hypothesis possible?

You must remember to make additional observations and do secondary research before writing your hypothesis. In doing so, you notice that no one studies outside when it’s 75 degrees and raining, so this should be included in your experiment. Also, studies done on the topic beforehand suggested that students are more likely to study in temperatures less than 85 degrees. With this in mind, you feel confident that you can identify your variables and write your hypotheses:

If-then: “If the temperature in Fahrenheit is less than 60 degrees, significantly fewer students will study outside.”

Null: “If the temperature in Fahrenheit is less than 60 degrees, the same number of students will study outside as when it is more than 60 degrees.”

These hypotheses are plausible, as the temperatures are reasonably within the bounds of what is possible. The number of people in the quad is also easily observable. It is also not a phenomenon specific to only one person or at one time, but instead can explain a phenomenon for a broader group of people.

To complete this experiment, you pick the month of October to observe the quad. Every day (except on the days where it’s raining)from 3 to 4 PM, when most classes have released for the day, you observe how many people are on the quad. You measure how many people come  and how many leave. You also write down the temperature on the hour. 

After writing down all of your observations and putting them on a graph, you find that the most students study on the quad when it is 70 degrees outside, and that the number of students drops a lot once the temperature reaches 60 degrees or below. In this case, your research report would state that you accept or “failed to reject” your first hypothesis with your findings.

Experiment #2: The Cupcake Store (Forming a Simple Experiment)

Let’s say that you work at a bakery. You specialize in cupcakes, and you make only two colors of frosting: yellow and purple. You want to know what kind of customers are more likely to buy what kind of cupcake, so you set up an experiment. Your independent variable is the customer’s gender, and the dependent variable is the color of the frosting. What is an example of a hypothesis that might answer the question of this study?

Here’s what your hypotheses might look like: 

If-then: “If customers’ gender is female, then they will buy more yellow cupcakes than purple cupcakes.”

Null: “If customers’ gender is female, then they will be just as likely to buy purple cupcakes as yellow cupcakes.”

This is a pretty simple experiment! It passes the test of plausibility (there could easily be a difference), defined concepts (there’s nothing complicated about cupcakes!), observability (both color and gender can be easily observed), and general explanation ( this would potentially help you make better business decisions ).

Experiment #3: Backyard Bird Feeders (Integrating Multiple Variables and Rejecting the If-Then Hypothesis)

While watching your backyard bird feeder, you realized that different birds come on the days when you change the types of seeds. You decide that you want to see more cardinals in your backyard, so you decide to see what type of food they like the best and set up an experiment. 

However, one morning, you notice that, while some cardinals are present, blue jays are eating out of your backyard feeder filled with millet. You decide that, of all of the other birds, you would like to see the blue jays the least. This means you'll have more than one variable in your hypothesis. Your new hypotheses might look like this: 

If-then: “If sunflower seeds are placed in the bird feeders, then more cardinals will come than blue jays. If millet is placed in the bird feeders, then more blue jays will come than cardinals.”

Null: “If either sunflower seeds or millet are placed in the bird, equal numbers of cardinals and blue jays will come.”

Through simple observation, you actually find that cardinals come as often as blue jays when sunflower seeds or millet is in the bird feeder. In this case, you would reject your “if-then” hypothesis and “fail to reject” your null hypothesis . You cannot accept your first hypothesis, because it’s clearly not true. Instead you found that there was actually no relation between your different variables. Consequently, you would need to run more experiments with different variables to see if the new variables impact the results.

Experiment #4: In-Class Survey (Including an Alternative Hypothesis)

You’re about to give a speech in one of your classes about the importance of paying attention. You want to take this opportunity to test a hypothesis you’ve had for a while: 

If-then: If students sit in the first two rows of the classroom, then they will listen better than students who do not.

Null: If students sit in the first two rows of the classroom, then they will not listen better or worse than students who do not.

You give your speech and then ask your teacher if you can hand out a short survey to the class. On the survey, you’ve included questions about some of the topics you talked about. When you get back the results, you’re surprised to see that not only do the students in the first two rows not pay better attention, but they also scored worse than students in other parts of the classroom! Here, both your if-then and your null hypotheses are not representative of your findings. What do you do?

This is when you reject both your if-then and null hypotheses and instead create an alternative hypothesis . This type of hypothesis is used in the rare circumstance that neither of your hypotheses is able to capture your findings . Now you can use what you’ve learned to draft new hypotheses and test again! 

Key Takeaways: Hypothesis Writing

The more comfortable you become with writing hypotheses, the better they will become. The structure of hypotheses is flexible and may need to be changed depending on what topic you are studying. The most important thing to remember is the purpose of your hypothesis and the difference between the if-then and the null . From there, in forming your hypothesis, you should constantly be asking questions, making observations, doing secondary research, and considering your variables. After you have written your hypothesis, be sure to edit it so that it is plausible, clearly defined, observable, and helpful in explaining a general phenomenon.

Writing a hypothesis is something that everyone, from elementary school children competing in a science fair to professional scientists in a lab, needs to know how to do. Hypotheses are vital in experiments and in properly executing the scientific method . When done correctly, hypotheses will set up your studies for success and help you to understand the world a little better, one experiment at a time.

What’s Next?

If you’re studying for the science portion of the ACT, there’s definitely a lot you need to know. We’ve got the tools to help, though! Start by checking out our ultimate study guide for the ACT Science subject test. Once you read through that, be sure to download our recommended ACT Science practice tests , since they’re one of the most foolproof ways to improve your score. (And don’t forget to check out our expert guide book , too.)

If you love science and want to major in a scientific field, you should start preparing in high school . Here are the science classes you should take to set yourself up for success.

If you’re trying to think of science experiments you can do for class (or for a science fair!), here’s a list of 37 awesome science experiments you can do at home

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Ashley Sufflé Robinson has a Ph.D. in 19th Century English Literature. As a content writer for PrepScholar, Ashley is passionate about giving college-bound students the in-depth information they need to get into the school of their dreams.

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Home » What is a Hypothesis – Types, Examples and Writing Guide

What is a Hypothesis – Types, Examples and Writing Guide

Table of Contents

Definition:

Hypothesis is an educated guess or proposed explanation for a phenomenon, based on some initial observations or data. It is a tentative statement that can be tested and potentially proven or disproven through further investigation and experimentation.

Hypothesis is often used in scientific research to guide the design of experiments and the collection and analysis of data. It is an essential element of the scientific method, as it allows researchers to make predictions about the outcome of their experiments and to test those predictions to determine their accuracy.

Types of Hypothesis

Types of Hypothesis are as follows:

Research Hypothesis

A research hypothesis is a statement that predicts a relationship between variables. It is usually formulated as a specific statement that can be tested through research, and it is often used in scientific research to guide the design of experiments.

Null Hypothesis

The null hypothesis is a statement that assumes there is no significant difference or relationship between variables. It is often used as a starting point for testing the research hypothesis, and if the results of the study reject the null hypothesis, it suggests that there is a significant difference or relationship between variables.

Alternative Hypothesis

An alternative hypothesis is a statement that assumes there is a significant difference or relationship between variables. It is often used as an alternative to the null hypothesis and is tested against the null hypothesis to determine which statement is more accurate.

Directional Hypothesis

A directional hypothesis is a statement that predicts the direction of the relationship between variables. For example, a researcher might predict that increasing the amount of exercise will result in a decrease in body weight.

Non-directional Hypothesis

A non-directional hypothesis is a statement that predicts the relationship between variables but does not specify the direction. For example, a researcher might predict that there is a relationship between the amount of exercise and body weight, but they do not specify whether increasing or decreasing exercise will affect body weight.

Statistical Hypothesis

A statistical hypothesis is a statement that assumes a particular statistical model or distribution for the data. It is often used in statistical analysis to test the significance of a particular result.

Composite Hypothesis

A composite hypothesis is a statement that assumes more than one condition or outcome. It can be divided into several sub-hypotheses, each of which represents a different possible outcome.

Empirical Hypothesis

An empirical hypothesis is a statement that is based on observed phenomena or data. It is often used in scientific research to develop theories or models that explain the observed phenomena.

Simple Hypothesis

A simple hypothesis is a statement that assumes only one outcome or condition. It is often used in scientific research to test a single variable or factor.

Complex Hypothesis

A complex hypothesis is a statement that assumes multiple outcomes or conditions. It is often used in scientific research to test the effects of multiple variables or factors on a particular outcome.

Applications of Hypothesis

Hypotheses are used in various fields to guide research and make predictions about the outcomes of experiments or observations. Here are some examples of how hypotheses are applied in different fields:

• Science : In scientific research, hypotheses are used to test the validity of theories and models that explain natural phenomena. For example, a hypothesis might be formulated to test the effects of a particular variable on a natural system, such as the effects of climate change on an ecosystem.
• Medicine : In medical research, hypotheses are used to test the effectiveness of treatments and therapies for specific conditions. For example, a hypothesis might be formulated to test the effects of a new drug on a particular disease.
• Psychology : In psychology, hypotheses are used to test theories and models of human behavior and cognition. For example, a hypothesis might be formulated to test the effects of a particular stimulus on the brain or behavior.
• Sociology : In sociology, hypotheses are used to test theories and models of social phenomena, such as the effects of social structures or institutions on human behavior. For example, a hypothesis might be formulated to test the effects of income inequality on crime rates.
• Business : In business research, hypotheses are used to test the validity of theories and models that explain business phenomena, such as consumer behavior or market trends. For example, a hypothesis might be formulated to test the effects of a new marketing campaign on consumer buying behavior.
• Engineering : In engineering, hypotheses are used to test the effectiveness of new technologies or designs. For example, a hypothesis might be formulated to test the efficiency of a new solar panel design.

How to write a Hypothesis

Here are the steps to follow when writing a hypothesis:

Identify the Research Question

The first step is to identify the research question that you want to answer through your study. This question should be clear, specific, and focused. It should be something that can be investigated empirically and that has some relevance or significance in the field.

Conduct a Literature Review

Before writing your hypothesis, it’s essential to conduct a thorough literature review to understand what is already known about the topic. This will help you to identify the research gap and formulate a hypothesis that builds on existing knowledge.

Determine the Variables

The next step is to identify the variables involved in the research question. A variable is any characteristic or factor that can vary or change. There are two types of variables: independent and dependent. The independent variable is the one that is manipulated or changed by the researcher, while the dependent variable is the one that is measured or observed as a result of the independent variable.

Formulate the Hypothesis

Based on the research question and the variables involved, you can now formulate your hypothesis. A hypothesis should be a clear and concise statement that predicts the relationship between the variables. It should be testable through empirical research and based on existing theory or evidence.

Write the Null Hypothesis

The null hypothesis is the opposite of the alternative hypothesis, which is the hypothesis that you are testing. The null hypothesis states that there is no significant difference or relationship between the variables. It is important to write the null hypothesis because it allows you to compare your results with what would be expected by chance.

Refine the Hypothesis

After formulating the hypothesis, it’s important to refine it and make it more precise. This may involve clarifying the variables, specifying the direction of the relationship, or making the hypothesis more testable.

Examples of Hypothesis

Here are a few examples of hypotheses in different fields:

• Psychology : “Increased exposure to violent video games leads to increased aggressive behavior in adolescents.”
• Biology : “Higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will lead to increased plant growth.”
• Sociology : “Individuals who grow up in households with higher socioeconomic status will have higher levels of education and income as adults.”
• Education : “Implementing a new teaching method will result in higher student achievement scores.”
• Marketing : “Customers who receive a personalized email will be more likely to make a purchase than those who receive a generic email.”
• Physics : “An increase in temperature will cause an increase in the volume of a gas, assuming all other variables remain constant.”
• Medicine : “Consuming a diet high in saturated fats will increase the risk of developing heart disease.”

Purpose of Hypothesis

The purpose of a hypothesis is to provide a testable explanation for an observed phenomenon or a prediction of a future outcome based on existing knowledge or theories. A hypothesis is an essential part of the scientific method and helps to guide the research process by providing a clear focus for investigation. It enables scientists to design experiments or studies to gather evidence and data that can support or refute the proposed explanation or prediction.

The formulation of a hypothesis is based on existing knowledge, observations, and theories, and it should be specific, testable, and falsifiable. A specific hypothesis helps to define the research question, which is important in the research process as it guides the selection of an appropriate research design and methodology. Testability of the hypothesis means that it can be proven or disproven through empirical data collection and analysis. Falsifiability means that the hypothesis should be formulated in such a way that it can be proven wrong if it is incorrect.

In addition to guiding the research process, the testing of hypotheses can lead to new discoveries and advancements in scientific knowledge. When a hypothesis is supported by the data, it can be used to develop new theories or models to explain the observed phenomenon. When a hypothesis is not supported by the data, it can help to refine existing theories or prompt the development of new hypotheses to explain the phenomenon.

When to use Hypothesis

Here are some common situations in which hypotheses are used:

• In scientific research , hypotheses are used to guide the design of experiments and to help researchers make predictions about the outcomes of those experiments.
• In social science research , hypotheses are used to test theories about human behavior, social relationships, and other phenomena.
• I n business , hypotheses can be used to guide decisions about marketing, product development, and other areas. For example, a hypothesis might be that a new product will sell well in a particular market, and this hypothesis can be tested through market research.

Characteristics of Hypothesis

Here are some common characteristics of a hypothesis:

• Testable : A hypothesis must be able to be tested through observation or experimentation. This means that it must be possible to collect data that will either support or refute the hypothesis.
• Falsifiable : A hypothesis must be able to be proven false if it is not supported by the data. If a hypothesis cannot be falsified, then it is not a scientific hypothesis.
• Clear and concise : A hypothesis should be stated in a clear and concise manner so that it can be easily understood and tested.
• Based on existing knowledge : A hypothesis should be based on existing knowledge and research in the field. It should not be based on personal beliefs or opinions.
• Specific : A hypothesis should be specific in terms of the variables being tested and the predicted outcome. This will help to ensure that the research is focused and well-designed.
• Tentative: A hypothesis is a tentative statement or assumption that requires further testing and evidence to be confirmed or refuted. It is not a final conclusion or assertion.
• Relevant : A hypothesis should be relevant to the research question or problem being studied. It should address a gap in knowledge or provide a new perspective on the issue.

Advantages of Hypothesis

Hypotheses have several advantages in scientific research and experimentation:

• Guides research: A hypothesis provides a clear and specific direction for research. It helps to focus the research question, select appropriate methods and variables, and interpret the results.
• Predictive powe r: A hypothesis makes predictions about the outcome of research, which can be tested through experimentation. This allows researchers to evaluate the validity of the hypothesis and make new discoveries.
• Facilitates communication: A hypothesis provides a common language and framework for scientists to communicate with one another about their research. This helps to facilitate the exchange of ideas and promotes collaboration.
• Efficient use of resources: A hypothesis helps researchers to use their time, resources, and funding efficiently by directing them towards specific research questions and methods that are most likely to yield results.
• Provides a basis for further research: A hypothesis that is supported by data provides a basis for further research and exploration. It can lead to new hypotheses, theories, and discoveries.
• Increases objectivity: A hypothesis can help to increase objectivity in research by providing a clear and specific framework for testing and interpreting results. This can reduce bias and increase the reliability of research findings.

Limitations of Hypothesis

Some Limitations of the Hypothesis are as follows:

• Limited to observable phenomena: Hypotheses are limited to observable phenomena and cannot account for unobservable or intangible factors. This means that some research questions may not be amenable to hypothesis testing.
• May be inaccurate or incomplete: Hypotheses are based on existing knowledge and research, which may be incomplete or inaccurate. This can lead to flawed hypotheses and erroneous conclusions.
• May be biased: Hypotheses may be biased by the researcher’s own beliefs, values, or assumptions. This can lead to selective interpretation of data and a lack of objectivity in research.
• Cannot prove causation: A hypothesis can only show a correlation between variables, but it cannot prove causation. This requires further experimentation and analysis.
• Limited to specific contexts: Hypotheses are limited to specific contexts and may not be generalizable to other situations or populations. This means that results may not be applicable in other contexts or may require further testing.
• May be affected by chance : Hypotheses may be affected by chance or random variation, which can obscure or distort the true relationship between variables.

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The word “hypothesis” is of ancient Greek origin and composed of two parts: “hypo” for “under,” and “thesis” for “to put there”; in Latin, this translated “to suppose” or “supposition”; made up of “sub” [under] and “positum” [put there]. It refers to something that we put there, maybe to start with, maybe to stay with us as an installation. Hence in modern English we say “ let us hypothesize, suppose,” or “let us put it that … .,” and then we start the argument by developing implications and reaching conclusions. The term “hypothesis” marks a space of possibilities in several ways. Firstly, it is the uncertain starting point from which firmer conclusions might be drawn. Public reasoning examines how, from uncertain hypotheses, neither true nor false, we can nevertheless reach useful conclusions. Secondly, the hypothesis is the end point of a logical process of firming up on reality through scientific enquiry. Scientific methodology makes hypothesis testing the gold standard...

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• How to Write a Strong Hypothesis | Guide & Examples

How to Write a Strong Hypothesis | Guide & Examples

Published on 6 May 2022 by Shona McCombes .

A hypothesis is a statement that can be tested by scientific research. If you want to test a relationship between two or more variables, you need to write hypotheses before you start your experiment or data collection.

Table of contents

What is a hypothesis, developing a hypothesis (with example), hypothesis examples, frequently asked questions about writing hypotheses.

A hypothesis states your predictions about what your research will find. It is a tentative answer to your research question that has not yet been tested. For some research projects, you might have to write several hypotheses that address different aspects of your research question.

A hypothesis is not just a guess – it should be based on existing theories and knowledge. It also has to be testable, which means you can support or refute it through scientific research methods (such as experiments, observations, and statistical analysis of data).

Variables in hypotheses

Hypotheses propose a relationship between two or more variables . An independent variable is something the researcher changes or controls. A dependent variable is something the researcher observes and measures.

In this example, the independent variable is exposure to the sun – the assumed cause . The dependent variable is the level of happiness – the assumed effect .

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Step 1: ask a question.

Writing a hypothesis begins with a research question that you want to answer. The question should be focused, specific, and researchable within the constraints of your project.

Step 2: Do some preliminary research

Your initial answer to the question should be based on what is already known about the topic. Look for theories and previous studies to help you form educated assumptions about what your research will find.

At this stage, you might construct a conceptual framework to identify which variables you will study and what you think the relationships are between them. Sometimes, you’ll have to operationalise more complex constructs.

Step 3: Formulate your hypothesis

Now you should have some idea of what you expect to find. Write your initial answer to the question in a clear, concise sentence.

Step 4: Refine your hypothesis

You need to make sure your hypothesis is specific and testable. There are various ways of phrasing a hypothesis, but all the terms you use should have clear definitions, and the hypothesis should contain:

• The relevant variables
• The specific group being studied
• The predicted outcome of the experiment or analysis

Step 5: Phrase your hypothesis in three ways

To identify the variables, you can write a simple prediction in if … then form. The first part of the sentence states the independent variable and the second part states the dependent variable.

In academic research, hypotheses are more commonly phrased in terms of correlations or effects, where you directly state the predicted relationship between variables.

If you are comparing two groups, the hypothesis can state what difference you expect to find between them.

Step 6. Write a null hypothesis

If your research involves statistical hypothesis testing , you will also have to write a null hypothesis. The null hypothesis is the default position that there is no association between the variables. The null hypothesis is written as H 0 , while the alternative hypothesis is H 1 or H a .

Hypothesis testing is a formal procedure for investigating our ideas about the world using statistics. It is used by scientists to test specific predictions, called hypotheses , by calculating how likely it is that a pattern or relationship between variables could have arisen by chance.

A hypothesis is not just a guess. It should be based on existing theories and knowledge. It also has to be testable, which means you can support or refute it through scientific research methods (such as experiments, observations, and statistical analysis of data).

A research hypothesis is your proposed answer to your research question. The research hypothesis usually includes an explanation (‘ x affects y because …’).

A statistical hypothesis, on the other hand, is a mathematical statement about a population parameter. Statistical hypotheses always come in pairs: the null and alternative hypotheses. In a well-designed study , the statistical hypotheses correspond logically to the research hypothesis.

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This is the Difference Between a Hypothesis and a Theory

What to Know A hypothesis is an assumption made before any research has been done. It is formed so that it can be tested to see if it might be true. A theory is a principle formed to explain the things already shown in data. Because of the rigors of experiment and control, it is much more likely that a theory will be true than a hypothesis.

As anyone who has worked in a laboratory or out in the field can tell you, science is about process: that of observing, making inferences about those observations, and then performing tests to see if the truth value of those inferences holds up. The scientific method is designed to be a rigorous procedure for acquiring knowledge about the world around us.

In scientific reasoning, a hypothesis is constructed before any applicable research has been done. A theory, on the other hand, is supported by evidence: it's a principle formed as an attempt to explain things that have already been substantiated by data.

Toward that end, science employs a particular vocabulary for describing how ideas are proposed, tested, and supported or disproven. And that's where we see the difference between a hypothesis and a theory .

A hypothesis is an assumption, something proposed for the sake of argument so that it can be tested to see if it might be true.

In the scientific method, the hypothesis is constructed before any applicable research has been done, apart from a basic background review. You ask a question, read up on what has been studied before, and then form a hypothesis.

What is a Hypothesis?

A hypothesis is usually tentative, an assumption or suggestion made strictly for the objective of being tested.

When a character which has been lost in a breed, reappears after a great number of generations, the most probable hypothesis is, not that the offspring suddenly takes after an ancestor some hundred generations distant, but that in each successive generation there has been a tendency to reproduce the character in question, which at last, under unknown favourable conditions, gains an ascendancy. Charles Darwin, On the Origin of Species , 1859 According to one widely reported hypothesis , cell-phone transmissions were disrupting the bees' navigational abilities. (Few experts took the cell-phone conjecture seriously; as one scientist said to me, "If that were the case, Dave Hackenberg's hives would have been dead a long time ago.") Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker , 6 Aug. 2007

What is a Theory?

A theory , in contrast, is a principle that has been formed as an attempt to explain things that have already been substantiated by data. It is used in the names of a number of principles accepted in the scientific community, such as the Big Bang Theory . Because of the rigors of experimentation and control, its likelihood as truth is much higher than that of a hypothesis.

It is evident, on our theory , that coasts merely fringed by reefs cannot have subsided to any perceptible amount; and therefore they must, since the growth of their corals, either have remained stationary or have been upheaved. Now, it is remarkable how generally it can be shown, by the presence of upraised organic remains, that the fringed islands have been elevated: and so far, this is indirect evidence in favour of our theory . Charles Darwin, The Voyage of the Beagle , 1839 An example of a fundamental principle in physics, first proposed by Galileo in 1632 and extended by Einstein in 1905, is the following: All observers traveling at constant velocity relative to one another, should witness identical laws of nature. From this principle, Einstein derived his theory of special relativity. Alan Lightman, Harper's , December 2011

Non-Scientific Use

In non-scientific use, however, hypothesis and theory are often used interchangeably to mean simply an idea, speculation, or hunch (though theory is more common in this regard):

The theory of the teacher with all these immigrant kids was that if you spoke English loudly enough they would eventually understand. E. L. Doctorow, Loon Lake , 1979 Chicago is famous for asking questions for which there can be no boilerplate answers. Example: given the probability that the federal tax code, nondairy creamer, Dennis Rodman and the art of mime all came from outer space, name something else that has extraterrestrial origins and defend your hypothesis . John McCormick, Newsweek , 5 Apr. 1999 In his mind's eye, Miller saw his case suddenly taking form: Richard Bailey had Helen Brach killed because she was threatening to sue him over the horses she had purchased. It was, he realized, only a theory , but it was one he felt certain he could, in time, prove. Full of urgency, a man with a mission now that he had a hypothesis to guide him, he issued new orders to his troops: Find out everything you can about Richard Bailey and his crowd. Howard Blum, Vanity Fair , January 1995

And sometimes one term is used as a genus, or a means for defining the other:

Laplace's popular version of his astronomy, the Système du monde , was famous for introducing what came to be known as the nebular hypothesis , the theory that the solar system was formed by the condensation, through gradual cooling, of the gaseous atmosphere (the nebulae) surrounding the sun. Louis Menand, The Metaphysical Club , 2001 Researchers use this information to support the gateway drug theory — the hypothesis that using one intoxicating substance leads to future use of another. Jordy Byrd, The Pacific Northwest Inlander , 6 May 2015 Fox, the business and economics columnist for Time magazine, tells the story of the professors who enabled those abuses under the banner of the financial theory known as the efficient market hypothesis . Paul Krugman, The New York Times Book Review , 9 Aug. 2009

Incorrect Interpretations of "Theory"

Since this casual use does away with the distinctions upheld by the scientific community, hypothesis and theory are prone to being wrongly interpreted even when they are encountered in scientific contexts—or at least, contexts that allude to scientific study without making the critical distinction that scientists employ when weighing hypotheses and theories.

The most common occurrence is when theory is interpreted—and sometimes even gleefully seized upon—to mean something having less truth value than other scientific principles. (The word law applies to principles so firmly established that they are almost never questioned, such as the law of gravity.)

This mistake is one of projection: since we use theory in general use to mean something lightly speculated, then it's implied that scientists must be talking about the same level of uncertainty when they use theory to refer to their well-tested and reasoned principles.

The distinction has come to the forefront particularly on occasions when the content of science curricula in schools has been challenged—notably, when a school board in Georgia put stickers on textbooks stating that evolution was "a theory, not a fact, regarding the origin of living things." As Kenneth R. Miller, a cell biologist at Brown University, has said , a theory "doesn’t mean a hunch or a guess. A theory is a system of explanations that ties together a whole bunch of facts. It not only explains those facts, but predicts what you ought to find from other observations and experiments.”

While theories are never completely infallible, they form the basis of scientific reasoning because, as Miller said "to the best of our ability, we’ve tested them, and they’ve held up."

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• 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”).

You can check whether you’re using each of the parts of speech correctly using our grammar checker .

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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| | | | | | | My Wordlists Legacy activities Intermediate Dictionary         Wordsmyth     Lookup History hypotheses a prediction or educated guess that can be tested and can be used to guide further study. hypothesist (n.) See   Subscribe for ad-free Wordsmyth and more Daily Crossword Word Puzzle Word Finder Word of the Day Synonym of the Day Word of the Year Language stories All featured Gender and sexuality All pop culture Writing hub Grammar essentials Commonly confused All writing tips Pop culture Writing tips Advertisement noun as in theory Strongest matches explanation interpretation proposition supposition Strong matches attribution demonstration presupposition speculation Weak matches shot in the dark starting point tentative law Example Sentences Each one is a set of questions we’re fascinated by and hypotheses we’re testing. Mousa’s research hinges on the “contact hypothesis,” the idea that positive interactions among rival group members can reduce prejudices. Do more research on it, come up with a hypothesis as to why it underperforms, and try to improve it. Now is the time to test your hypotheses to figure out what’s changing in your customers’ worlds, and address these topics directly. Whether computing power alone is enough to fuel continued machine learning breakthroughs is a source of debate, but it seems clear we’ll be able to test the hypothesis. Though researchers have struggled to understand exactly what contributes to this gender difference, Dr. Rohan has one hypothesis. The leading hypothesis for the ultimate source of the Ebola virus, and where it retreats in between outbreaks, lies in bats. In 1996, John Paul II called the Big Bang theory “more than a hypothesis.” To be clear: There have been no double-blind or controlled studies that conclusively confirm this hair-loss hypothesis. The bacteria-driven-ritual hypothesis ignores the huge diversity of reasons that could push someone to perform a religious ritual. And remember it is by our hypothesis the best possible form and arrangement of that lesson. Taken in connection with what we know of the nebulæ, the proof of Laplace's nebular hypothesis may fairly be regarded as complete. What has become of the letter from M. de St. Mars, said to have been discovered some years ago, confirming this last hypothesis? To admit that there had really been any communication between the dead man and the living one is also an hypothesis. "I consider it highly probable," asserted Aunt Maria, forgetting her Scandinavian hypothesis. Related Words Words related to hypothesis are not direct synonyms, but are associated with the word hypothesis . Browse related words to learn more about word associations. noun as in taking something for granted; something expected expectation postulation presumption sneaking suspicion theorization noun as in putting regard in as true understanding noun as in something regarded as true fundamental gospel truth noun as in idea abstraction apprehension conceptualization consideration fool notion intellection Viewing 5 / 29 related words From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group. Parts of Speech: The Ultimate Guide for Students and Teachers This article is part of the ultimate guide to language for teachers and students. Click the buttons below to view these. What are Parts of Speech ? Just as a skilled bricklayer must get to grips with the trowel, brick hammer, tape measure, and spirit level, the student-writer must develop a thorough understanding of the tools of their trade too. In English, words can be categorized according to their common syntactic function in a sentence, i.e. the job they perform. We call these different categories Parts of Speech . Understanding the various parts of speech and how they work has several compelling benefits for our students. Without first acquiring a firm grasp of the various parts of speech, students will struggle to fully comprehend how language works. This is essential not only for the development of their reading comprehension but their writing skills too. Parts of speech are the core building blocks of grammar . To understand how a language works at a sentence and a whole-text level, we must first master parts of speech. In English, we can identify eight of these individual parts of speech, and these will provide the focus for our Complete Guide to Parts of Speech . THE EIGHT PARTS OF SPEECH (Click to jump to each section) A complete unit on teaching figurative language. FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE  is like  “SPECIAL EFFECTS FOR AUTHORS.”  It is a powerful tool to create  VIVID IMAGERY  through words. This  HUGE UNIT  guides you through completely understanding  FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE . ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (26 Reviews) Often the first word a child speaks will be a noun, for example, Mum , Dad , cow , dog , etc. Nouns are naming words, and, as most school kids can recite, they are the names of people, places, and things . But, what isn’t as widely understood by many of our students is that nouns can be further classified into more specific categories.  These categories are: Common Nouns Proper nouns, concrete nouns, abstract nouns, collective nouns, countable nouns, uncountable nouns. All nouns can be classified as either common or proper . Common nouns are the general names of people, places, and things. They are groups or classes on their own, rather than specific types of people, places, or things such as we find in proper nouns. Common nouns can be further classified as abstract or concrete – more on this shortly! Some examples of common nouns include: People: teacher, author, engineer, artist, singer. Places: country, city, town, house, garden. Things: language, trophy, magazine, movie, book. Proper nouns are the specific names for people, places, and things. Unlike common nouns, which are always lowercase, proper nouns are capitalized. This makes them easy to identify in a text. Where possible, using proper nouns in place of common nouns helps bring precision to a student’s writing. Some examples of proper nouns include: People: Mrs Casey, J.K. Rowling, Nikola Tesla, Pablo Picasso, Billie Eilish. Places: Australia, San Francisco, Llandovery, The White House, Gardens of Versailles. Things: Bulgarian, The World Cup, Rolling Stone, The Lion King, The Hunger Games. Nouns Teaching Activity: Common vs Proper Nouns Provide students with books suitable for their current reading level. Instruct students to go through a page or two and identify all the nouns. Ask students to sort these nouns into two lists according to whether they are common nouns or proper nouns. As mentioned, all common and proper nouns can be further classified as either concrete or abstract . A concrete noun is any noun that can be experienced through one of the five senses. In other words, if you can see, smell, hear, taste, or touch it, then it’s a concrete noun. Some examples of concrete nouns include: Abstract nouns refer to those things that can’t be experienced or identified through the five senses. They are not physical things we can perceive but intangible concepts and ideas, qualities and states. Some examples of abstract nouns include: Nouns Teaching Activity: Concrete Vs. Abstract Nouns Provide students with a book suitable for their current reading level. Instruct students to go through a page or two and identify all the nouns (the lists from Practice Activity #1 may be suitable). This time, ask students to sort these nouns into two lists according to whether they are concrete or abstract nouns. A collective noun is the name of a group of people or things. That is, a collective noun always refers to more than one of something. Some examples of collective nouns include: People: a board of directors, a team of football players, a cast of actors, a band of musicians, a class of students. Places: a range of mountains, a suite of rooms, a union of states, a chain of islands. Things: a bale of hay, a constellation of stars, a bag of sweets, a school of fish, a flock of seagulls. Countable nouns are nouns that refer to things that can be counted. They come in two flavors: singular and plural . In their singular form, countable nouns are often preceded by the article, e.g. a , an , or the . In their plural form, countable nouns are often preceded by a number. They can also be used in conjunction with quantifiers such as a few and many . Some examples of countable nouns include: COUNTABLE NOUNS EXAMPLES a driver two drivers the house the houses an apple a few apples dog dogs Also known as mass nouns, uncountable nouns are, as their name suggests, impossible to count. Abstract ideas such as bravery and compassion are uncountable, as are things like liquid and bread . These types of nouns are always treated in the singular and usually do not have a plural form.  They can stand alone or be used in conjunction with words and phrases such as any , some , a little , a lot of , and much . Some examples of uncountable nouns include: UNCOUNTABLE NOUNS EXAMPLES Advice Money Baggage Danger Warmth Milk Nouns Teaching Activity: How many can you list ? Organize students into small groups to work collaboratively. Challenge students to list as many countable and uncountable nouns as they can in ten minutes. To make things more challenging, stipulate that there must be an uncountable noun and a countable noun to gain a point. The winning group is the one that scores the most points. Without a verb, there is no sentence! Verbs are the words we use to represent both internal and external actions or states of being. Without a verb, nothing happens. There are many different types of verbs. Here, we will look at five important verb forms organised according to the jobs they perform: Dynamic Verbs Stative verbs, transitive verbs, intransitive verbs, auxiliary verbs. Each verb can be classified as being either an action or a stative verb. Dynamic or action verbs describe the physical activity performed by the subject of a sentence. This type of verb is usually the first we learn as children.  For example, run , hit , throw , hide , eat , sleep , watch , write , etc. are all dynamic verbs, as is any action performed by the body. Let’s see a few examples in sentences: I jogged around the track three times. She will dance as if her life depends on it. She took a candy from the bag, unwrapped it, and popped it into her mouth. If a verb doesn’t describe a physical activity, then it is a stative verb. Stative verbs refer to states of being, conditions, or mental processes. Generally, we can classify stative verbs into four types: Emotions/Thoughts Some examples of stative verbs include:  Senses: hurt, see, smell, taste, hear, etc. Emotions: love, doubt, desire, remember, believe, etc. Being: be, have, require, involve, contain, etc. Possession: want, include, own, have, belong, etc. Here are some stative verbs at work in sentences: That is one thing we can agree on. I remember my first day at school like it was yesterday. The university requires students to score at least 80%. She has only three remaining. Sometimes verbs can fit into more than one category, e.g., be , have , look , see , e.g., She looks beautiful. (Stative) I look through the telescope. (Dynamic) Each action or stative verb can also be further classified as transitive or intransitive . A transitive verb takes a direct object after it. The object is the noun, noun phrase, or pronoun that has something done to it by the subject of the sentence. We see this in the most straightforward English sentences, i.e., the Subject-Verb-Object or SVO sentence.  Here are two examples to illustrate. Note: the subject of each sentence is underlined, and the transitive verbs are in bold. The teacher answered the student’s questions. She studies languages at university. My friend loves cabbage. Most sentences in English employ transitive verbs. An intransitive verb does not take a direct object after it. It is important to note that only nouns, noun phrases, and pronouns can be classed as direct objects.  Here are some examples of intransitive verbs – notice how none of these sentences has direct objects after their verbs. Jane’s health improved . The car ran smoothly. The school opens at 9 o’clock. Auxiliary verbs, also known as ‘helping’ verbs, work with other verbs to affect the meaning of a sentence. They do this by combining with a main verb to alter the sentence’s tense, mood, or voice. Auxiliary verbs will frequently use not in the negative. There are relatively few auxiliary verbs in English. Here is a list of the main ones: be (am, are, is, was, were, being) do (did, does, doing) have (had, has, having) Here are some examples of auxiliary verbs (in bold) in action alongside a main verb (underlined). She is working as hard as she can. You must not eat dinner until after five o’clock. The parents may come to the graduation ceremony. The Subject-Auxiliary Inversion Test To test whether or not a verb is an auxiliary verb, you can use the Subject-Auxiliary Inversion Test . Take the sentence, e.g: Now, invert the subject and the suspected auxiliary verb to see if it creates a question. Is she working as hard as she can? Can it take ‘not’ in the negative form? She is not working as hard as she can. If the answer to both of these questions is yes, you have an auxiliary verb. If not, you have a full verb. Verbs Teaching Activity: Identify the Verbs Instruct students to go through an appropriate text length (e.g., paragraph, page, etc.) and compile a list of verbs. In groups, students should then discuss and categorize each verb according to whether they think they are dynamic or stative, transitive or intransitive, and/or auxiliary verbs. The job of an adjective is to modify a noun or a pronoun. It does this by describing, quantifying, or identifying the noun or pronoun. Adjectives help to make writing more interesting and specific. Usually, the adjective is placed before the word it modifies. As with other parts of speech, not all adjectives are the same. There are many different types of adjectives and, in this article, we will look at: Descriptive Adjectives Degrees of Adjectives Quantitative Adjectives Demonstrative adjectives, possessive adjectives, interrogative adjectives, proper adjectives. Descriptive adjectives are what most students think of first when asked what an adjective is. Descriptive adjectives tell us something about the quality of the noun or pronoun in question. For this reason, they are sometimes referred to as qualitative adjectives . Some examples of this type of adjective include: hard-working In sentences, they look like this: The pumpkin was enormous . It was an impressive feat of athleticism I ever saw. Undoubtedly, this was an exquisite vase. She faced some tough competition. Degrees of Adjectives  Descriptive adjectives have three degrees to express varying degrees of intensity and to compare one thing to another. These degrees are referred to as positive , comparative , and superlative . The positive degree is the regular form of the descriptive adjective when no comparison is being made, e.g., strong . The comparative degree is used to compare two people, places, or things, e.g., stronger . There are several ways to form the comparative, methods include: Adding more or less before the adjective Adding -er to the end of one syllable adjectives For two-syllable adjectives ending in y , change the y to an i and add -er to the end. The superlative degree is typically used when comparing three or more things to denote the upper or lowermost limit of a quality, e.g., strongest . There are several ways to form the superlative, including: Adding most or least before the adjective Adding -est to the end of one syllable adjectives For two-syllable adjectives ending in y , change the y to an i and add -est to the end. There are also some irregular adjectives of degree that follow no discernible pattern that must be learned off by students, e.g., good – better – best . Let’s take a look at these degrees of adjectives in their different forms. beautiful more beautiful most beautiful delicious less delicious least delicious near nearer nearest happy happier happiest bad worse worst Let’s take a quick look at some sample sentences: It was a beautiful example of kindness.  Comparative The red is nice, but the green is prettier . Superlative This mango is the most delicious fruit I have ever tastiest.  Quantitive adjectives provide information about how many or how much of the noun or pronoun. Some quantitive adjectives include: She only ate half of her sandwich. This is my first time here. I would like three slices, please. There isn’t a single good reason to go. There aren’t many places like it. It’s too much of a good thing. I gave her a whole box of them. A demonstrative adjective identifies or emphasizes a noun’s place in time or space. The most common demonstrative adjectives are this , that , these , and those . Here are some examples of demonstrative adjectives in use: This boat is mine. That car belongs to her. These shoes clash with my dress. Those people are from Canada. Possessive adjectives show ownership, and they are sometimes confused with possessive pronouns. The most common possessive adjectives are my , your , his , her , our , and their . Students need to be careful not to confuse these with possessive pronouns such as mine , yours , his (same in both contexts), hers , ours , and theirs . Here are some examples of possessive adjectives in sentences: My favorite food is sushi. I would like to read your book when you have finished it. I believe her car is the red one. This is their way of doing things. Our work here is done. Interrogative adjectives ask questions, and, in common with many types of adjectives, they are always followed by a noun. Basically, these are the question words we use to start questions. Be careful however, interrogative adjectives modify nouns. If the word after the question word is a verb, then you have an interrogative adverb on hand. Some examples of interrogative adjectives include what , which , and whose . Let’s take a look at these in action: What drink would you like? Which car should we take? Whose shoes are these? Please note: Whose can also fit into the possessive adjective category too. We can think of proper adjectives as the adjective form of proper nouns – remember those? They were the specific names of people, places, and things and need to be capitalized. Let’s take the proper noun for the place America . If we wanted to make an adjective out of this proper noun to describe something, say, a car we would get ‘ American car’. Let’s take a look at another few examples: Joe enjoyed his cup of Ethiopian coffee. My favorite plays are Shakespearean tragedies. No doubt about it, Fender guitars are some of the best in the world. The Mona Lisa is a fine example of Renaissance art. Though it may come as a surprise to some, articles are also adjectives as, like all adjectives, they modify nouns. Articles help us determine a noun’s specification.  For example, ‘a’ and ‘an’ are used in front of an unspecific noun, while ‘the’ is used when referring to a specific noun. Let’s see some articles as adjectives in action! You will find an apple inside the cupboard. This is a car. The recipe is a family secret. Adjectives Teaching Activity: Types of Adjective Tally Choose a suitable book and assign an appropriate number of pages or length of a chapter for students to work with. Students work their way through each page, tallying up the number of each type of adjective they can identify using a table like the one below: Descriptive Comparative Superlative Quantitative Demonstrative Possessive Interrogative Proper Articles Note how degrees of adjective has been split into comparative and superlative. The positive forms will take care of in the descriptive category. You may wish to adapt this table to exclude the easier categories to identify, such as articles and demonstrative, for example. Traditionally, adverbs are defined as those words that modify verbs, but they do so much more than that. They can be used not only to describe how verbs are performed but also to modify adjectives, other adverbs, clauses, prepositions, or entire sentences. With such a broad range of tasks at the feet of the humble adverb, it would be impossible to cover every possibility in this article alone. However, there are five main types of adverbs our students should familiarize themselves with. These are: Adverbs of Manner Adverbs of time, adverbs of frequency, adverbs of place, adverbs of degree. Adverbs of manner describe how or the way in which something happens or is done. This type of adverb is often the first type taught to students. Many of these end with -ly . Some common examples include happily , quickly , sadly , slowly , and fast . Here are a few taster sentences employing adverbs of manner: She cooks Chinese food well . The children played happily together. The students worked diligently on their projects. Her mother taught her to cross the road carefully . The date went badly . Adverbs of time indicate when something happens. Common adverbs of time include before , now , then , after , already , immediately , and soon . Here are some sentences employing adverbs of time: I go to school early on Wednesdays. She would like to finish her studies eventually . Recently , Sarah moved to Bulgaria. I have already finished my homework. They have been missing training lately . While adverbs of time deal with when something happens, adverbs of frequency are concerned with how often something happens. Common adverbs of frequency include always , frequently , sometimes , seldom , and never . Here’s what they look like in sentences: Harry usually goes to bed around ten. Rachel rarely eats breakfast in the morning. Often , I’ll go home straight after school. I occasionally have ketchup on my pizza. She seldom goes out with her friends. Adverbs of place, as the name suggests, describe where something happens or where it is. They can refer to position, distance, or direction. Some common adverbs of place include above , below , beside , inside , and anywhere . Check out some examples in the sentences below: Underneath the bridge, there lived a troll. There were pizzerias everywhere in the city. We walked around the park in the pouring rain. If the door is open, then go inside . When I am older, I would like to live nearby . Adverbs of degree express the degree to which or how much of something is done. They can also be used to describe levels of intensity. Some common adverbs of degree include barely , little , lots , completely , and entirely . Here are some adverbs of degree at work in sentences: I hardly noticed her when she walked into the room. The little girl had almost finished her homework. The job was completely finished. I was so delighted to hear the good news. Jack was totally delighted to see Diane after all these years. Adverb Teaching Activity: The Adverb Generator Give students a worksheet containing a table divided into five columns. Each column bears a heading of one of the different types of adverbs ( manner , time , frequency , place , degree ). Challenge each group to generate as many different examples of each adverb type and record these in the table. The winning group is the one with the most adverbs. As a bonus, or tiebreaker, task the students to make sentences with some of the adverbs. Pronouns are used in place of a specific noun used earlier in a sentence. They are helpful when the writer wants to avoid repetitive use of a particular noun such as a name. For example, in the following sentences, the pronoun she is used to stand for the girl’s name Mary after it is used in the first sentence.  Mary loved traveling. She had been to France, Thailand, and Taiwan already, but her favorite place in the world was Australia. She had never seen an animal quite as curious-looking as the duck-billed platypus. We also see her used in place of Mary’s in the above passage. There are many different pronouns and, in this article, we’ll take a look at: Subject Pronouns Object pronouns, possessive pronouns, reflexive pronouns, intensive pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, interrogative pronouns. Subject pronouns are the type of pronoun most of us think of when we hear the term pronoun . They operate as the subject of a verb in a sentence. They are also known as personal pronouns. The subject pronouns are: Here are a few examples of subject pronouns doing what they do best: Sarah and I went to the movies last Thursday night. That is my pet dog. It is an Irish Wolfhound. My friends are coming over tonight, they will be here at seven. We won’t all fit into the same car. You have done a fantastic job with your grammar homework! Object pronouns operate as the object of a verb, or a preposition, in a sentence. They act in the same way as object nouns but are used when it is clear what the object is. The object pronouns are: Here are a few examples of object pronouns in sentences: I told you , this is a great opportunity for you . Give her some more time, please. I told her I did not want to do it . That is for us . Catherine is the girl whom I mentioned in my letter. Possessive pronouns indicate ownership of a noun. For example, in the sentence: These books are mine . The word mine stands for my books . It’s important to note that while possessive pronouns look similar to possessive adjectives, their function in a sentence is different. The possessive pronouns are: Let’s take a look at how these are used in sentences: Yours is the yellow jacket. I hope this ticket is mine . The train that leaves at midnight is theirs . Ours is the first house on the right. She is the person whose opinion I value most. I believe that is his . Reflexive pronouns are used in instances where the object and the subject are the same. For example, in the sentence, she did it herself , the words she and herself refer to the same person. The reflexive pronoun forms are: Here are a few more examples of reflexive pronouns at work: I told myself that numerous times. He got himself a new computer with his wages. We will go there ourselves . You must do it yourself . The only thing to fear is fear itself . This type of pronoun can be used to indicate emphasis. For example, when we write, I spoke to the manager herself , the point is made that we talked to the person in charge and not someone lower down the hierarchy.  Similar to the reflexive pronouns above, we can easily differentiate between reflexive and intensive pronouns by asking if the pronoun is essential to the sentence’s meaning. If it isn’t, then it is used solely for emphasis, and therefore, it’s an intensive rather than a reflexive pronoun. Often confused with demonstrative adjectives, demonstrative pronouns can stand alone in a sentence. When this , that , these , and those are used as demonstrative adjectives they come before the noun they modify. When these same words are used as demonstrative pronouns, they replace a noun rather than modify it. Here are some examples of demonstrative pronouns in sentences: This is delicious. That is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. These are not mine. Those belong to the driver. Interrogative pronouns are used to form questions. They are the typical question words that come at the start of questions, with a question mark coming at the end. The interrogative pronouns are: Putting them into sentences looks like this: What is the name of your best friend? Which of these is your favourite? Who goes to the market with you? Whom do you think will win? Whose is that? Pronoun Teaching Activity: Pronoun Review Table Provide students with a review table like the one below to revise the various pronoun forms. They can use this table to help them produce independent sentences. Once students have had a chance to familiarize themselves thoroughly with each of the different types of pronouns, provide the students with the headings and ask them to complete a table from memory.   I me my myself myself this what you you your yourself yourself that which he him his himself himself these who she her her herself herself those whom it it its itself itself whose we us our ourselves ourselves you you your yourselves yourselves they them their themselves themselves Prepositions Prepositions provide extra information showing the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another part of a sentence. These are usually short words that come directly before nouns or pronouns, e.g., in , at , on , etc. There are, of course, many different types of prepositions, each relating to particular types of information. In this article, we will look at: Prepositions of Time Prepositions of place, prepositions of movement, prepositions of manner, prepositions of measure. Preposition of Agency Preposition of Possession Preposition of Source Phrasal Prepositions It’s worth noting that several prepositional words make an appearance in several different categories of prepositions. Prepositions of time indicate when something happens. Common prepositions of time include after , at , before , during , in , on . Let’s see some of these at work: I have been here since Thursday. My daughter was born on the first of September. He went overseas during the war. Before you go, can you pay the bill, please? We will go out after work. Sometimes students have difficulty knowing when to use in , on , or at . These little words are often confused. The table below provides helpful guidance to help students use the right preposition in the right context. Centuries YearsSeasonsMonthsTime of day DaysDatesSpecific holidays Some time of day exceptionsFestivals The prepositions of place, in , at , on , will be instantly recognisable as they also double as prepositions of time. Again, students can sometimes struggle a little to select the correct one for the situation they are describing. Some guidelines can be helpful. If something is contained or confined inside, we use in . If something is placed upon a surface, we use on . If something is located at a specific point, we use at . A few example sentences will assist in illustrating these: He is in the house. I saw it in a magazine. In France, we saw many great works of art. Put it on the table. We sailed on the river. Hang that picture on the wall, please. We arrived at the airport just after 1 pm. I saw her at university. The boy stood at the window. Usually used with verbs of motion, prepositions of movement indicate movement from one place to another. The most commonly used preposition of movement is to . Some other prepositions of movement include: Here’s how they look in some sample sentences: The ball rolled across the table towards me. We looked up into the sky. The children ran past the shop on their way home. Jackie ran down the road to greet her friend. She walked confidently through the curtains and out onto the stage. Preposition of manner shows us how something is done or how it happens. The most common of these are by , in , like , on , with . Let’s take a look at how they work in sentences: We went to school by bus. During the holidays, they traveled across the Rockies on foot. Janet went to the airport in a taxi. She played soccer like a professional. I greeted her with a smile. Prepositions of measure are used to indicate quantities and specific units of measurement. The two most common of these are by and of . Check out these sample sentences: I’m afraid we only sell that fabric by the meter. I will pay you by the hour. She only ate half of the ice cream. I ate the other half. A kilogram of apples is the same weight as a kilogram of feathers. Prepositions of Agency These prepositions indicate the causal relationship between a noun or pronoun and an action. They show the cause of something happening. The most commonly used prepositions of agency are by and with . Here are some examples of their use in sentences: The Harry Potter series was written by J.K. Rowling. This bowl was made by a skilled craftsman. His heart was filled with love. The glass was filled with water. Prepositions of Possession Prepositions of possessions indicate who or what something belongs to. The most common of these are of , to , and with . Let’s take a look: He is the husband of my cousin. He is a friend of the mayor. This once belonged to my grandmother. All these lands belong to the Ministry. The man with the hat is waiting outside. The boy with the big feet tripped and fell. Prepositions of Source Prepositions of source indicate where something comes from or its origins. The two most common prepositions of source are from and by . There is some crossover here with prepositions of agency. Here are some examples: He comes from New Zealand. These oranges are from our own orchard. I was warmed by the heat of the fire. She was hugged by her husband. The yoghurt is of Bulgarian origin. Phrasal prepositions are also known as compound prepositions. These are phrases of two or more words that function in the same way as prepositions. That is, they join nouns or pronouns to the rest of the sentence. Some common phrasal prepositions are: According to For a change In addition to In spite of Rather than With the exception of Students should be careful of overusing phrasal prepositions as some of them can seem clichéd. Frequently, it’s best to say things in as few words as is necessary. Preposition Teaching Activity: Pr eposition Sort Print out a selection of the different types of prepositions on pieces of paper. Organize students into smaller working groups and provide each group with a set of prepositions. Using the headings above as categories, challenge students to sort the prepositions into the correct groups. Note that some prepositions will comfortably fit into more than one group. The winning group is the one to sort all prepositions correctly first. As an extension exercise, students can select a preposition from each category and write a sample sentence for it. ConjunctionS Conjunctions are used to connect words, phrases, and clauses. There are three main types of conjunction that are used to join different parts of sentences. These are: Coordinating Subordinating Correlative Coordinating Conjunctions These conjunctions are used to join sentence components that are equal such as two words, two phrases, or two clauses. In English, there are seven of these that can be memorized using the mnemonic FANBOYS: Here are a few example sentences employing coordinating conjunctions: As a writer, he needed only a pen and paper. I would describe him as strong but lazy. Either we go now or not at all. Subordinating Conjunctions Subordinating conjunctions are used to introduce dependent clauses in sentences. Basically, dependent clauses are parts of sentences that cannot stand as complete sentences on their own.  Some of the most common subordinate conjunctions are:  Let’s take a look at some example sentences: I will complete it by Tuesday if I have time. Although she likes it, she won’t buy it. Jack will give it to you after he finds it. Correlative Conjunctions Correlative conjunctions are like shoes; they come in pairs. They work together to make sentences work. Some come correlative conjunctions are: either / or neither / nor Not only / but also Let’s see how some of these work together: If I were you, I would get either the green one or the yellow one. John wants neither pity nor help. I don’t know whether you prefer horror or romantic movies. Conjunction Teaching Activity: Conjunction Challenge Organize students into Talking Pairs . Partner A gives Partner B an example of a conjunction. Partner B must state which type of conjunction it is, e.g. coordinating, subordinating, or correlative. Partner B must then compose a sentence that uses the conjunction correctly and tell it to Partner A. Partners then swap roles. InterjectionS Interjections focus on feelings and are generally grammatically unrelated to the rest of the sentence or sentences around them. They convey thoughts and feelings and are common in our speech. They are often followed by exclamation marks in writing. Interjections include expressions such as: Eww! That is so gross! Oh , I don’t know. I’ve never used one before. That’s very… err …generous of you, I suppose. Wow! That is fantastic news! Uh-Oh! I don’t have any more left. Interjection Teaching Activity: Create a scenario Once students clearly understand what interjections are, brainstorm as a class as many as possible. Write a master list of interjections on the whiteboard. Partner A suggests an interjection word or phrase to Partner B. Partner B must create a fictional scenario where this interjection would be used appropriately. With a good grasp of the fundamentals of parts of speech, your students will now be equipped to do a deeper dive into the wild waters of English grammar.  To learn more about the twists and turns of English grammar, check out our comprehensive article on English grammar here. DOWNLOAD THESE 9 FREE CLASSROOM PARTS OF SPEECH POSTERS PARTS OF SPEECH TUTORIAL VIDEOS MORE ARTICLES RELATED TO PARTS OF SPEECH | | | | | | | My Wordlists Legacy activities       Wordsmyth     Standard   Lookup History hypotheses a proposed explanation that accounts for observed phenomena or known facts and that can be used to guide further investigation. , , a proposition assumed to be true for the purposes of a particular argument; premise. , , , , , in logic, the first member of a conditional proposition. , , Subscriber feature hypothesist (n.) See   Subscribe for ad-free Wordsmyth and more Welcome to the new OASIS website! We have academic skills, library skills, math and statistics support, and writing resources all together in one new home. Walden University Faculty Portal Grammar: Main Parts of Speech Definitions and examples. The name of something, like a person, animal, place, thing, or concept. Nouns are typically used as subjects, objects, objects of prepositions, and modifiers of other nouns. I = subject the dissertation = object in Chapter 4 = object of a preposition research = modifier This expresses what the person, animal, place, thing, or concept does. In English, verbs follow the noun. It takes a good deal of dedication to complete a doctoral degree. She studied hard for the test. Writing a dissertation is difficult. (The "be" verb is also sometimes referred to as a copula or a linking verb. It links the subject, in this case "writing a dissertation," to the complement or the predicate of the sentence, in this case, "hard.") This describes a noun or pronoun. Adjectives typically come before a noun or after a stative verb, like the verb "to be." Diligent describes the student and appears before the noun student . Difficult is placed after the to be verb and describes what it is like to balance time. Remember that adjectives in English have no plural form. The same form of the adjective is used for both singular and plural nouns. A different idea Some different ideas INCORRECT: some differents ideas This gives more information about the verb and about how the action was done. Adverbs tells how, where, when, why, etc. Depending on the context, the adverb can come before or after the verb or at the beginning or end of a sentence. Enthusiastically describes how he completed the course and answers the how question. Recently modifies the verb enroll and answers the when question. Then describes and modifies the entire sentence. See this link on transitions for more examples of conjunctive adverbs (adverbs that join one idea to another to improve the cohesion of the writing). This word substitutes for a noun or a noun phrase (e.g. it, she, he, they, that, those,…). they = applicants He = Smith; that = ideas; those = those ideas This word makes the reference of the noun more specific (e.g. his, her, my, their, the, a, an, this, these, … ). Jones published her book in 2015. The book was very popular. Preposition This comes before a noun or a noun phrase and links it to other parts of the sentence. These are usually single words (e.g., on, at, by ,… ) but can be up to four words (e.g., as far as, in addition to, as a result of, …). I chose to interview teachers in the district closest to me. The recorder was placed next to the interviewee. I stopped the recording in the middle of the interview due to a low battery. Conjunction A word that joins two clauses. These can be coordinating (an easy way to remember this is memorizing FANBOYS = for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so) or subordinating (e.g., because, although, when, …). The results were not significant, so the alternative hypothesis was accepted. Although the results seem promising, more research must be conducted in this area. Auxiliary Verbs Helping verbs. They are used to build up complete verbs. Primary auxiliary verbs (be, have, do) show the progressive, passive, perfect, and negative verb tenses . Modal auxiliary verbs (can, could, may, might, must, shall, should, will, would) show a variety of meanings. They represent ability, permission, necessity, and degree of certainty. These are always followed by the simple form of the verb. Semimodal auxiliary verbs (e.g., be going to, ought to, have to, had better, used to, be able to,…). These are always followed by the simple form of the verb. primary: have investigated = present perfect tense; has not been determined = passive, perfect, negative form The modal could shows ability, and the verb conduct stays in its simple form; the modal may shows degree of certainty, and the verb lead stays in its simple form. These semimodals are followed by the simple form of the verb. Common Endings Nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs often have unique word endings, called suffixes . Looking at the suffix can help to distinguish the word from other parts of speech and help identify the function of the word in the sentence. It is important to use the correct word form in written sentences so that readers can clearly follow the intended meaning. Here are some common endings for the basic parts of speech. If ever in doubt, consult the dictionary for the correct word form. Common Noun Endings suffrage, image, postage arrival, survival, deferral : kingdom, freedom, boredom : interviewee, employee, trainee : experience, convenience, finance teacher, singer, director archery, cutlery, mystery neighborhood, childhood, brotherhood : economics, gymnastics, aquatics reading, succeeding, believing racism, constructivism, capitalism community, probability, equality : accomplishment, acknowledgement, environment happiness, directness, business : ministry, entry, robbery : scholarship, companionship, leadership : information, expression, complexion structure, pressure, treasure Common Verb Endings congregate, agitate, eliminate : straighten, enlighten, shorten : satisfy, identify, specify : categorize, materialize, energize Common Adjective Endings workable, believable, flexible educational, institutional, exceptional : confused, increased, disappointed : wooden, golden, broken : Chinese, Portuguese, Japanese wonderful, successful, resourceful : poetic, classic, Islamic exciting, failing, comforting childish, foolish, selfish evaluative, collective, abrasive : Canadian, Russian, Malaysian priceless, useless, hopeless friendly, daily, yearly gorgeous, famous, courageous funny, windy, happy Common Adverb Endings : quickly, easily, successfully backward(s), upwards, downwards clockwise, edgewise, price-wise Placement and Position of Adjectives and Adverbs Order of adjectives. If more than one adjective is used in a sentence, they tend to occur in a certain order. In English, two or three adjectives modifying a noun tend to be the limit. However, when writing in APA, not many adjectives should be used (since APA is objective, scientific writing). If adjectives are used, the framework below can be used as guidance in adjective placement. Determiner (e.g., this, that, these, those, my, mine, your, yours, him, his, hers they, their, some, our, several,…) or article (a, an, the) Opinion, quality, or observation adjective (e.g., lovely, useful, cute, difficult, comfortable) Physical description (a) size (big, little, tall, short) (b) shape (circular,  irregular, triangular) (c) age (old, new, young, adolescent) (d) color (red, green, yellow) Origin (e.g., English, Mexican, Japanese) Material (e.g., cotton, metal, plastic) Qualifier (noun used as an adjective to modify the noun that follows; i.e., campus activities, rocking chair, business suit) Head noun that the adjectives are describing (e.g., activities, chair, suit) For example: This (1) lovely (2) new (3) wooden (4) Italian (5) rocking (6) chair (7) is in my office. Your (1) beautiful (2) green (3) French (4) silk (5) business (6) suit (7) has a hole in it. Commas With Multiple Adjectives A comma is used between two adjectives only if the adjectives belong to the same category (for example, if there are two adjectives describing color or two adjectives describing material). To test this, ask these two questions: Does the sentence make sense if the adjectives are written in reverse order? Does the sentence make sense if the word “and” is written between them? If the answer is yes to the above questions, the adjectives are separated with a comma. Also keep in mind a comma is never used before the noun that it modifies. This useful big round old green English leather rocking chair is comfortable . (Note that there are no commas here because there is only one adjective from each category.) A lovely large yellow, red, and green oil painting was hung on the wall. (Note the commas between yellow, red, and green since these are all in the same category of color.) Position of Adverbs Adverbs can appear in different positions in a sentence. At the beginning of a sentence: Generally , teachers work more than 40 hours a week. After the subject, before the verb: Teachers generally work more than 40 hours a week. At the end of a sentence: Teachers work more than 40 hours a week, generally . However, an adverb is not placed between a verb and a direct object. INCORRECT: Teachers work generally more than 40 hours a week. More Detailed Rules for the Position of Adverbs Adverbs that modify the whole sentence can move to different positions, such as certainly, recently, fortunately, actually, and obviously. Recently , I started a new job. I recently started a new job. I started a new job recently . Many adverbs of frequency modify the entire sentence and not just the verb, such as frequently, usually, always, sometimes, often , and seldom . These adverbs appear in the middle of the sentence, after the subject. INCORRECT: Frequently she gets time to herself. INCORRECT: She gets time to herself frequently . She has frequently exercised during her lunch hour. (The adverb appears after the first auxiliary verb.) She is frequently hanging out with old friends. (The adverb appears after the to be verb.) Adverbial phrases work best at the end of a sentence. He greeted us in a very friendly way . I collected data for 2 months . Main Parts of Speech Video Playlist Note that these videos were created while APA 6 was the style guide edition in use. There may be some examples of writing that have not been updated to APA 7 guidelines. Mastering the Mechanics: Nouns (video transcript) Mastering the Mechanics: Introduction to Verbs (video transcript) Mastering the Mechanics: Articles (video transcript) Mastering the Mechanics: Introduction to Pronouns (video transcript) Mastering the Mechanics: Modifiers (video transcript) Writing Tools: Dictionary and Thesaurus Refresher Video Note that this video was created while APA 6 was the style guide edition in use. There may be some examples of writing that have not been updated to APA 7 guidelines. Writing Tools: Dictionary and Thesaurus Refresher (video transcript) Related Resources Knowledge Check: Main Parts of Speech Didn't find what you need? Email us at [email protected] . Previous Page: Grammar Next Page: Sentence Structure and Types of Sentences Office of Student Disability Services Walden Resources Departments. 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Add your answer: What part of speech is What part of speech is? What part of speech is camping. i want to know what part of speech is camping What part of speech is without? what part of speech is beneath Part of speech has a A sound? The part(s) of speech that has an "A" sound are: Adjective and Adverb. What part of speech is oppose? Oppose is a verb. Top Categories International Education Jobs Schools directory Resources Education Jobs Schools directory News Search Year 4 Revise: Recognise word classes (parts of speech) Autumn 1 Subject: English Age range: 7-11 Resource type: Assessment and revision Last updated 22 September 2024 Share through email Share through twitter Share through linkedin Share through facebook Share through pinterest Revision/ AfL lesson aimed at Autumn 1 in year 4 to advise of grammar lesson needs. Can also be used as intervention/ filler lesson at other times of the year. Focus on word classes (parts of speech). Reminding children of technical terms (e.g. describing word = adjective) and how to use. Creative Commons "Attribution" Your rating is required to reflect your happiness. It's good to leave some feedback. Something went wrong, please try again later. This resource hasn't been reviewed yet To ensure quality for our reviews, only customers who have downloaded this resource can review it Report this resource to let us know if it violates our terms and conditions. Our customer service team will review your report and will be in touch. Not quite what you were looking for? Search by keyword to find the right resource: Facebook Logo Twitter Logo Instagram Logo Press Releases Congresswoman Bush Delivers Floor Speech Urging Missouri Governor Parson to Halt the Execution of Marcellus Williams WATCH HERE : “I am urging Governor Parson not to let another innocent man be murdered at the hands of the state,” says Bush. Washington D.C. (Sept. 20, 2024) —Today, Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) delivered a speech on the House floor urging Missouri Governor Mike Parson to immediately halt the execution of Marcellus “Khaliifah” Williams, an innocent man scheduled to be executed by the state of Missouri next Tuesday, September 24.  On Wednesday, Congresswoman Bush sent a letter to Governor Parson urging him to grant clemency and save Marcellus Williams' life.  Watch HERE or read her full remarks, as prepared for delivery, below. “St. Louis and I rise today to say that state-sanctioned violence has no place in a humane society.  Next Tuesday, Marcellus “Khaliifah” Williams is scheduled to be executed for a crime he didn’t commit. Despite credible evidence of Williams’ innocence and mass scrutiny over the fairness of his trial, Missouri Governor Mike Parson and the courts have yet to stop an innocent man from being executed. Within the last four decades, four individuals on death row have been exonerated in Missouri. Since 1973, at least 200 people have been exonerated from death row in the U.S. A 2014 study estimated that at least 4% of those sentenced to death are innocent—a majority of whom are Black and brown. I am urging Governor Parson not to let another innocent man be murdered at the hands of the state. He must heed our call.  As a proud cosponsor of the Federal Death Penalty Prohibition Act, Congress must also act. Let’s end this racist, this flawed, and inhumane practice once and for all. Save the life of this innocent man.”   Print   Email   Share   Tweet 141 COMMENTS How to Write a Hypothesis in 6 Steps, With Examples 4 Alternative hypothesis. An alternative hypothesis, abbreviated as H 1 or H A, is used in conjunction with a null hypothesis. It states the opposite of the null hypothesis, so that one and only one must be true. Examples: Plants grow better with bottled water than tap water. Professional psychics win the lottery more than other people. 5 ... How to Write a Strong Hypothesis 5. Phrase your hypothesis in three ways. To identify the variables, you can write a simple prediction in if…then form. The first part of the sentence states the independent variable and the second part states the dependent variable. If a first-year student starts attending more lectures, then their exam scores will improve. Hypothesis Definition & Meaning The meaning of HYPOTHESIS is an assumption or concession made for the sake of argument. How to use hypothesis in a sentence. The Difference Between Hypothesis and Theory Synonym Discussion of Hypothesis. What Is a Hypothesis and How Do I Write One? · PrepScholar Merriam Webster defines a hypothesis as "an assumption or concession made for the sake of argument.". In other words, a hypothesis is an educated guess. Scientists make a reasonable assumption--or a hypothesis--then design an experiment to test whether it's true or not. Parts of Speech for the word Hypothesis Hypothesis is used as a Noun. Parts of speech for the word Hypothesis. What is a Hypothesis Definition: Hypothesis is an educated guess or proposed explanation for a phenomenon, based on some initial observations or data. It is a tentative statement that can be tested and potentially proven or disproven through further investigation and experimentation. Hypothesis is often used in scientific research to guide the design of experiments ... How to Write a Hypothesis w/ Strong Examples Associative Hypothesis Examples. There is an association between the number of hours spent on social media and the level of anxiety in teenagers. Daily consumption of green tea is associated with weight loss in adults. The frequency of public transport use correlates with the level of urban air pollution. Hypothesis The term "hypothesis" is part of the core language game of science: theory, model, measurement, data, research question, and hypothesis (Glass and Hall 2008). Often hypothesis is confused with model or theory, such as "biological evolution as a hypothesis" or "big bang as a hypothesis." It is more useful to distinguish hypothesis ... How to Write a Strong Hypothesis Step 5: Phrase your hypothesis in three ways. To identify the variables, you can write a simple prediction in if … then form. The first part of the sentence states the independent variable and the second part states the dependent variable. If a first-year student starts attending more lectures, then their exam scores will improve. HYPOTHESIS definition in American English hypothesis in American English. 1. a proposition, or set of propositions, set forth as an explanation for the occurrence of some specified group of phenomena, either asserted merely as a provisional conjecture to guide investigation (working hypothesis) or accepted as highly probable in the light of established facts. 2. Theory vs. Hypothesis: Basics of the Scientific Method Theory vs. Hypothesis: Basics of the Scientific Method. Written by MasterClass. Last updated: Jun 7, 2021 • 2 min read. Though you may hear the terms "theory" and "hypothesis" used interchangeably, these two scientific terms have drastically different meanings in the world of science. Hypothesis vs. Theory: The Difference Explained What to Know. A hypothesis is an assumption made before any research has been done. It is formed so that it can be tested to see if it might be true. A theory is a principle formed to explain the things already shown in data. Because of the rigors of experiment and control, it is much more likely that a theory will be true than a hypothesis. The 8 Parts of Speech 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 ... hypothesis The meaning of hypothesis. Definition of hypothesis. Best online English dictionaries for children, with kid-friendly definitions, integrated thesaurus for kids, images, and animations. Spanish and Chinese language support available. ... part of speech: noun: inflections: hypotheses: definition: 52 Synonyms & Antonyms for HYPOTHESIS Find 52 different ways to say HYPOTHESIS, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com. Parts of Speech: The Ultimate Guide for Students and Teachers Parts of Speech: The Ultimate Guide for Students and Teachers. By Shane Mac Donnchaidh September 11, 2021March 5, 2024 March 5, 2024. This article is part of the ultimate guide to language for teachers and students. Click the buttons below to view these. hypothesis theorem, theory, thesis. definition 2: a proposition assumed to be true for the purposes of a particular argument; premise. Let's start out with the hypothesis that these kinds of tests are fair. synonyms: premise, proposition, supposition. similar words: assumption, axiom, postulate, presumption. definition 3: Main Parts of Speech This comes before a noun or a noun phrase and links it to other parts of the sentence. These are usually single words (e.g., on, at, by,…) but can be up to four words (e.g., as far as, in addition to, as a result of, …). I chose to interview teachers in the district closest to me. The recorder was placed next to the interviewee. The 8 Parts of Speech: Examples and Rules Just like y is sometimes a vowel and sometimes a consonant, there are words that are sometimes one part of speech and other times another. Here are a few examples: "I went to work " (noun). "I work in the garden" (verb). "She paints very well " (adverb). "They are finally well now, after weeks of illness" (adjective). (PDF) The nature of parts of speech Parts of speech have bo th semantic and s tructural aspects. The two sets of features are. essentially incommensurate, since the semantic features de rive from the functions of language. in ... What part of speech is Hypothesis Grammatically "Hypothesis" is a noun, to be more precise even a variable noun. But also it is used as a , specifically a variable noun. Part of speech depends on meaning of this word. All about hypothesis Download all about hypothesis in pdf 20 Types of Figures of Speech, With Definitions and Examples Some figures of speech, like metaphor, simile, and metonymy, are found in everyday language. Others, like antithesis, circumlocution, and puns take more practice to implement in writing. Below are some common figures of speech with examples, so you can recognize them and use them in your writing. Give your writing extra polish. What part of speech is hypothesis? What part of speech is hypothesis? Updated: 4/28/2022. Wiki User. ∙ 11y ago. Best Answer. Hypothesis is a noun. Wiki User. ∙ 11y ago. Resources. Year 4 Revise: Recognise word classes (parts of speech) Autumn 1 Focus on word classes (parts of speech). Reminding children of technical terms (e.g. describing word = adjective) and how to use. Creative Commons "Attribution" Congresswoman Bush Delivers Floor Speech Urging Missouri Governor September 20, 2024 Congresswoman Bush Delivers Floor Speech Urging Missouri Governor Parson to Halt the Execution of Marcellus Williams WATCH HERE: "I am urging Governor Parson not to let another innocent man be murdered at the hands of the state," says Bush.. Washington D.C. (Sept. 20, 2024) —Today, Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01) delivered a speech on the House floor urging Missouri ... Speech at the re-opening of the Royal Australian Mint, Canberra The Australian War Memorial and Parliament House, the National Museum of Australia and the Museum of Australian Democracy, the Mint and Government House - to name just a few -- are part of our past and our future. Living at Government House, I take great pleasure in meeting as many of the visiting school groups as I can. essay homework paper phd review speech study thesis