* Verb (past participle): This is the most common usage. It describes an action that has already happened: *The coach encouraged the team to try harder.*
* Adjective: This describes a state or quality: *They felt encouraged by the positive feedback.*
* Noun: This is less common, but it can refer to the act of encouraging: *The team received much encouragement from their fans.*
To determine the part of speech, you need to look at the context of the sentence.