What part of speech is detention?

"Detention" can be a few different parts of speech depending on how it's used in a sentence.

* Noun: It most commonly functions as a noun, referring to a period of time when a student is kept at school after regular hours as a punishment.

* Example: "My teacher gave me detention for talking in class."

* Verb: It can also act as a verb, meaning to keep someone at school after hours as punishment.

* Example: "The principal detained the student for fighting."

* Adjective: Less commonly, it can be an adjective meaning "kept at school after hours as punishment."

* Example: "The detention room was empty except for a few students."

So, the part of speech depends on the context!