Part Of Speech Of Quarrel | Use It Right In Sentences

You’ll see the word quarrel in novels, news writing, exam passages, and daily chat. It looks simple, yet it can trip people up because it can act as two different parts of speech. Once you know the signals, you can spot the role in seconds and write it cleanly.

This article keeps it practical. You’ll learn what quarrel is as a noun, what it is as a verb, how to test it inside a sentence, and how to avoid the most common writing mistakes.

What “Quarrel” Means In Plain English

Quarrel is about disagreement. It can name the disagreement itself, or it can name the action of arguing.

• As a noun: a disagreement, argument, or dispute.
• As a verb: to argue, to disagree, to fight with words.

That’s the whole story in one glance. The rest is about spotting which job the word is doing in real sentences and using the right grammar around it.

Parts Of Speech For “Quarrel” In Real Writing

English lets many words switch roles. Quarrel is one of them. Your clue is not the dictionary label alone. Your clue is the sentence frame around the word.

Quarrel As A Noun

When quarrel is a noun, it names a thing. That “thing” is the disagreement. You can usually put an article or a determiner in front of it:

• a quarrel
• the quarrel
• this quarrel
• their quarrel

Sentence samples:

• They had a quarrel over money.
• The quarrel ended when they apologized.
• That quarrel started with a small comment.
• She stayed quiet during their quarrel.

Notice what’s happening: the word sits in a “noun slot.” It can be the subject, the object, or the object of a preposition.

Common Noun Patterns

These patterns show up a lot:

• have a quarrel (They had a quarrel.)
• a quarrel about / over (a quarrel over a bill)
• a quarrel with (a quarrel with a neighbor)
• end / settle a quarrel (They settled the quarrel.)

Quarrel As A Verb

When quarrel is a verb, it shows an action. It often follows a subject (a person or group), and it can take tense endings like other verbs.

Sentence samples:

• They quarrel about chores.
• She quarrelled with her brother last night.
• We quarrel sometimes, then we move on.
• He is quarrelling with his teammate again.

Look at the endings and helpers:

• -s in third-person singular: He quarrels
• -ed (or British spelling -led) in past: They quarrelled
• -ing for ongoing action: She is quarrelling

If the sentence needs a “doing word,” quarrel is acting as the verb.

Fast Tests To Identify The Part Of Speech

If you’re stuck, use quick checks. You don’t need to memorize long grammar rules. You need a few small tests you can run on the spot.

Test 1: Try An Article

Put a or the before quarrel. If that feels natural and the sentence still works, it’s a noun.

• They had a quarrel over the plan. ✅
• They a quarrel over the plan. ❌ (This needs a verb.)

Test 2: Check For Tense

Try changing the time. If you can switch to past or add -s, you’re using a verb.

• They quarrel a lot. → They quarrelled last week. ✅
• Their quarrel was loud. → Their quarrelled was loud. ❌

Test 3: Ask “What Is It Doing?”

If the word answers “What happened?” it’s a verb. If it answers “What thing?” it’s a noun.

• What happened? They quarrelled. ✅ (verb)
• What thing upset everyone? Their quarrel. ✅ (noun)

These tests take seconds. With a bit of practice, you won’t need them, since the pattern will jump out at you.

Dictionary Labels And Real Usage

Dictionaries mark quarrel as both a noun and a verb, and they give common patterns for each use. If you want a clean reference for meanings, forms, and example sentences, the Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries entry for “quarrel” shows both parts of speech with typical sentence frames.

Still, your writing choice is made inside your sentence. Ask what you want to say: are you naming the disagreement, or are you describing the act of arguing?

Table Of Forms, Roles, And Sentence Frames

This table pulls the most common forms into one view. Use it as a quick check while writing.

Form	Part Of Speech	Typical Sentence Frame
quarrel	Noun	a/the/this quarrel + about/over + noun
quarrel	Verb (base)	subject + quarrel + about/over + noun
quarrels	Verb (3rd person)	he/she/it + quarrels + with + person
quarrelled / quarreled	Verb (past)	subject + quarrelled + over + topic
quarrelling / quarreling	Verb (-ing)	be + quarrelling + about + issue
quarrel (as subject)	Noun	The quarrel + verb (ended, began, continued)
quarrel (object)	Noun	verb + the quarrel (settle, avoid, stop)
quarrel (after preposition)	Noun	during/after/because of + the quarrel

How To Use “Quarrel” Cleanly In Your Own Sentences

Knowing the part of speech is step one. Step two is building a sentence that sounds natural.

Pick The Right Preposition

With quarrel, English often uses the same prepositions for the noun and the verb, so the meaning stays clear.

• about for topics: They quarrel about politics. / a quarrel about politics.
• over for points of conflict: They quarrel over a contract. / a quarrel over a contract.
• with for the other person: She quarrelled with her friend. / a quarrel with her friend.

Choose one that matches what you want to emphasize: the topic, the trigger, or the person involved.

Mind The Register

Quarrel can sound a bit formal compared to argue or fight. That’s not a problem. It can be a good fit in essays and reports. In casual writing, it still works when you want a slightly “storytelling” tone.

If you want a shorter, everyday feel, you might swap in argue. If you want a word that suggests a smaller disagreement, squabble can fit. If you want a word that suggests a longer conflict, dispute can fit.

Use The Right Verb Helpers

When quarrel is the main verb, it often pairs with simple helpers:

• do in questions: Do they quarrel often?
• did for past questions: Did they quarrel again?
• be for ongoing action: They are quarrelling over details.
• have for finished action: They have quarrelled before.

If you can place these helpers naturally, you’re working with the verb form.

Common Confusions And How To Fix Them

Most mistakes come from mixing noun grammar with verb grammar. Here are the ones that show up most in student writing.

Mixing “Have” With The Verb When You Mean The Noun

Wrong: They had quarrel about money.

Right: They had a quarrel about money.

When you use had to mean “experienced,” you need the noun with an article: had a quarrel.

Forgetting The Preposition After The Verb

Awkward: They quarrel the plan.

Better: They quarrel about the plan. / They quarrel over the plan.

English usually connects the verb to the topic with a preposition. Without it, the sentence can sound off.

Confusing “Quarrel” With “Query” Or “Quarry”

In fast reading, quarrel can be mistaken for similar-looking words. Context is your friend:

• query = a question
• quarry = a stone pit or a hunted target
• quarrel = an argument or the act of arguing

If the sentence is about disagreement, you want quarrel.

Table Of Quick Fixes For Frequent Errors

Use this as a final pass checklist before you submit an essay or publish a post.

Common Line	What’s Off	Clean Rewrite
They had quarrel last week.	Missing article for noun use	They had a quarrel last week.
They quarrel the money issue.	Verb usually needs a preposition	They quarrel over the money issue.
Her quarrelled was loud.	Past verb form used as a noun	Her quarrel was loud.
The quarrel with his coach all day.	Missing verb helper for tense	He quarrelled with his coach all day.
They are quarrel about the plan.	Missing -ing form	They are quarrelling about the plan.
A quarrel happened them.	Wrong structure	A quarrel happened between them.
He quarrels to his brother.	Wrong preposition	He quarrels with his brother.

Small Practice Drills That Build Real Skill

Reading rules is one thing. Using them under time pressure is another. Try these short drills. They’re built to feel like exam questions and editing tasks.

Drill 1: Label The Part Of Speech

Mark quarrel as N (noun) or V (verb).

• 1) Their quarrel lasted two days. (___)
• 2) Siblings often quarrel over small things. (___)
• 3) A quarrel with a teammate can ruin focus. (___)
• 4) They quarrelled after the meeting. (___)

Quick check: 1) N, 2) V, 3) N, 4) V.

Drill 2: Rewrite For One Clear Meaning

Each line below is vague or clunky. Rewrite it so the part of speech is obvious.

• They quarrel after dinner.
• They had quarrel after dinner.

Clean rewrites:

• They quarrel after dinner about chores. (verb, action)
• They had a quarrel after dinner about chores. (noun, event)

Drill 3: Swap In A Close Synonym And Check The Grammar

This trick helps you confirm the role without overthinking. Replace quarrel with a word that is only a noun (argument) or only a verb phrase (argue).

• They had a quarrel. → They had an argument. ✅ (noun slot)
• They quarrel often. → They argue often. ✅ (verb slot)

If the swap works cleanly, you’ve identified the part of speech correctly.

Extra Notes For Spelling And Regional Variants

You may see two common spellings for the past and -ing forms. Both are accepted, and the choice often follows regional style.

• British style: quarrelled, quarrelling
• American style: quarreled, quarreling

Pick one style and stay consistent in the same piece of writing. Many schools accept either, as long as the spelling is consistent.

If you want a second reference that shows these forms and how they’re used, the Merriam-Webster definition for “quarrel” lists meanings and usage notes in a clear layout.

A Simple Checklist Before You Hit Submit

When you’re editing an essay, a blog post, or a short answer, run this quick checklist:

1. Do you mean the disagreement itself (noun) or the act of arguing (verb)?
2. If it’s a noun, did you add a, the, or a possessive like their?
3. If it’s a verb, does the tense match the time (quarrel, quarrels, quarrelled/quarreled, quarrelling/quarreling)?
4. Did you choose the right connector: about, over, or with?
5. Does the sentence still sound right if you swap in argument (noun) or argue (verb)?

If you can answer “yes” to those checks, your use of quarrel will read smoothly and your grammar label will be correct.