What part of speech is barking dog? - briefly
"Barking dog" is not a single part of speech but a noun phrase consisting of an adjective ("barking") and a noun ("dog").
What part of speech is barking dog? - in detail
The phrase "barking dog" is not a single part of speech but rather a noun phrase composed of two parts: an adjective and a noun. Let's break it down in detail.
First, consider the word "barking." In this context, "barking" functions as an adjective. It describes the state or action of the dog. The term "present participle" is used to describe words like "barking," which are formed from verbs and end in "-ing." Present participles can act as adjectives when they modify nouns, as is the case here with "dog."
Next, consider the word "dog." This is a straightforward noun that refers to an animal. In the phrase "barking dog," "dog" is the head of the noun phrase, meaning it is the main noun that all modifiers (like "barking") describe or qualify.
Putting these parts together, we have a noun phrase where "barking" serves as an adjective modifying the noun "dog." This structure is common in English grammar and is used to provide additional information about the noun it describes.
In summary, "barking dog" is a noun phrase consisting of the adjective "barking" and the noun "dog," with "barking" modifying "dog."