Checking Objects Type By String

How find an object's type when it is a subclass of another object and I only know the string value of the object's type's name. I created the following classes:
HTML
Public Class word
End Class
Public Class noun
Inherits word
[Code] .....

Then, in my code I create a new properNoun and check to see if it is a properNoun, noun or word:
HTML
Private Sub checkTypes()
Dim pn As New properNoun
MsgBox("Is a properNoun: :" & TypeOf pn Is properNoun) 'TRUE
MsgBox("Is a noun: :" & TypeOf pn Is noun) 'TRUE
[Code] .....

I correctly see that pn is a properNoun, a noun and a word. The problem is, using 'GetType' to check pn against a string value, I can only see that pn is a properNoun, not that its parent classes are noun and word. Is there a way to check pn against the string value "noun" or "word" and get back a positive result, indicating that pn is indeed a noun and a word as well as a properNoun?