Mohammad Abdullah

Conversion

When we use a verb or adjective as a noun without changing its spelling in any way, it is called conversion or zero derivation.

Verbs

Conversion is especially common with verbs, and there are many instances where the same word may function as a verb or a noun, depending on the context. For example:

• “Please answer the phone, Tom.” (verb)
• “We’ll need an answer by tomorrow.” (noun)
• “I run each morning before breakfast.” (verb)
• “I’m going for a run later today.” (noun)
• “Meteorologists are forecasting a snowstorm overnight.” (verb)
• “The forecast said there would be rain in the afternoon.” (noun)

Less commonly, there are instances in which, instead of changing a word’s spelling, we change where we pronounce a stress on the word’s syllables to indicate a shift from a verb to a noun; this change is known as a suprafix. Let’s look at some examples (with the stressed syllable underlined):

• “You need to convert pounds into kilograms.” (verb)
• “The church always welcomes recent converts to its meetings.” (noun)
• “Make sure you record the meeting so we can review it later.” (verb)
• “I love listening to old records.” (noun)
• “Please don’t insult my intelligence.” (verb)
• “We will not forget this insult to our company.” (noun)

• Parts of speech...Noun (Part 3b): Collective Nouns.

  Mohammad Abdullah,

                         Collective Nouns

  Definition

  Collective nouns are nouns that refer to a collection or group of multiple people, animals, or things. However, even though collective nouns refer to multiple individuals, they still usually function as singular nouns in a sentence. This is because they still are technically referring to one thing: the group as a whole. Here are some examples of collective nouns:

  group – A group is a single unit that is made up of a number of individuals, whether people or things.

  collection – A collection is a single unit that typically consists of many similar things organized together, such as paintings.

  tribe – A tribe is a single unit that is made up of a group of tribe members.

  fleet – A fleet is a single unit that is made up of several vehicles or vessels, such as ships.

  band – A band is a single unit that consists of a number of different musicians.

  Collective nouns are used in sentences to refer to a group of people, animals, or things. Here are some examples of collective nouns being used in sentences:

  • “The flock of birds flew south for the winter.”
  • “The organization voted to revoke the rules that it had previously approved.”
  • “The set of tablecloths had disappeared. ”

  Similarity to plural nouns

  Collective nouns are very similar to plural nouns. Plural nouns are nouns that refer to multiple people, places, or things, and they primarily (but not always) end in “-s,” “-es,” or “-ies.” They are derived from singular nouns, and so are truly plural in form and function. For example, the following words are all plural nouns:

  1. dogs
  2. cities
  3. tables
  4. oceans
  5. sleds

  6. Parts of speech...Noun (Part 3c): Compound Nouns.

     Mohammad Abdullah

     Compound Nouns

     Definition

     A compound noun is a noun consisting of two or more words working together as a single unit to name a person, place, or thing. Compound nouns are usually made up of two nouns or an adjective and a noun, but other combinations are also possible, as well.

     Generally, the first word in the compound noun tells us what kind of person or thing it is or what purpose he, she, or it serves, while the second word defines the person or object, telling us who or what it is. For example:

     • water + bottle = water bottle (a bottle used for water)
     • dining + room = dining room (a room used for dining)
     • back + pack = backpack (a pack you wear on your back)
     • police + man = policeman (a police officer who is a man)

     Like other nouns, compound nouns can be modified by other adjectives. For example:

     • “I need to buy a large water bottle.”
     • “That’s a beautiful dining room.”
     • “My old backpack is still my favorite.”
     • “A lone policeman foiled the attempted robbery.”

     You can recognize compound nouns because the meaning of the two words put together is different than the meaning of the words separately. For example, water and bottle have their own separate meanings, but when we use them together they mean a particular type of bottle that we drink water from.