8/17/2016 Nominalization (Creating Nouns)

Nominalization(CreatingNouns)
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/NominalizationCreatingNouns.htm

TheFarlexGrammarBook>EnglishGrammar>PartsofSpeech>Nouns>Nominalization(CreatingNouns)

Nominalization(CreatingNouns)
Definition
Nominalizationreferstothecreationofanounfromverbsoradjectives.

Mostofthetime,nounsarecreatedfromotherpartsofspeechthroughtheuseofsuffixes.Inothercases,theword
remainsthesamebutissimplyusedadifferentwaythisisknownasconversionorzeroderivation.

Suffixes
Suffixesarecertaingroupingsoflettersthatcanbeattachedtotheendofwordstochangetheirmeaning.Most
verbsandadjectivesthatbecomenounsarechangedusingsuffixes.

(Beaware,however,thattheexamplesbelowonlyshowsomeofthecommonwaysofusingsuffixestochange
verbsandadjectivestonounstheyarenotallconcreterules,andthelistsofpossiblesuffixesarenotexhaustive
ones.Thebestwaytolearnthespellingsofsuchnounsisbyusingagooddictionary,orbyencounteringthemin
everydayspeechandwriting.)

Verbs
Therearecertainpatternsthatwefollowtodecidewhichsuffixisneededinordertocreateanounfromaverb.

Gerunds
Themoststraightforwardwayofturningaverbintoanounisthroughtheuseofgerunds.Thesearemadeby
addingthesuffixingtotheendoftheverb.Forexample:
Walkingisverypleasant.
Ienjoyreading.
Listeningisanimportantaspectofanyrelationship.
Mysleepinghasbeenverydisruptedlately.
Bakingismyfavoritepastime.
Ihaterunning.

Notethatifthegerundtakesanyadditionalinformation,suchasanobject,adverb,orprepositionalphrase,then
thisentiregroupofwords(knownasagerundphrase)actsasanoun.Tolearnmoreaboutgerundsandgerund
phrases,gotothesectiononGerundsinthechapteraboutOtherPartsofSpeech.

Nounsofagencyandprofession
Whenweturnaverbintoanountorepresentsomeone(oroccasionallysomething)whoisanagentofthataction,
orwhoperformstheactioninaprofessionalcapacity,wetypicallyusethesuffixesor,er,orr.Forexample:
Myfianceisanactor.(Someonewhoacts.)
Imtrainingtobeateacher.(Someonewhoteaches.)
Thewriterisverywellknown.(Someonewhowrites.)
Thecompanyisamajoremployerinthearea.(Somethingthatemployspeople.)
Theprojectorwasbrokentoday.(Somethingthatprojects.)

Nounsofrecipience
Forverbsthatbecomenounstorepresentsomeonewhoistherecipientofanaction,weoftenusethesuffixee.

PerhapsthemostcommonexampleofthisinmodernEnglishisemployee(someonewhomothersemploy),asin:

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Nominalization-Creating-Nouns.htm 1/6
8/17/2016 Nominalization (Creating Nouns)

Theemployeeisdisputinghiswages.

Otherexamplesinclude:
Thebankmustapproveyouasthepayee.(Someonewhoispaid.)
Thereisonemoreintervieweewaitingtobeseen.(Someonewhoisinterviewed.)

Nounsofgeneralaction
Wecanuseavarietyofdifferentsuffixestodescribeanactioningeneral.Themostcommonofthesearetion,
sion,ance,ment,andenceinsomeinstances,wechangetheendingoftheverbslightlyinordertotakethe
suffix.

Forexample:
Hisacceptanceofthepositionwasreceivedwarmly.(Theverbacceptbecomesthenounacceptance.)
Thankyoufortheinvitation!(Theverbinvitebecomesthenouninvitation.)
Inconclusion,weshouldseeaspikeinprofitssoon.(Theverbconcludebecomesthenounconclusion.)
Governmentmustderivefromthewillofthepopulation.(Theverbgovernbecomesthenoungovernment
theverbpopulatebecomesthenounpopulation.)
Attendanceisatanalltimelow.(Theverbattendbecomesthenounattendance.)
Iwassurprisedbymyenjoymentoftheplay.(Theverbenjoybecomesthenounenjoyment.)
Usethetextbookasyourreferenceifyoureconfused.(Theverbreferbecomesthenounreference.)

Someothersuffixesthatworkinthiswayarealandure,asin:
Failuretofindasolutionisnotanoption.(Theverbfailbecomesthenounfailure.)
Thereviewwillincludeaquickperusalofyourwork.(Theverbperusebecomesthenounperusal.)

Adjectives
Wechangeadjectivesintonounswhenwewanttospeakofthemasgeneralideasorconcepts.Adjectivescantake
avarietyofdifferentsuffixes,dependingonhowtheyarespelled.

ness
Weoftenusethesuffixnessformanyadjectives.Mostofthetime,wecansimplyaddthesuffixontotheendof
theadjectivewithoutmakinganychangestoitsspelling.Forexample:
Thehardnessofdiamondmakesitagreatcuttingtool.(Theadjectivehardbecomesthenounhardness.)
Thechildsmeeknessisquitesweet.(Theadjectivemeekbecomesthenounmeekness.)
Hisgruffnessisnotappreciated.(Theadjectivegruffbecomesthenoungruffness.)
Idontcarefortheroughnessofmyhands.(Theadjectiveroughbecomesthenounroughness.)
Idontthinkyouunderstandtheseriousnessofthesituation.(Theadjectiveseriousbecomesthenoun
seriousness.)
Pleasedontunderestimatemygratefulness.(Theadjectivegratefulbecomesthenoungratefulness.)
However,whenweusethissuffixwithanadjectiveendinginy,wechangeytoi:
Werewaitingforsomesteadinessinthemarket.(Theadjectivesteadybecomesthenounsteadiness.)
Theteacherputsherstudentshappinessaboveallelse.(Theadjectivehappybecomesthenounhappiness.)

Someadjectivesendinginatprecededbyalongvowelsoundcantakethissuffixaswell:
Hergreatnessiswithoutquestion.(Theadjectivegreatbecomesthenoungreatness.)
TheflatnessoftheEarthwasdisprovenlongago.(Theadjectiveflatbecomesthenounflatness.)

y
Otheradjectivesthatendinatprecededbyaconsonantwilltakethesuffixytobecomenouns.Forexample:
Thisprojectwillbefraughtwithdifficulty.(Theadjectivedifficultbecomesthenoundifficulty.)
Thatsenoughofyourmodesty.(Theadjectivemodestbecomesthenounmodesty.)
Honestyisaveryimportantvirtue.(Theadjectivehonestbecomesthenounhonesty.)

ity
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Nominalization-Creating-Nouns.htm 2/6
8/17/2016 Nominalization (Creating Nouns)

Whenadjectivesendine,theyoftentakethesuffixitytobecomenouns.However,thereisoftenachangeto
thespellingoftheword.Usually,wesimplydropeandreplaceitwithity,asin:
Thereisascarcityoffoodinthecity.(Theadjectivescarcebecomesthenounscarcity.)
Kindnessisararityinthisworld.(Theadjectiverarebecomesthenounrarity.)

Whenthewordendsinble,though,wehavetochangeletoil,asin:
Thisprojectisyourresponsibility.(Theadjectiveresponsiblebecomesthenounresponsibility.)
Ihavenoquestionofyourability.(Theadjectiveablebecomesthenounability.)

Uniquely,wealsousetheitysuffixtochangetheadjectivehilarioustohilarity,eventhoughotheradjectiveswith
similarendings(suchasserious,grievous,callous,etc.)takethesuffixness.

anceandence
Weoftenusethesuffixanceforadjectivesendinginant,asin:
Thisisoftheutmostimportance.(Theadjectiveimportantbecomesthenounimportance.)
Yourignoranceisastounding.(Theadjectiveignorantbecomesthenounignorance.)

Weoftenusethesuffixenceforadjectivesendinginent,asin:
Wedemandgreaterindependence.(Theadjectiveindependentbecomesthenounindependence.)
Silenceisexpectedduringtests.(Theadjectivesilentbecomesthenounsilence.)

Conversion
Whenweuseaverboradjectiveasanounwithoutchangingitsspellinginanyway,itiscalledconversionorzero
derivation.

Verbs
Conversionisespeciallycommonwithverbs,andtherearemanyinstanceswherethesamewordmayfunctionasa
verboranoun,dependingonthecontext.Forexample:
Pleaseanswerthephone,Tom.(verb)
Wellneedananswerbytomorrow.(noun)

Iruneachmorningbeforebreakfast.(verb)
Imgoingforarunlatertoday.(noun)

Meteorologistsareforecastingasnowstormovernight.(verb)
Theforecastsaidtherewouldberainintheafternoon.(noun)

Lesscommonly,thereareinstancesinwhich,insteadofchangingawordsspelling,wechangewherewe
pronounceastressonthewordssyllablestoindicateashiftfromaverbtoanounthischangeisknownasa
suprafix.Letslookatsomeexamples(withthestressedsyllableunderlined):
Youneedtoconvertpoundsintokilograms.(verb)
Thechurchalwayswelcomesrecentconvertstoitsmeetings.(noun)

Makesureyourecordthemeetingsowecanreviewitlater.(verb)
Ilovelisteningtooldrecords.(noun)

Pleasedontinsultmyintelligence.(verb)
Wewillnotforgetthisinsulttoourcompany.(noun)

Thewordusecanalsofunctionaseitheranounoraverb,butinsteadofchangingthestressonasyllable,we
changetheactualpronunciationoftheword,asin:
Weplantouseadiagnostictesttoevaluatetheproblem.(verbuseispronouncedyooz[IPA:juz])
Thereisonlyoneuseforthistool.(nounuseispronouncedyuce[IPA:jus])

Nominaladjectives
Wecanalsoconvertadjectivesintonounswithoutchangingspelling,butwegenerallydosobyaddingthearticle
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Nominalization-Creating-Nouns.htm 3/6
8/17/2016 Nominalization (Creating Nouns)

thebeforetheword.Theseareknownasnominaladjectives.Forexample:
Thewealthyhaveanobligationtohelpthepoor.
Weallwantthebestforher.
Thislawprotectstheinnocent.

Tolearnmoreabouthowandwhentheseareused,gotothesectionaboutNominalAdjectivesinthechapteron
Adjectives.

Infinitives
Lastly,verbscanservethefunctionofnounsbybeingusedintheirinfinitiveformthatis,thebaseformofthe
verbwiththeparticleto.Infinitivesarenottechnicallyanexampleofnominalization,becausetheycanalsoactas
adjectivesandadverbs,butitsworthlookingathowtheyworkwhentheyfunctionasnouns.Forexample:

Asthesubjectofaclause
Toerrishumantoforgiveisdivine.
TostudymathematicsatHarvardwasherultimatedream.
Toliveinthecitymeansadjustingtoacompletelydifferentlifestyle.

Astheobjectofaverb
Imnotgoingunlessyouagreetogowithme.
Youappeartobecorrect.
PleasebequietImtryingtostudy.

Asanobjectcomplement
(Anobjectcomplementisawordorgroupofwordsthatdescribe,rename,orcompletethedirectobjectofthe
verb.)
Idontexpectyoutoapproveofmydecision.
Shesforcingmetoworkthroughtheweekend.
Weneedyoutomakeafewmorecopies.

Quiz

1.Whichofthefollowingisusedtochangethespellingofaverboradjectivethatismadeintoanoun?

a)prefixes
b)suffixes
c)infixes
d)circumfixes

2.Whatisthenamefornominalizationinwhichthespellingoftheverboradjectivedoesnotchange?

a)inversion
b)conscription
c)conversion
d)elision

3.Whichofthefollowingsuffixesiscommonlyusedtochangeaverbtoanountoreflectagencyorprofession?

a)or
b)ing
c)ance
d)ence

4.Whichofthefollowingnominalizedverbs(inbold)isagerund?
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Nominalization-Creating-Nouns.htm 4/6
8/17/2016 Nominalization (Creating Nouns)

a)Adherencetotherulesisexpectedofallstudents.
b)Wewerentexpectingherrefusalofouroffer.
c)Winningisnteverything,youknow.
d)Weneedtohireafewmoreemployees.

Submit

TheFarlexGrammarBook2016FarlexInternational.Allrightsreserved.

Share Tweet Share

PREV:CompoundNouns

NEXT:Pronouns

Conversations

0Comments Sortby Oldest

Addacomment...

FacebookCommentsPlugin

Recommendedforyou Readnext

The7MajorDifferencesbetween
BritishandAmericanSpelling

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Nominalization-Creating-Nouns.htm 5/6
8/17/2016 Nominalization (Creating Nouns)

59timesyouquotedShakespeare
withoutknowingit

Copyright20032016Farlex,Inc

Disclaimer
Allcontentonthiswebsite,includingdictionary,thesaurus,literature,geography,andotherreference
dataisforinformationalpurposesonly.Thisinformationshouldnotbeconsideredcomplete,upto
date,andisnotintendedtobeusedinplaceofavisit,consultation,oradviceofalegal,medical,or
anyotherprofessional.
AModeTendParentingPartnership

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Nominalization-Creating-Nouns.htm 6/6