Nouns One-word nouns

Noun endings: people who do things/people who come from places

   1)       We use some words only as nouns: e.g. desk, hat, tree, etc.

   2)       However, we often make nouns from other words by adding different endings or suffixes and sometimes making other small changes. For example, if we add –er to a verb like play, we get the noun player if we add -ity to the adjective active, we get the noun activity. There is no easy rule to tell us which endings to use to make nouns.

   3)       Typical endings which make nouns:

people who do things: actor, assistant, beggar, driver, engineer, historian, pianist.

people who come from places: Athenian, Berliner, Milanese, Muscovite, Roman.

Write: Give the nouns which describe people who do things or who come from places.

Use these noun endings: -an, -ant, -ar, -er, -ian, -ist, -or. Some are used more than once.

1. He acts very well. He's a fine ….actor.        6. She's from Athens. She's an..........................

2. Don't beg. You're not a ...........................     7. Robert assists me He's my.............................

3. I can't play the piano. I'm not a.................  8. She always tells lies. She's such a...................

4. She drives well. She's a good....................  9. He's from Texas. He's a.................................

5. I'm from Berlin. I'm a................................  10. Anna is studying history. She's a fine............

Nouns formed from verbs, adjectives, other nouns

   1)       Some nouns have the same form as verbs: act, attempt, blame, book, call, copy, cost, dance, fall, fear, help, joke, kiss, laugh, try, vote, wait, walk, wash, wish.

     2)       Typical endings which make nouns from:

- verbs: acceptance, agreement, arrival, behaviour, discovery, knowledge, possession.

- adjectives: absence, activity, anxiety, constancy, happiness.

- other nouns: boyhood, kingdom, lunacy, mouthful, sexism.

And note -ing forms used as nouns: I've given your shirt an ironing.

Write: Give the nouns derived from verbs, adjectives or other nouns. Use these endings: -age, -hood, -ation, -ion, -ful, -ence, -ency, -ness, -a/, -(er)y, -ment, -ety, -ism, -ity, -ing.

   1)      I decided this. It was my ......decision.

   2)      Don't be so anxious. Control your..................

   3)      Ann's a socialist. She believes in...................

   4)      We all want to be happy. We all seek............

   5)      We all agree. We're all in...............................

   6)      Who discovered this? Who made this..........?

   7)      We'll all arrive. We'll be met on......................

   8)      I was a child then. That was in my.................

   9)      She is absent. Can you explain her.............?  

   10)  I'll post this. What's the................................ ?

   11)  I Try again. Have another....................................

   12)  Be more efficient. Improve your ........................

   13)  Don't be so curious. Control your ......................

   14)  Address this envelope. I'll give you the.............

   15)  I refused their offer. My ......................... is final.

   16)  I warned you. I gave you enough......................

   17)  Put it in your mouth. Take one..........................

   18)  Can you explain it? Is there an .......................?.

   19)  They tried him. I was at the...............................

   20)  Don't argue. I don't want an..............................

Nouns and verbs with the same spelling but different stress

   1)      With some words, when the stress is on the first syllable, the word is a noun.

When the stress is on the second syllable, it is a verb. The meanings are related:

noun: We have finished Book 1. We have made good progress.

verb: We are now ready to progress to Book 2.

   2)      The meanings can also be quite different:

noun: My son’s conduct at school hasn’t been very good.

verb: Mahler used to conduct the Vienna Philharmonic.

Write: Underline the syllable that you would stress when speaking.

   1)      I need a permit to work in this country.

   2)      I can't permit you to park here.

   3)      Will they increase my salary next year?

   4)      I'm looking for an increase in salary.

   5)      Joy objects to your proposal.

   6)      Don't treat me as if I were an object.

   7)      We've had complaints about your conduct,

   8)      I’ll conduct you to your seat.

   9)      This is the entrance to the building.

   10)  Gloria will entrance you.

   11)  Do you want to buy this record?

   12)  Let me record your voice.

   13)  I've brought you a present.

   14)  Please present my compliments to him.

   15)  I must protest at your proposal.

   16)  The proposal didn't go without protest.

   17)  I've got an Australian accent.

   18)  Please accent every syllable.

   19)  Our exports have increased this year.

   20)  We export everything we make.

   21)  I’ll escort you to your new office.

   22)  You'll need an escort.

   23)  Our imports have increased.

   24)  We import too much.