What is nominalisation ?
Forming a noun from a verb or adjective is called nominalisation.
Formation of Nouns From Verbs
Most nouns are formed from verbs by using suffixes. Here are some examples.
1. -ment
Verb | Noun |
Achieve | achievement |
2. -ance
Verb | Noun |
abound | abundance |
3. -ence
Verb | Noun |
confer | conference |
4. -al
Verb | Noun |
arrive | arrival |
5. -ion
Verb | Noun |
act | action |
6. -sion
Verb | Noun |
collide | collision |
7. -ssion
Verb | Noun |
admit | admission |
8. -ption
Verb | Noun |
absorb | absorption |
9. -ation
Verb | Noun |
admire | admiration |
10. -ition
Verb | Noun |
add | addition |
11. -cation
Verb | Noun |
apply | application |
12. -y
Verb | Noun |
assemble | assembly |
13. -ure
Verb | Noun |
close | closure |
14. -age
Verb | Noun |
bond | bondage |
15. -t and -th
Verb | Noun |
complain | complaint |
16. Miscellaneous
Verb | Noun |
abide | abode |
Exercise 1
(For Practice)
Make nouns from the following verbs :
(i) pay, replace, resent, treat
(ii) remember, resist, rely, ignore
(iii) exist, interfere, refer, reside
(iv) betray, withdraw, refuse, renew
(v) correct, digest, elect, relate
(vi) provide, exclude, revise, suspend
(vii) recede, commit, submit, succeed
(viii) consume, describe, receive, subscribe
(ix) incline, occupy, quote, reveal
(x) define, appose, suppose, repeat
(xii) add, propose, repeat, recognise
(xii) flatter, dedicate, rectify, simplify
(xiii) disclose, compose, expose, fail
(xiv) leak, marry, stop, waste
(xv) furnish, give, grieve, know, laugh, learn, live, loose, mean, mock, offend, fly, mean, sell, tell.
Exercise 2
(For Practice)
Fill in the blanks using the right form of the words given in brackets :
1. His failure was a great ………. (disappoint) to us all.
2. Pay ……….. (attend) to what your teacher says.
3. I did not like his ……… (propose).
4. Thank you for the ……….. (invite).
5. Please, take a quick ……….. (decide).
6. Television has little ………… (attract) for me.
7. The doctor’s ………… (treat) cured her.
8. He was asked to give an ………. (explain).
9. He is worth his ……….. (weigh) in gold.
10. It is a ………. (please) to write to you.
11. Her ……… (hate) for the man is a mystery.
12. A little ……. (know) is a dangerous thing.
13. A loud ……… (laugh) is good for health.
14. Do you need a ……….. (lend) from the bank ?
15. Ours is the land of ………… (prosper).
Formation of Nouns From Adjectives
Some suffixes may be used to form nouns from some adjectives.
1. -ness
Adjective | Noun |
aware | awareness |
2. -ity
Adjective | Noun |
active | activity |
3. -ty
Adjective | Noun |
certain | certainty |
4. Changing -t to -ce
Adjective | Noun |
absent | absence |
5. Changing -t, -te to -cy
Adjective | Noun |
Accurate | accuracy |
6. Miscellaneous
Adjective | Noun |
brave | bravery |
Exercise 1
Fill in the blanks with the suitable forms of verbs given in brackets :
1. There is no ………. (short) of sugar in the country.
2. …………. (familiar) breeds contempt.
3. His ………….. (personal) attracts everyone.
4. …………. (possible) of his success is high.
5. There is ………….. (certain) no truth in what he says.
6. Everyone loves ………….. (clean).
7. …………… (just) delayed is (Just) denied.
8. His …………… (wise) is well known.
9. Finish it with the given ………… (long) of time.
10. The ……….. (brave) of our armed forces is great.
11. You cannot be excused for your …………. (absent).
12. There is ………… (dear) of honest people these days.
13. Gandhiji believed in ………… (true).
14. This is a matter of great ………. (urgent).
15. …………. (free) is our birth right.
Multiple Choice Questions
Pick out the correct options :
Question 1.
The noun form of ‘enjoy’ is
(a) joy
(b) enjoyment
(c) enjoying
(d) enjoyed
Question 2.
The noun form of ‘abound’ is
(a) bound
(b) aboundment
(c) abundance
(d) abounded
Question 3.
The noun form of ‘confer’ is
(a) conference
(b) conferred
(c) conferment
(d) confederate
Question 4.
The noun form of ‘bury’ is
(a) worry
(b) burial
(c) bum
(d) burton
Question 5.
The noun form of ‘elect’ is
(a) electing
(b) electoral
(c) election
(d) electment
Question 6.
The noun form of ‘decide’ is
(a) indecide
(b) indecision
(c) decision
(d) decided
Question 7.
The noun form of ‘permit’ is
(a) permanent
(b) permeable
(c) permission
(d) permanence
Question 8.
The noun form of ‘admire’ is
(a) admirable
(b) admiration
(c) admired
(d) admiring
Question 9.
The noun form of ‘propose’ is
(a) proposition
(b) preposition
(c) proposed
(d) proposing
Question 10.
The noun form of ‘press’ is
(a) impress
(b) pressed
(c) pressure
(d) pressing
Answers
1. (b) enjoyment
2. (c) abundance
3. (a) conference
4. (b) burial
5. (c) election
6. (c) decision
7. (c) permission
8. (b) admiration
9. (a) proposition
10. (c) pressure
Either way the teacher or student will get the solution to the problem within 24 hours.