Noun Suffixes -er added to
a verb is used for the person who does an activity: writer, worker, singer,...
(sometimes -or, as in actor, sailor, supervisor,...)
-er/-or are
also used for things which do a particular job: tin-opener, projector, ...
-er and -ee
can contrast with each other, meaning “person who does something” (-er) and
“person who receives or experiences the action” (-ee): employer/employee, ...
-(t)ion is
used to make nouns from verbs: communication, pollution, admission, ...
-ist
(person) and -ism (activity or ideology): marxist/Marxism, terrorist/terrorism,
...
-ist is also
used for people who play musical instruments: pianist, violinist, ...
-al is added
to some verbs to make nouns: arrival, refusal, ...
-ness is
used to make abstract nouns from adjectives: happiness, goodness, weakness, ...
-less
home-homeless
-ment is
used to make abstract nouns from verbs: excitement, enjoyment, ...
-hood is
used to make abstract nouns, especially family terms, from nouns: childhood,
brotherhood, ...
-ship is
used to make abstract nouns, especially status, from nouns: friendship,
membership, partnership, ...
-(i)ty is
used to make abstract nouns from adjectives: honesty, loyalty, ...
TASK 2
Do the exercises. Practise the noun formation.
1. Form corresponding nouns.
1. to add —
2. to admire
—
3. to
celebrate —
4. to
compose —
5. to
cooperate —
6. to
decorate —
7. to devote
—
8. to
dictate —
9. to
educate —
10. to
examine —
11. to
invite —
12. to
observe —
13. to
protect —
14. to
subtract —
15. to
translate —
addition
admiration
celebration
composition
cooperation
decoration
devotion
dictation
education
examination
invitation
observation
protection
subtraction
translation