IFMK KFU 10.1-006
CONVERSION
HISTORY & CLASSIFICATION
MINNEBAEVA&ZARIPOVA
IT'S NOT AN AD OF LSD
DEFINITION
It is also called non-affixal way of forming words, zero
derivation, root formation or functional change.
Conversion is one of the main ways of forming words in
Modern English.
Conversion consists in making a new word from some existing
word by changing the category of a part of speech; the
morphemic shape of the original word remains unchanged:
love — to love, paper — to paper (оклеивать обоями),
brief — to brief (информировать, инструктировать).
Meaning
Paradigm
Function(s)
-s (plural)
crowd
a large group of people
who are together in
one placeShop early
and avoid the crowds.
-‘s (possessive
case)
Subject Object
Predicative
-s’ (possessive
case plural)
-s (3rd person,
singular)
to crowd
to stand together
in large numbersProtest
ers crowded the streets.
-ed (Past
Indefinite, Past
Participle
-ing (Present
Participle, Gerund)
Predicate
History of the question
Henry Sweet
«New English
Grammar» in 1891
The term «conversion»
first appeared
Prof. A.I. Smirntitsky
a morphological way
of forming words
Nowadays
A. Marchand
syntactic approach
«The Categories
and Types of
a kind of functional
Present-day English»
change
a morphological-syntactical
word-buildin
We accept a point of view on conversion as a morphological syntactic word-building means
for it involves both a change of a paradigm and of the syntactic function of the word.
MAIN VARIETIES OF CONVERSION
EXAMPLES
VERBALIZATION
to drum (играть на барабане), to flower (цвести,
расцветать); to empty (опустошать), to white
(белить)
SUBSTANTIVATION
a find, a move, work (from verbs); the old, the rich
(from adj.)
ADJECTIVATION
ADVERBALIZATION
down (floor) (from down adv.)
wide (open)
I. VERBS CONVERTED FROM NOUNS
ARE CALLED DENOMINAL VERBS
– instrumental meaning if they are formed from nouns denoting parts of a
human: to eye – разглядывать, рассматривать; or if they are formed from
nouns denoting tools, machines, instruments, weapons: to hammer – бить
молотком;
-acquisition (приобретение), addition or deprivation (лишение):
(fish – to fish – ловить рыбу, skin – to skin – сдирать кожу / шкуру
-an action performed at the time: to winter – зимовать;
-an action performed at the place: to pocket – класть в карман
BACK TO AGENDA PAGE
-an action characteristic of the living being: to father – отечески заботиться
Verbs can be also converted from adjectives, in such cases they denote
the change of the state: to tame (приручать), to clean, to slim.
II. NOUNS CONVERTED FROM VERBS ARE
CALLED DEVERBAL SUBSTANTIVES.
– instance of the action: (разовость действия) : a cry – крик, возглас;
– agent of the action (агентивные, когда существительное называет
производителя действия): ahelp-помощник
– place of the action (локативные, когда существительное называет
место проведения действия): a stand – стенд; a stop – остановка
– result of the action (результат действия, передаваемого
производящей основой): a purchase – покупка; a find – находка
– process or state (состояние или процесс): a sleep – сон
Many nouns converted from verbs can be used only in the Singular form and
denote momentaneous actions. In such cases we have partial conversion. Such
deverbal nouns are often used with such verbs as : to have, to get, to take etc.,
e.g. to have a try, to give a push, to take a swim.
Conversion also occurs, although less
frequently, to and from other
grammatical forms. For example:
→
adjective to verb: green
to green (to make environmentally
friendly)
preposition to noun: up, down
the ups and downs of life
→
→
interjection to noun: uh-uh
If you uh-uh again I won’t go on with
my story.
Resources
https://doclecture.net/1-8968.html
https://engblog.ru/conversion
https://studopedia.ru/15_65432_C
ONVERSION.html
https://www.brighthubeducation.co
m/esl-lessonplans/59339-teachingword-formation-conversion/