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I.The definition of conversion
Conversion is a word-formation whereby a word of a certain word-class is shifted into a word of another without the addition of an affix. It is also called zero derivation(零位派生 零位派生). 零位派生
Word-formation III
Conversion
Important Points
I. The Definition of Conversion II. Types of Conversion Verb-Noun Noun-Verb Adjective-Noun Adjective-Verb Noun-Adjective
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a) to denote state of mind or state of sensation: desire, dismay, doubt, love, smell, taste; b) to denote an event or activity: attempt, fall, hit, laugh, release, search, shut-down, swim; to give a cry, shudder, start, howl, laugh to have a look, swim, ride, try, drink to make a dash, dive, guess to take a peep, turn
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h) “ To spend the period of time denoted by N”: summer, holiday, winter, weekend, honeymoon, and vacation. eg. We summered in Qingdao. Note: Most of the verbs in this category are transitive, with the exception of type (g) (ii), and type (h).
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3. Verb-noun conversion
He was admitted to the university after a threeyear wait. This little restaurant is quite a find. It is a good buy. He took a close look at the machine. doubt, smell, desire, want, attempt, hit, reply, divide
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Phrasal verb-noun conversion
Right branching Break down Pick up Take over Get together Breakdown Pick-up Take-over Get-together Left branching Break out Spill over Start up Put in Keep up Outbreak Overspill Upstart Input upkeep
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II. Major types of conversion
1. Noun-verb conversion 2. Adjective-verb conversion 3. Verb-noun conversion 4. Adjective-noun conversion 5. Noun-adjective conversion 6. Minor category of conversion 7. Change of secondary word-class: noun, verb, adjective
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f) ‘To make/change...into N’ cash (‘to change into cash’), cripple, group eg. Please cash this cheque for me.( Please change the cheque into cash. g) ‘To (a) send/(b) go by N’ (a) mail (‘to send by mail’), ship, telegraph eg. Will you please mail the parcel? (b) bicycle (‘to go by bicycle’), boat, canoe, motor eg. We bicycled to the Summer PalII) 8
d) ‘To... with N”: the meaning of the verb is “to use the referent of the noun as an instrument for whatever activity particularly associated with it” brake (‘to stop by means of a brake’), elbows, fiddle, finger, glue, knife e) ‘To be/act as N with respect to...’ i.Verbs from human nouns: mother, nurse, boss, chaperon, pilot, referee, usher eg. She mothered the orphan.
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c)‘ Agent /Subject of V”: bore, cheat, spy, coach, help, rebel, show-off, stand-in eg. He is a great bore.=He is a person bores everyone. d) as object of the verb: answer, bet, catch, find, handout, reject, import eg. This little restaurant is a quite find.= We found a nice little restaurant.
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2. Adjective - verb conversion
a. (transitive verb) to make adjective or to make more adjective: to cause someone or something to be, become, the quality denoted by the adjective Such as: calm (‘to make calm’), dirty, humble, lower, soundproof b. (intransitive verbs) ‘to become adjective’: to be, become the quality denoted by the adjective Such as: pale, slim, sour, mellow, dim, and idle
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Changes of pronunciation and spelling
Abuse Advice House Use Belief Grief Shelf mouth Abuse Advise House Use Believe Grieve Shelve Mouth
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e) as instrument of the verb: cover, wrap. wrench; eg. The cloth is a good cover for the table. g) place of the verb: divide, retreat, rise, turn. eg. This is the divide between the two rivers. =This is the place where the two rivers divide. f) as manner of the verb (+ing): walk, throw, lie;
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ii.Verbs from animal nous: parrot, ape, monkey, dog, wolf eg. Tom parroted what the boss had said. Our cat has kittened. iii.Verbs from inanimate nous: shadow, balloon, flood, ghost, mushroom, snowball eg. The police shadowed the suspect.
Break through Breakthrough
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The following sub-division of verb to noun conversion is also based on A Grammar of Contemporary English by R.Qirk et al.