Independent work on lexicology Theme: Conversion

Let’s analyse the paradigm of the noun nurse and the verb to nurse.

• Nurse, n Nurse, v
• -s, plural -s, 3rd person singular
• -‘s, possessive case -ed,past simple, past participle
• -s’, possessive case, plural -ing, present participle, gerund

Conversion (zero derivation, affixless derivation) is the formation of words without using specific word-building affixes.

• Conversion (zero derivation, affixless derivation) is the formation of words without using specific word-building affixes.
• The term conversion was introduced by Henry Sweet in his New English Grammar. First cases of conversion registered in the 14th c. imitated such pairs of words as love, n – love, v (O.E. lufu, n – lufian, v) for they were numerous and thus were subconsciously accepted as one of the typical language patterns.