Page 27 - English Vocabulary in Use (Pre & Intermediate)

ql 0 Zero affixation

What is zero affixation?
Many words in English can function as a noun and verb, or noun and adjective, or verb
and adjective, with no change in form. The meaning is not always the same, but this unit
looks at examples where the words do have the same meaning.
What’s the answer? (noun) I must clean my room. (verb)
Answer the question. (verb) It’s a clean room. (adjective)
I don’t like the cold. (noun) I didn’t reply to the letter. (verb)
I don’t like cold weather. (adjective) I wrote a reply to the letter. (noun)
Note: Other examples in the book are marked like this: ache (n, v), damage (n, v), dry (vy,
adj). Keep a record of them in your notebook.
Noun and verb

You may know these words in one form but not the other. (The definitions are for the verb.)

increase

queue (= wait
in a line)
brake (= stop a car using the brake on the floor) ring (= phone)
diet (= eat less and lose weight) push (¥ pull)
guess (= give an answer without knowing the facts) murder (= kill someone)
Note: Other words in this group include: stay, drink, rest, look, cost, and wait. Use a
dictionary if you need to check the meaning. Here are a few examples:
We queued for half an hour. We waited in a queue for half an hour.
This orange smells/tastes strange. This orange has got a strange smell/taste.
I didn’t know the answer, so I guessed. I didn’t know the answer, so I had a guess.

Which verb?

When you use these words as nouns, you need to choose the correct verb to use with it.
Verb Noun
We stayed in Paris for a short time. We had a short stay in Paris.
We rested for a while. We had a short rest.
She braked quickly. She put on the brakes quickly.
He needs to diet. He needs to go on a diet.
I’m going to ring him. I’m going to give him a ring.
I looked in the paper. I had a look in the paper.
He pushed me. He gave me a push.
1 dreamt about you last night. \ had a dream about you last night.

24 English Vocabulary in Use (pre-intermediate & intermediate)