Many English words have a verb form and a noun form. This can be confusing. The verb form and the noun form are sometimes pronounced differently, which can be even more confusing!
I wrote this blog post to help ESL students use these words with confidence.
Table of Contents
- Verb or Noun Grammar
- Pronunciation
- 72 verb and noun pair examples with audio
- 150 One-syllable Verb and Noun pairs
- 20 Nouns that you didn’t know had a verb form
- Free 14-page PDF Download
Verb or Noun? – Grammar
Let’s start by answering a basic question. What’s the difference between a noun and a verb?
A noun is a person, place, or thing.
A verb expresses an action or existence.
“A dog is running in the park.” – A DOG (thing) is running (action) in the PARK (place).
A basic English sentence will have this pattern. Subject – Verb – Object. The subject and object in a sentence will be nouns. DOG (Subject) is running (Verb) in the PARK (Object).
How can I tell a noun from a verb?
The sentence example above is very basic. Natural English sentences will use clauses and conjunctions to tell longer stories in a single sentence. Here is a simple way to tell if a word is a noun or a verb in a longer sentence.
Nouns often follow an article (a, an, the) or the possessive form of a noun or pronoun. (my, his/her, its, John’s, etc.)
Verbs will follow a subject and be conjugated (changed into past, present, future, continuous tense, etc.)
Noun – Happy birthday! I bought you a present.
The noun present follows the article a.
Verb – They will present their findings tomorrow at the meeting.
The verb present follows a subject – “They” – and is conjugated in the future tense. – “will present“
If you know the correct form, you can use the correct pronunciation.
Are all verb and noun pairs pronounced differently?
One-syllable Verb and Noun pairs
Many noun and verb pairs have only one syllable so there is no change in word stress between the verb and the noun. They all sound the same with a few exceptions. (You can find the exceptions in the one-syllable verb and noun list at the bottom of this post.)
Example:
list
noun – a series of names, items, figures, etc., especially when they are written or printed
“I wrote a shopping list this morning.”
verb – to write a list of things in a particular order
“I listed everything I need for my trip.”
Two-syllable Verb and Noun pairs
When noun and verb pairs are two syllables we pronounce them correctly by focusing on the syllable stress. English 2-syllable nouns will put stress on the first syllable. CONduct.
2-syllable verbs will put stress on the second syllable. conDUCT.
Example:
conduct
noun – CONduct – a person’s behavior in a particular place or in a particular situation
“Our school has a strict code of conduct.”
verb – conDUCT – to organize and/or do a particular activity
“My university will conduct a survey on Friday.”
Three-syllable Verb and Noun pairs
There are a few cases where the verb and noun pair is three syllables and ends with the letters -ATE. For these examples, the sound of the last letters will change, not the stress. The stress will still be on the third syllable.
Example:
associate
noun – asso-she-IT ~ a person that you work with, do business with, or spend a lot of time with
“Peter is a business associate of my father.” (asso-she-IT)
verb – to spend time with someone, especially a person or people that someone else does not approve of
“I try not to associate with angry or negative people.” (asso-she-ATE)
Associate audio below ↓
In this post, I will also give you 36 noun/verb pair examples with over 70 natural example sentences. Each example sentence has audio to improve your English listening skills and pronunciation. You can quickly start using the correct word stress with noun/verb pairs.
Noun and Verb Pair Vocabulary LIST
Listen to the correct pronunciation with natural example sentences below. The word definitions used in this post are from Oxford learner’s dictionaries. Links to the definitions are beside each word. N for the NOUN definition and V for the VERB definition.
*Some of the words on this list have multiple definitions, you can find other meanings at the links provided. (N V)
Verb and noun pairs examples with AUDIO
associate N V
Noun – Peter is a business associate of my father. [asso・SHE・IT] Peter works with my dad.
Verb – ①I try not to associate with angry or negative people. [asso・SHE・ATE] I don’t like to spend time with negative people.
Verb – ② I like to associate new grammar with my own real experiences, it makes the grammar easier to remember. [asso・SHE・ATE] I connect new grammar to a real experience in my mind.
compound N V
Noun – They are building a large prison compound in my hometown. [COMpound] They are building a complex that will be surrounded by a wall.
Verb – Cutting the budget will not solve anything. Budget cuts will only compound our problems. [comPOUND] Reducing the budget will make things worse.
conduct N V
Noun – Our school has a strict code of conduct. [CONduct] We are told how to behave when we are at school.
Verb – My university will conduct a survey on Friday. [conDUCT] My university will organize a survey and ask the students some questions.
conflict N V
Noun – Sadly there are many conflicts in the world right now. [CONflict] Many places are having strong disagreements.
Verb – My experiences in Japan conflict with some of the stories I was told before I came. [conFLICT] The stories I was told are the opposite of my experience.
(I was told is the passive voice – learn this grammar HERE)
contest N V
Noun – I entered a break dancing contest when I was 12. [CONtest] I entered a break dancing competition when I was 12.
Verb – After Donald passed away his youngest son contested his will. [conTEST] Donald’s youngest son opposed the will because he felt it was wrong.
contract N V
Noun – I just signed a new 3-year contract with the high school where I teach English. [CONtract] I have an official 3-year agreement to work at the school.
Verb – The company was contracted to build a new 50,000-seat stadium. [conTRACT] The company has made an official agreement to build a stadium.
contrast N V
Noun – There is a big contrast between the customer service in Japan and the service I receive in Canada. [CONtrast] There is a big difference between the customer service at stores in these 2 countries.
Verb – I like to contrast American movies with Japanese movies. The style and pace are quite different. [conTRAST] I like to compare the 2 movie styles and show how they are different.
I make typos sometimes when I write my blog content. I often use voice typing which can also cause simple Grammar errors in my blog post document.
I use Grammarly to help me catch these mistakes. It saves me a lot of time! It can help your English writing too. Get Grammarly for free.
decrease N V
Noun – There was a decrease in school applications last year. [DEcrease] The number of applications was reduced.
Verb – The number of students at my school decreased last year. [deCREASE] The student population became smaller.
delegate N V
Noun – The meeting was attended by delegates from over 100 countries. [del・ah・GIT] People who were chosen to represent their countries attended the meeting.
Verb – I’m so busy at work. I think I will delegate some tasks to my assistant. [del・ah・GATE] I will give part of my work to my assistant.
desert N V
Noun – If you travel in the desert you should bring lots of water. [DEzert] If you travel in a dry area with little water, you should bring your own.
(Be careful of the noun dessert. It is spelled with two ‘S’s.)
– I think I’ll have cheesecake for dessert.
Dessert vs Desert – Pronounce these words CORRECTLY(Audio)
Verb – I was left in the mall by myself. My friends deserted me. [deZERT] My friends left me by myself in the mall.
detail N V
Noun – Édouard Manet’s paintings are beautiful, he pays attention to every detail. [DEtail] Manet pays attention to even the small points or features in his paintings.
Verb – This brochure details all the features of the car. [deTAIL] This brochure gives a list of facts and information about this car.
discount N V
Noun – If I buy one jacket I can get a 30% discount on a second jacket. [DIScount] If I buy 2 jackets there will be a 30% price reduction on the second one.
Verb – Stores usually discount their clothes at the end of the season. [disCOUNT] They take some money off the usual price.
escort N V
Noun – When leaders travel to other countries they often have police escorts. [EScort] World leaders have local police travel with them to protect them.
Verb – It’s getting dark, please let me escort you home. [esCORT] Let me take you home so you are not alone, to make sure you are safe.
export N V
Noun – Lumber is one of Canada’s main exports. [EXport] Lumber is one of the main goods that it sells to other countries.
Verb – Canada exports lots of lumber and oil to the United States. [exPORT] Canada sells some of its resources to America.
impact N V
Noun – Many people are climbing Mt. Everest and this has had a serious impact on the environment of Nepal. [IMpact] Many tourists come to climb the mountain. This has had a powerful effect on the environment.
Verb – The value of the Canadian dollar impacts businesses that export goods. [imPACT] The value of the Canadian dollar affects companies that sell goods to other countries.
import N V
Noun – This store sells lots of exotic furniture and other imports from overseas. [IMport] The store sells furniture and other things that came from other countries.
Verb – I was surprised to learn that America imports more than half of its oil from Canada! [imPORT] More than half of The United States’ oil is brought in from Canada.
increase N V
Noun – There has been an increase in blood donations at the clinic. People want to help after the hurricane. [INcrease] There was a rise in the number of people who donated blood after the hurricane.
Verb – I really want to find a girlfriend. If I get out more and try new things I will increase my chances of meeting a nice girl. [inCREASE] If I go out and meet more people the chance that I will meet a nice girl becomes greater.
insert N V
Noun – I bought some inserts for my shoes. They’re soft and make it easier to walk. [INsert] I bought a thin cushion to put inside my shoes.
Verb – I inserted $2.00 in the vending machine but it didn’t give me my drink! [inSERT] I put $2.00 into the money slot of the vending machine but I didn’t get a drink.
insult N V
Noun – Mike said my suit looks cheap. That’s an insult! [INsult] Mike made a remark that was trying to offend me.
Verb – Mike insulted my suit this morning. What a jerk. [inSULT] Mike’s comment about my suit offended me.
invite N V
Noun – I didn’t get an invite to Craig’s party. Maybe he is mad at me. [INvite] I didn’t get a spoken or written request to come to Craig’s party.
Verb – Craig invited many people to his party. But not me. [inVITE] Craig asked many people to come to his party, but he didn’t ask me.
misprint N V
Noun – The ad in the newspaper says the shoes are $1000.00, but I think it’s a misprint. [MISprint] There is a mistake in the (printed) advertisement.
Verb – The printing company misprinted the ad. [misPRINT] Th company printed the ad incorrectly.
object N V ~ there are 4 uses of the NOUN object. Click the N to see them all!
Noun – A basic English sentence has a subject, a verb, and an object. [OBject] One use for the noun object is the thing in a sentence (also a noun) that is affected by the verb of the sentence.
Verb – I object to your question, it’s not relevant to the discussion. [obJECT] I disagree with your question, it is not related to what we are talking about.
permit N V
Noun – You can’t camp here without a permit from the park. [PERmit] You need an official document to be allowed to camp here.
Verb – The park rangers don’t permit fires here. [perMIT] Fires are not allowed in the forest.
present N V
Noun – Happy birthday! I bought you a present! [PREsent] I bought a gift for you.
Verb – They will present their findings tomorrow at the meeting. [preSENT] The company will show us what they found for us to consider.
produce N V
Noun – It’s better to buy local produce. Imported produce is not as fresh. [PROduce] It is better to buy fruits and vegetables grown on farms close to where you live.
Verb – Our goal is to produce more solar batteries than any other company in the area. [proDUCE] Our goal is to make more solar batteries than anyone else in the area.
project N V
Noun – I’m working on a project for school. It’s about renewable energy. [PROject] I am making a piece of work involving the careful study of renewable energy.
Verb – Unemployment is projected to fall next year. That’s good news. [proJECT] The number of unemployed people is expected to drop next year.
protest N V
Noun – There was a large protest in front of the government office. [PROtest] People gathered in a group to express their strong disagreement with the government.
Verb – My class protested loudly when the teacher gave us 6 pages of summer homework. [proTEST] My class told the teacher that they don’t like the summer homework that he gave us.
rebel N V
Noun – James Dean was a popular actor in the 1950s. He had the image of a rebel. [REbel] The characters he played didn’t like rules or authority.
Verb – Teenagers often rebel against their parents. [reBEL] Teenagers often fight against their parents’ rules.
refund N V
Noun – The rain shoes I bought leaked! I took them back to the store and demanded a refund. [REfund] I strongly asked for the money back that I paid for the rain shoes. I brought the leaky shoes back to the store.
Verb – The store apologized and refunded my money. [reFUND] The store returned the money I paid for the rain shoes.
reject N V
Noun – The rain shoes were rejects and shouldn’t have been at the store. [REject] The shoes couldn’t be used and should not have been sold.
Verb – My idea for the new school mascot was rejected by the students. [reJECT] My idea was not accepted.
subject N V
Noun – A basic English sentence has a subject, a verb, and an object. [SUBject] In English grammar a subject is a noun, noun phrase, or pronoun representing the person or thing that performs the action of the verb, about which something is stated, or, in a passive sentence, that is affected by the action of the verb.
Verb – At karaoke last night I subjected everyone to my terrible singing. [subJECT] People were forced to listen to my terrible singing.
survey N V
Noun – My university will conduct a survey on Friday. They want to know how most students get to school. [SURvey] They did an investigation of how students get to school by asking questions.
Verb – The government surveyed the land so they could make a map of the area. [surVEY] The government looked at the land carefully to get an impression of it.
update N V
Noun – Will it rain tomorrow? I’ll check the weather app on my smartphone for an update. [UPdate] I will check my weather app for the most recent information about the weather.
Verb – I have to update the software on my smartphone. I hope it makes my phone faster. [upDATE] I have to make my software more modern by getting the newest version.
upgrade N V
Noun – On my flight to Canada I was given an upgrade to first-class. [UPgrade] I was given a seat of better quality.
Verb – The airline upgraded me to first-class, [upGRADE] The airline moved me to a better seat.
upset N V
Noun – No one thought we would win the game because the other team was too strong, but we beat them easily. It was a total upset! [UPset] We beat the team that was expected to beat us.
Verb – Brenda has been crying all morning. I think something upset her. [upSET] Something happened to Brenda to make her unhappy.
One-syllable Verb and Noun pairs – List
One-syllable words rarely change sounds between the verb and noun forms, but there are a few exceptions. Below is a list of 150 common one-syllable Verb and Noun pairs, 4 word pairs with different pronunciation, and 23 uncommon word pairs that you probably didn’t know.
- The noun and verb forms are often related in meaning. *For example ACHE and JUICE.
- There are some examples where the meaning is totally different. The only thing that is the same is the spelling. *For example BOWL and FLY.
This is not a complete list, there are many one-syllable verb and noun pairs. I tried to include the most common words in this list with a verb and a noun form.
- ache
- act
- age
- air
- back
- bat
- belt
- bet
- bite
- bowl
- call
- block
- book
- box
- brush
- buzz
- dance
- dare
- dip
- dot
- drive
- drum
- dye
- end
- face
- fall
- fan
- feast
- fence
- fight
- file
- fire
- fish
- flame
- flash
- flow
- fly
- fool
- frame
- front
- grid
- glaze
- glow
- grill
- grow
- growl
- grunt
- guard
- guess
- hail
- hand
- harm
- help
- hit
- hope
- hug
- itch
- jam
- judge
- juice
- jump
- kick
- kiss
- lace
- lap
- laugh
- lie
- limp
- link
- list
- look
- love
- mark
- match
- milk
- mop
- nail
- nap
- need
- nest
- nurse
- oil
- ooze
- pain
- paint
- park
- play
- pat
- pen
- pet
- pick
- pin
- pitch
- plan
- plug
- pose
- press
- price
- punch
- quack
- quilt
- quote
- race
- rain
- raise
- rat
- rise
- rock
- rope
- run
- rust
- rest
- sail
- saw
- scale
- set
- shave
- shop
- show
- ship
- sign
- ski
- sleep
- smoke
- snow
- spill
- spray
- spring
- stamp
- stand
- strike
- string
- sweat
- tack
- talk
- tax
- team
- test
- tie
- tip
- toast
- train
- trap
- trip
- view
- visit
- vote
- walk
- work
- wrap
- yawn
- zone
Thanks to https://www.linguasorb.com/ for help making this list.
Four one-syllable Verb and Noun pairs with different pronunciations
use N V
Noun – In Tokyo, I have no use for a car. The public transportation is awesome. [YOU•S] For me a car has no purpose in Tokyo. I don’t need one because public transportation is very convenient.
Verb – If I need a car I can use my friend Kentaro’s, he said I can borrow it anytime. [YUUZ] I can do something {in this case DRIVE my friend Kentaro’s car} anytime. (Learn how to use the verbs LEND and BORROW HERE)
house N V
Noun – I just bought a new house. [HAUS] I just bought a new building to live in.
Verb – People whose homes were flooded were temporarily housed in community centers. [HOWZ] People whose homes were affected by the flood were given a place to live.
lead N V
Noun – Exposure to lead can make you sick. [LED] Lead is a chemical element and a heavy grey metal.
Verb – We hired a tour guide to lead us around Singapore. [LEED] A tour guide showed us around Singapore.
wind N V
Noun – The wind was strong today. It was perfect for sailing. [WIN・D] The air was moving quickly today.
Verb – I have to wind my watch all the time. It’s a pain. [WINE・D] I have to turn the small gear on the side of my watch to make it work.
Noun and Verb pair 14-page PDF E-guide
Download your printable PDF E-guide below. (It’s FREE!)↓
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As we know, nouns are naming words and verbs are doing words. They are the most important words in a sentence. When we study English grammar, we should learn nouns and verbs first. A noun has several types, like proper, common, countable, uncountable, etc.; while verbs can be classified as transitive and intransitive.
In this article, we will focus on sentences following the Noun + Verb pattern like the following examples:
- Thomas wrote a letter to his boss.
- Lisa studied hard for her exam.
In the examples, above, the proper nouns Thomas and Lisa are subjects and they are followed by the verbs wrote and studied respectively.
It is important to note that sentences in simple tenses (past simple and present simple tenses) follow Noun + Verb pattern.
- A lion roars.
- A bird sings.
- My teacher taught me how to write a formal letter.
- His doctor advised him to rest for a week.
This can be very simple, however, there are nouns and verbs that do not often go together. In learning English, it is important to develop an understanding of these words that regularly occur together, which are called collocations. For example, we cannot say “A lion yells”. The noun lion and the verb yell do not go together.
Some examples of Noun + verb collocations are:
- My plane takes off at 8.am. tomorrow. (We cannot say “My plane departs at 8.m. tomorrow.”)
- My neighbor’s firecracker went off when I was falling asleep last night.
- The hen laid some eggs last week.
- A female crocodile builds her nest on the banks of a river.
The two most common word types in the English language are nouns and verbs. This is because every sentence must include a verb and a noun in order to be complete.
But, what is the difference between a noun and a verb?
A noun is a word used to identify a person, place, or thing. A verb is a word used to describe an action or state.
Learn more about the difference between nouns and verbs in this article, plus see some examples of them in sentences.
Noun Definition and Meaning
A noun is a word that identifies a person, place, idea, or thing. For example, hobbits, ring, Frodo, the Shire, and Sting are all nouns.
There are two main types of nouns: common nouns and proper nouns. These nouns can then be concrete or abstract, plural or singular, and countable or uncountable. Let’s look at these noun types in more detail.
Common Nouns vs Proper Nouns
Common nouns are words for types of things, such as pet, pet store, and treats. Proper nouns are words for specific things with names, such as Alice, Wonderland, and the Cheshire Cat.
Concrete Nouns vs Abstract Nouns
Concrete nouns refer to a material object, such as dog, red roses, and lead. Abstract nouns refer to ideas, qualities, and concepts, such as love, bravery, and curiosity.
Singular Nouns vs Plural Nouns
Singular nouns are those that refer to only one person, place, thing, or idea, such as rabbit, the Vorpal Sword, and the White Queen. Plural nouns are those that refer to multiple people, things, ideas, or places. For example, hedgehogs, teacups, and cakes.
Some nouns can be both singular or plural, depending on the context, such as sheep and food.
Countable Nouns vs Uncountable Nouns
The final category of nouns is countable vs uncountable nouns. Countable nouns are things we can count with numbers, such as mushrooms, playing cards, and pocket watches. Uncountable nouns are things we cannot count with numbers, such as croquet, fear, and time.
Verb Definition and Meaning
A verb is a word used to express action, an occurrence, or a state of being. For example, run, dancing, and drank are all verbs.
There are three main types of verbs: linking verbs, helping verbs, and action verbs. These verbs can then be transitive or intransitive, and regular or irregular. Let’s look at the three primary verb types first.
Linking Verbs
Linking verbs tell us what the subject of a sentence is, not what they are doing. Some linking verb examples are should, were, and seeming.
Helping Verbs
Helping verbs, also known as auxiliary verbs, add detail to the main verb of the sentence. The most common helping verbs are to be, to do, and to have.
The main difference between a helping verb and a linking verb is that linking verbs are the main verb of the sentence, and helping verbs are not.
Action Verbs
The last type of verb, action verbs, convey an action. Some action verb examples are walking, perform, and increased.
Transative Verbs vs Intransitive Verbs
Each of these verbs is then either transitive or intransitive. Transitive verbs require an object to express a thought, and intransitive verbs do not require an object.
Some verbs can be either transitive or intransitive, depending on the context, such as walked.
- Transitive: I walked the dog in the rain before work today.
- Intransitive: Barbara slowly walked away.
Regular Verbs vs Irregular Verbs
Finally, every verb is either regular or irregular. If you can add –d or –ed to the end of the word to form the simple past tense, it is a regular verb. If you cannot, it is an irregular verb. Walk, arrive, and marry are regular verbs, while go, put, and win are irregular verbs.
Noun vs Verb Example Sentences
Every complete sentence contains both a noun and a verb. In the following examples, the nouns are in bold, and the verbs are in italics.
- English grammar is difficult to learn.
- You should always try to include the five senses in your poems.
- I had to make a speech at school today because I am the head girl.
- I will send an email to Milo after completing this task.
- For me, the most important part of Christmas is seeing my extended family.
If a sentence doesn’t contain both a noun and a verb, it is called a sentence fragment. Sentence fragments cause your writing to sound choppy, incomplete, and unclear. ProWritingAid’s grammar checker can detect sneaky sentence fragments and help you correct them.
Have you tried ProWritingAid yet? What are you waiting for? It’s the best tool for making sure your copy is strong, clear, and error-free!
| Need (noun) | Man’s beasic needs must be met |
|---|---|
| Need (verb) | She does not need your advice |
| Paint (noun) | The Green paint does not suit your wall |
|---|---|
| Paint (verb) | They painted the gate red |
| resist (noun) | Their resistance proved in vain |
|---|---|
| resist (verb) | You must resist evil company |
| Bark (noun) | The bark of this treee is tender |
|---|---|
| Bark (verb) | His pet dog never barks |
| value (noun) | Albert lived for his values till his death |
|---|---|
| value (verb) | You must value the advice fo your mother |
| Specialist (noun) | She was a specialist in flying |
|---|---|
| Specialist (verb) | Keerthi specializes in interior decoration |
| Desert (noun) | Kalahari is the driest desert in the world |
|---|---|
| Desert (verb) | Buddha deserted his wife and son |
| Capture (noun) | The capture of the torrorist was a sensational news |
|---|---|
| Capture (verb) | The king tried to capture the small kingdom cunningly |
| Fly (noun) | I saw a fly in the tea cup |
|---|---|
| Fly (verb) | Everyone loves to fly |
| Sing (noun) | Rosy is a singer |
|---|---|
| sing (verb) | Sing any song you like |
| Mind (noun) | Othello’s mind was troubled |
|---|---|
| Mind (verb) | Mind your business (or) mind your head |
| Train (noun) | The train to London is delayed by 2 hours |
|---|---|
| Train (verb) | You must train your mind to ignore small problems |
| Post (noun) | Leena is holding a high post in Arabia |
|---|---|
| Post (verb) | Please post this letter for me |
| Select (noun) | The selection of Chawla was quite natural |
|---|---|
| Select (verb) | She was selected to go to space |
| Long (noun) | Children are sons and daughters of life’s longing for itself |
|---|---|
| Long (verb) | Do not long for things beyond your means |
| Conduct (noun) | His conduct was exemplary |
|---|---|
| Conduct (verb) | Conduct yourself well in times of adversity |
| Drop (noun) | There is a drop in the prices of pulses |
|---|---|
| Drop (verb) | Do not drop the waste here |
| Weigh (noun) | You are not allowed to carry weights above 30 k.g. in the train |
|---|---|
| Weigh (verb) | This box weighs 4 k.g. |
| Dread (noun) | Dread of God is the beginning of wisdom |
|---|---|
| Dread (verb) | The boy dreaded punishment |
| Sentence (noun) | Write in simple sentences |
|---|---|
| Sentence (verb) | The thief was sentenced to 5 years of imprisonment |
| Cause (noun) | Many do not know the cause of Tsunami |
|---|---|
| Cause (verb) | The boss caused the transfer of the lazy attender |
| Give (noun) | Mercy blesses the giver |
|---|---|
| Give (verb) | To be happy, give and forgive |
| Pay (noun) | He got his pay one week before |
|---|---|
| Pay (verb) | Pay your dues |
Some nouns and verbs have the same form in English. For example:
She set an Olympic record. (noun)
She’s recording her new song in the studios. (verb)
However, the pronunciation (i.e. syllable stress) is different. Where “record” is used as a noun, the stress is on the first syllable: RE-cord (where “re” is the same sound as the “re” in “relative”).
But when “record” is used as a verb, the stress is on the second syllable: re-CORD, and the “re” sounds like “ri”, as in “remember”.)
Here are some more examples of nouns and verbs that have the same form, but different pronunciation. You can listen to the audio (under each pair of sentences) to hear the differences in syllable stress.
To do with finance
increase
Noun: INcrease “There’s been an increase in the number of students.”
Verb: inCREASE “Numbers are increasing.”
/audio/increase.ogg
decrease
Noun: DEcrease “We’ve seen a decrease in the bird population.”
Verb: deCREASE “Numbers are decreasing every year.”
/audio/decrease.ogg
import
Noun: IMport “This is a cheap import.”
Verb: imPORT “They import their oil from the UK.”
/audio/import.ogg
export
Noun: EXport “Oil is one of their biggest exports.”
Verb: exPORT “We need to export more.”
/audio/export.ogg
discount
Noun: DIScount “Is there a discount on this?”
Verb: disCOUNT “They discounted the theories.”
/audio/discount.ogg
refund
Noun: REfund “I’d like a refund please.”
Verb: reFUND “We’ll refund you 50%.”
/audio/refund.ogg
To do with authority or argument
permit
Noun: PERmit “Do you need a permit to fish here?”
Verb: perMIT “They won’t permit her to leave the country.”
/audio/permit.ogg
conflict
Noun: CONflict “They’re reporting armed conflict in the area.”
Verb: conFLICT “His opinion conflicted with hers.”
/audio/conflict.ogg
contest
Noun: CONtest “She entered a beauty contest.”
Verb: conTEST “They contested the results.”
/audio/contest.ogg
insult
Noun: INsult “Your offer is so low it’s an insult.”
Verb: inSULT “Don’t insult me!”
/audio/insult.ogg
protest
Noun: PROtest “There’s a student protest today.”
Verb: proTEST “They’re protesting against cuts.”
/audio/protest.ogg
rebel
Noun: REbel “He was a rebel when he was younger.”
Verb: reBEL “He rebelled against authority.”
/audio/rebel.ogg
To do with renewal
rewrite
Noun: REwrite “That’s a rewrite of an old song.”
Verb: reWRITE “She rewrote her story.”
/audio/rewrite.ogg
update
Noun: UPdate “We’ve got some updates for you.”
Verb: upDATE “We’re updating our files.”
/audio/update.ogg
upgrade
Noun: UPgrade “They got an upgrade on the flight.”
Verb: upGRADE “It’s time to upgrade our computer.”
/audio/upgrade.ogg
To do with communication
invite
Noun: INvite “I received an invite to her party.”
Verb: inVITE “They invited us to their house.”
/audio/invite.ogg
misprint
Noun: MISprint “There’s a misprint in the book.”
Verb: misPRINT “He misprinted the word.”
/audio/misprint.ogg
insert
Noun: INsert “Put a couple of inserts in this text.”
Verb: inSERT “He inserted a few words into her paragraph.”
/audio/insert.ogg
survey
Noun: SURvey “Let’s do a customer survey to find out.”
Verb: surVEY “They surveyed over 1000 people.”
/audio/survey.ogg
Miscellaneous
contrast
Noun: CONtrast “There’s a big contrast between you two.”
Verb: conTRAST “He contrasted the two pictures.”
/audio/contrast.ogg
detail
Noun: DEtail “It’s just a minor detail.”
Verb: deTAIL “The story details their struggle with poverty.”
/audio/detail.ogg
escort
Noun: EScort “You’ll need an escort to get through security.
Verb: esCORT “He escorted her out of the door.”
/audio/escort.ogg
perfume
Noun: PERfume “He bought her a bottle of perfume for her birthday.”
Verb: perFUME “The roses perfumed the room.”
/audio/perfume.ogg
reject
Noun: REject “This is one of the rejects from the factory.”
Verb: reJECT “He rejected her advice.”
/audio/reject.ogg
upset
Noun: UPset “The victory was an upset in the championships.”
Verb: upSET “He upset her with his cruel remarks.”
/audio/upset.ogg
When noun and verb have different meanings
compound
Noun: COMpound “They lived in a compound.”
Verb: comPOUND “Current policy is just compounding problems.”
/audio/compound.ogg
contract
Noun: CONtract “Have you signed the contract?”
Verb: conTRACT “The economy is contracting.”
/audio/contract.ogg
conduct
Noun: CONduct “The conduct of the student was unacceptable.”
Verb: conDUCT “They’re conducting an enquiry.”
/audio/conduct.ogg
object
Noun: OBject “He treats her like an object.”
Verb: obJECT “She objected to the proposals.”
/audio/object.ogg
subject
Noun: SUBject “What subjects do you study?”
Verb: subJECT “She was subjected to harsh criticism.”
/audio/subject.ogg
present
Noun: PREsent “He gave her a present.”
Verb: preSENT “He’s going to present his findings.”
/audio/present.ogg
project
Noun: PROject “They’re working on a project.”
Verb: proJECT “He projects himself well.”
/audio/project.ogg
refuse
Noun: REfuse “The refuse collectors are on strike.”
Verb: reFUSE “He refused permission.”
/audio/refuse.ogg
desert
Noun: DEsert “They went travelling in the Sahara desert.”
Verb: deSERT “The soldiers deserted their post.”
/audio/desert.ogg
Main Difference – Noun vs Verb
Nouns and verbs are two of the major categories of parts of speech. It is impossible to create a meaningful sentence without identifying the difference between noun and verb. The main difference between noun and verb is that noun refers to a person, place, thing or idea whereas verb refers to an action.
What is a Noun
Nouns are words that name things. Nouns include people (girl, baby, teacher), objects (chair, pen, computer), places (Milan, hospital, garden), animals (tiger, kangaroo, cat), materials (wood, glass, plastic) and qualities (cowardice, kindness, intelligence). Nouns act as subjects and objects of sentences.
Nouns can be classified into different groups based on various characteristics. Given below are some of these categories.
Common Nouns: nouns that indicate the class of a person, place or thing.
Ex: lion, child, milk, plant, television, umbrella
Proper Nouns: nouns that indicate the specific name of a person, place or thing.
Ex: Italy, Charlie Chaplin, Moscow, Nokia, Porsche, Toyota, Tom Sawyer
Concrete Nouns: nouns that refer to things that can be perceived through the five senses.
Ex: ocean, cake, girl, boat, bottle, mouse, car
Abstract Nouns: nouns that refer to things that cannot be perceived by the five senses; they refer to ideas, concepts or state of things.
Ex: friendship, intelligence, cowardice, beauty, taste, education
Collective Nouns: nouns that indicate a group
Ex: group herd, jury, staff, pack, team
Countable nouns: nouns that can be counted using numbers.
Ex: children, buffaloes, teachers, books, teeth, eggs
Uncountable Nouns: nouns that cannot be counted using numbers.
Ex: research, salt, milk, water, information, knowledge
What are Verbs
Verb is one of the most important components of a sentence. Verbs always express activity; they express action, occurrence or state of being. Verbs too can be categorized into different groups. Given below are some of these verb groups.
Transitive verbs: verbs that require an object
Ex: give, tell, kill, eat, tell
Intransitive verbs: verbs that do not require an object
Ex: rain, bark, cry
Regular verbs: verbs that follow a regular conjugation pattern
Ex: work, educate, talk, laugh, kill, walk
Irregular verbs: verbs that do not follow a regular conjugation pattern
Ex: eat, buy, swim, fly, drink, wake, say
Linking verbs: verbs that link a subject with its predicate
Ex: seem, feel, be, become
Action verbs: verbs that express specific actions
Ex: run, walk, bite, fight, talk, shout, dance, wag, sing
Sometimes it is difficult to identify the difference between noun and verb when the same word can be used as both. For example, let us look at the word cook. It can be a noun as well as a verb.
The cook made a delicious apple pie.
He can cook some Italian dishes.
But if you read carefully, it is not difficult to note that their functions are different.
Definition
Noun is a word that is used to identify a person, place, object or concept.
Verb is a word that is used to describe an action, occurrence or a state of being.
Role
Nouns can be subjects or objects in a sentence.
Verbs form the main part of the predicate.
Inflections
Nouns are inflected according to the grammatical number.
Verbs are inflected according to tense, case, number and person.
Содержание
- Имя существительное
- Имя прилагательное
- Глагол
- Наречие
- Местоимение
- Числительные
- Cоюз
- Предлоги
- Артикли
- Частицы
- Междометия
- Сводная таблица частей речи в английском языке
Так уж сложилось, что издавна во всех языках словообразование играло одну из первостепенных ролей. Обозначение разных частей речи и их название стало неким этапом в эволюции языка и языкознания.
Также как и в современном русском языке, каждое слово в английском принадлежит определенной части речи (part of speech), то есть категории слов, обладающих своими характерными признаками.
Part of speech — one of the grammatical groups, such as noun, verb, and adjective, into which words are divided depending on their use
Английские части речи классифицируются по синтаксической функции, грамматическому значению и форме. Следовательно, существуют самостоятельные (notional) и служебные (functional) части речи. Но в отличие от русского языка, в английском есть «переходные зоны» между частями речи. То есть одно и то же слово может выступать в роли разных частей речи. И в данном случае опорой служит сам контекст, а не форма слова.
Распознавание или предугадывание частей речи по контексту очень важный навык, если вы готовитесь к сдаче ЕГЭ или международных экзаменов. Понимание частей речи, безусловно, облегчит выполнение заданий в разы, а хорошая система подготовки определенно сыграет свою роль. В качестве помощи команда онлайн-школы Инглиш Шоу разработала курсы по подготовке к разнообразным экзаменам, начиная с ЕГЭ и заканчивая TOEFL или IELTS. Узнать, как это работает очень просто – стоит только записаться на бесплатный пробный урок и проверить эффективность обучения с преподавателем на себе!
Самостоятельные части речи в английском языке
Если у слова есть свое собственное лексическое значение, то его без сомнений можно отнести к самостоятельным частям речи. Произнося его, сразу становится понятен смысл слова. К самостоятельным частям речи в английском языке относятся:
Имя существительное (Noun)
Грамматика и теория русского языка даёт нам следующее определение существительного: оно называет людей, животных, места, абстрактные понятия, предметы. И для него характерно отвечать на вопросы: «Кто?» или «Что?».
В английском существительные бывают разные:
-
Common – нарицательные
Например: person – человек, teacher – учитель, log – бревно -
Proper – собственные
Например: Stephen, Italy, America, Saturn -
Compound – составные (состоящими из двух корней)
Например: post office – почтовое отделение, car park – парковка, textbook – учебник, bookcase – книжный шкаф -
Abstract – абстрактные
Например: beauty – красота, intelligence – ум, democracy – демократия -
Collective – собирательные
Например: family – семья, flock — стая, herd – стадо
Кроме этого, в английском есть четкое разделение на исчисляемые (countable) и неисчисляемые (uncountable). Исчисляемые они потому что их можно посчитать поштучно и все они имеют форму как единственного, так и множественного числа. И перед существительным в единственном числе мы ставим артикль (a/an).
Например:
-
I have got an orange and a banana.
У меня есть апельсин и банан. -
There are a lot of cookies in this bowl.
В этой тарелке много печенья.
Стоит отметить, что к неисчисляемым существительным в основном относятся жидкости, сыпучие продукты, абстрактные понятия или те, которые существуют либо только в единственном, либо во множественном числе.
Например:
-
I don’t have much money.
У меня немного денег. -
I like listening rock music.
Я люблю слушать рок музыку. -
There is some rice in the bowl.
В тарелке есть немного риса. -
Give me some information upon this case.
Предоставь мне информацию по этому случаю.
Существительные в английском образуются с помощью определенных суффиксов, по которым вы легко сможете определить эту часть речи:
- ance: disturbance, relevance
- ence: reference, occurrence
- ity: complexity, scarcity
- ment: disappointment, achievement
- acy/cy: accuracy
- age: percentage, breakage
- an: Russian, American
- dom: kingdom, freedom
- hood: motherhood, brotherhood
В предложении эта часть речи может выполнять функции как подлежащего (subject), дополнения (object) или функцию complement (дополнения) внутри именного сказуемого.
Например:
-
We have accepted the invitation for the party.
(We – subject; invitation – object)
Мы приняли приглашение на вечеринку.
Вне всяких сомнений, существует ещё множество других нюансов, которые необходимо знать о существительных. Например, важно правильно образовывать множественное число. Об этом мы рассказывали в ролике:
Имя прилагательное (Adjective)
Мы используем прилагательные для описания существительных, то есть они характеризуют признаки предмета, человека или события. И отвечают на вопросы: «Какая?», «Какие?» и т.д.
В английском прилагательные подразделяются по степеням сравнения и бывают:
- Положительной степени (Positive form)
- Сравнительной степени (Comparative form)
- Превосходной степени (Superlative form)
Например:
-
large – larger – the largest
большой – больше – самый большой
Более подробно со всеми правилами эта тема разобрана в нашей статье 👉 Степени сравнения прилагательных
Очень часто в предложении можно встретить описание из нескольких прилагательных, в таком случае они расположены в определенном порядке:
judgement – size – shape – age – colour – origin – material – purpose – noun
суждение – размер – форма – возраст – цвет – происхождение – материал – цель – существительное
💡 Чтобы было легче запомнить, ловите подсказку: чем прилагательное субъективнее, тем дальше оно от самого существительного.
Например:
-
There is a small, old, blue, plastic table.
Это маленький, старый, голубой, пластиковый стол. -
I am a short, young, blue-eyed person.
Я молодой человек среднего роста с голубыми глазами.
Глагол (Verb)
Как мы помним со школьной скамьи, глагол – это слово «действие», которое характеризуется вопросами: «Что делать?», «Что сделать?» и так далее.
Вместе с подлежащим он представляет главные члены предложения и образует грамматическую основу.
Классификация глаголов в английском:
- Semi-auxiliary – служебные
- Auxiliary — вспомогательные
- Notional – смысловые
Также очень важным моментом является то, что в английском глаголы подразделяют на:
-
Transitive – переходные (за которым следует объект или дополнение)
She is cooking the dinner.
Она готовит обед. -
Intransitive – непереходные (которые не требуют после себя какого-либо дополнения, они просто характеризуют само действие)
He slept late this morning.
Он спал допоздна этим утром.
Ну и конечно же глаголы могут быть разных форм:
-
Infinitive – инфинитив или неопределенная форма глагола, в английском используется с частичкой to. Если без неё, то это будет форма bare infinitive (голый инфинитив).
Например: to go – идти, to cry – плакать, to unearth – раскопать
- Base form – первоначальная форма, это тот же инфинитив, но используемый уже без частички to.
-
Past Simple form – форма прошедшего времени
И здесь стоит сказать, что существуют правильные (regular) и неправильные (irregular) глаголы.
Неправильные глаголы собраны в таблицу и их просто нужно выучить для правильного употребления в речи. А правильные глаголы образуют форму прошедшего времени путем добавления -ed.
-
Past Participle – причастие прошедшего времени, это третий столбик в таблице неправильных глаголов.
Примеры: beaten – побитый, broken — сломанный
Или если глагол правильный, то он образует вторую и третью формы с помощью окончания -ed.
Примеры: play — played, study — studied, watch — watched
-
Present Participle – причастие настоящего времени, это глагол с -ing или как его ещё называют — герундий.
Например: hoping- надеющийся, studying – обучающийся
Наречие (Adverb)
В целом, наречия в отличие от прилагательных характеризуют действия или глаголы и отвечают на вопросы: «Как?», «Где?», «Когда?», «Почему?», «Каким образом?».
Классификация наречий:
-
Manner – наречие образа действия:
Well – хорошо, slowly — медленно -
Place – места:
Above – над, here – здесь -
Time – времени:
Now – сейчас, then – тогда, soon – вскоре -
Degree – степени:
Very – очень, really – реально, quite – достаточно -
Frequency – частоты:
Once – однажды, twice – дважды
В основном наречия образуются с помощью суффикса -ly, который так сказать «определитель» для этой части речи, но, как вы заметили, исключения всегда имеют место быть.
Местоимение (Pronoun)
Судя по названию, местоимения мы используем вместо имён, то есть вместо имён собственных, предметов или качеств предмета.
В английском языке существуют следующие классы местоимений:
-
Object pronouns – личные, выступающие в роли объекта: me, him, her, it, us, you, them
He met me at the park yesterday.
Он встретил меня вчера в парке. -
Subject pronouns – личные, выступающие в роли субъекта: I, he, you, she, we, it, they
They used to play tennis 10 years ago.
Они имели обыкновение играть в теннис 10 лет назад. -
Reflexive pronouns – возвратные: himself, herself, ourselves, myself
We decided to do it by ourselves.
Мы решили это сделать сами. -
Demonstrative pronouns – указательные: those, this, that, these
These are your pieces of equipment.
Вот это твоё оборудование. -
Possessive pronouns – притяжательные: hers, his, mine, yours
These shoes are mine!
Это мои туфли! -
Relative pronouns – относительные: who, which, that, whose
This was the man who stole your wallet.
Это тот мужчина, который украл у тебя кошелёк.
Числительные (Numerals)
Числительные показывают порядок предметов при счете и их количество. Для них характерными являются вопросы: «Сколько?» или «Который по счету?». Также, как и в русском языке, они бывают:
-
Cardinal numbers – количественными:
one, six, thirty, one hundred -
Ordinal numbers – порядковыми:
first – первый, second – второй, third – третий, fourth – четвертый
Образование порядковых числительных происходит с помощью окончания -th, начиная с числа 4, а первые три числа нужно просто запомнить.
Служебные части речи в английском языке
Исходя из названия можно догадаться, что служебные части речи выполняют вспомогательную функцию и, так сказать, служат самостоятельным частям речи.
Служебных частей речи не так уж много:
- Article – артикль
- Conjunction – союз
- Preposition – предлог
- Paticles — частицы
- Interjections — междометия
Cоюз (Сonjunction)
Союзы служат соединительными словами-связками, это своего рода взаимодействие однородных членов предложения. Или же они выполняют роль соединения предложений между собой.
-
Conjunctions for words of the same class (Союзы для однородных частей речи):
and, but, or, nor, yet -
Conjunctions for clauses of sentences (Союзы для частей предложения):
as soon as, before, since, until, when, because, although, unless, so, where
Предлоги (Prepositions)
Как правило, предлоги показывают отношение существительного или местоимения к другим словам в предложении. Существуют такие категории, как:
-
Place – предлоги места:
in, at, on, by, above, over -
Movement – предлоги движения:
from, to, in, into, on, onto, by, out, through -
Time – предлоги времени:
at, on, by, before, in, from, since, during, until
Сложность выбора предлогов заключается в том, что нет строгой однозначности в их использовании. Поэтому хорошим советом здесь будет: Practise, practise & practise! Подробнее про предлоги места и времени читайте в нашей статье: predlogi-mesta-i-vremeni
Артикли (Аrticles)
В английском существует всего лишь два типа артиклей, по сравнению с другими романо-германскими языками, в которых их гораздо больше.
-
Definite article – определенный артикль – the
Используется в том случае, если субъект или объект являются определенными по ситуации или единственными в своем роде.
Например:
The football is blue.
Мячик является голубым. (Именно конкретный мячик)The sun is shining brightly.
Солнце ярко светит. (Единственное в своем роде – the sun) -
Indefinite article – неопределенный артикль – a/an
Данный артикль может употребляться только с исчисляемыми существительными и в единственном числе. То есть он просто служит неким обозначением предмета в единственном числе. Поэтому нужно быть предельно внимательными при его использовании.
Например:
A lotus is a flower.
Лотус – это цветок.
Более подробно про артикли читайте в нашей следующей статье: artikli-v-anglijskom-jazyke
Частицы (Paticles)
Частицы имеют свойство придавать словам дополнительные оттенки, значение. Они не имеют грамматических категорий, а также не являются членами предложения. Давайте посмотрим, какие же существуют классификации частиц:
-
Limiting — выделительно-ограничительные:
even, only, merely, solely, just, but, alone -
Intensifying particles – усилительные:
simply, just, all, still, yet -
Negative particle — отрицательная частица:
not -
Additive particle — дополняющая частица:
else
Междометия (Interjections)
Междометия на самом деле не относятся ни к самостоятельным, ни к служебным частям речи, так как они не имеют особого смысла. Они лишь передают наши чувства и эмоции.
Например:
oh, eh, alas, er, hey, uhm
Сводная таблица частей речи в английском языке
| PARTS OF SPEECH | DESCRIPTION | EXAMPLES |
|---|---|---|
| NOUNS | Name people, animals, places, things | Chair, sparrow, school, Greece |
| VERBS | Name action or activity | Be, seem, smell, jump |
| ADJECTIVES | Describe nouns such as people or things | Clean/dirty, expensive/cheap, light/dark |
| ADVERBS | Describe verbs (actions) | Well, quickly, sometimes |
| PRONOUNS | Used instead of nouns | He, we, they, their, my |
| NUMERALS | Name numbers | Fifty, eighty, thirty-first |
| CONJUNCTIONS | Join words or clauses of sentence | And, but, as soon as, unless, although |
| PREPOSITIONS | Show the relationship between a noun and other words | At, on, by, before, since |
| ARTICLES | Show if the noun is definite or indefinite | The, a/an |
| PARTICLES | Give additional meaning to words | Not, yet, else |
| INTERJECTIONS | Describe feelings and emotions | Oh, eh, alas, er, hey, uhm |
Эта таблица поможет вам определять части речи. Также, используя русско-английский словарь, вы можете посмотреть принадлежность слова к той или иной части речи. Но, чтобы начать лучше разбираться в грамматических аспектах, лучше начать изучение последовательно, к примеру, с глаголов и потом постепенно переходить к другим самостоятельным или служебным частям речи. Тогда вы сможете с легкостью выдохнуть — у вас не будет никакой каши в голове и сложностей в использовании на практике.
Также не стоит забывать, что построение английского предложения начинается с прямого порядка слов, о чем многие забывают при переключении с русского на английский. Как раз для подобного рода практики команда Инглиш Шоу разработала курс Разговорный Марафон. Каждый день на протяжении нескольких месяцев вы отрабатываете основные навыки, разговаривая на повседневные темы с разными преподавателями. Но это ещё не все! В течение курса вас ждёт масса сюрпризов и лайфхаков, так что после курса можете с уверенностью собираться заграницу! Записывайтесь на бесплатный пробный урок и узнайте все подробности самостоятельно.
Nouns are one of the most interesting parts of speech as they can sometimes act as verbs too. In this column, we are going to take a look at some words that can either be used as nouns or verbs. More often than not many people get confused with these words. Let us take a look at the example below for instance:
- The dance looks nice. (Noun)
- I dance every day. (Verb)
In the above examples, the word ‘dance’ in the first sentence is functioning as a noun. But in the second sentence, the word ‘dance’ now functions as a verb.
Other words that can be used as nouns and verbs include the following: Walk, worship, dream, fight, support, trust, refuse, jail, sentence, position, paint, comment, police, center, labor, catch, focus, attempt, kiss, school, use, ring, form, farm, book, dance, demands, school, silence, point, ring, plant, plan, move, file, fire, dialogue, scheme etc.
All the above words can be use as both nouns and verbs, depending on how it is being used in a sentence.
Examples:
- I have a dream. (Noun)
- I dream every night. (Verb)
- We listen in silence. (Noun)
- We silence their towns. (Verb)
- The fight was interesting. (Noun)
- The boys fight in the street. (Verb)
- The support we received from our English teacher was immense. (Noun)
- I shall support you tonight. (Verb)
- I am happy our demands were met by the Prime Minister yesterday. (Noun)
- The law demands that you surrender all the items you stole from the office. (Verb)
- In Economics, there is a difference between our wants and needs. (Noun)
- She wants to have fun tonight. (Verb)
These are just some of the examples that I could come up with. You can use the words above and form sentences of your own. In forming these sentences try using each word without changing the form in which they appear.