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High School English Quiz - Grammar 45 - Nominalisation - Adjectives into Nouns 1 (Questions)

In the previous quiz we looked at the nominalisation of verbs. We know that nominalisation is the process by which nouns are formed from verbs. But nominalisation is not only used on verbs. This is the second High English grammar quiz on nominalisation and, along with the next quiz, it looks at the nominalisation of adjectives into nouns. Consider the following sentences:

‘The careless attitude displayed by Manav lands him in trouble often.’
‘The patient batsman was rewarded with many loose balls.’

Here ‘careless’ and ‘patient’ are adjectives. These sentences can be rewritten in a different way using nominalisation. Here are the new versions:

‘Manav’s carelessness lands him in trouble often.’ and
’The batsman’s patience was rewarded with many loose balls.’

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The adjectives ('careless' and 'patient') have been converted into nouns ('carelessness' and 'patience'). Thus we see that adjectives can also be nominalised.

Just as we used suffixes to nominalise verbs, we can use them to nominalise adjectives. While verbs use a lot more suffixes, adjectives use a limited number. The suffixes used to nominalise adjectives are:

-ness
-ence
-th
- y
-ity

Here are some examples of the ‘adjective to noun’ pairs of words:

Happy-happiness
Ready-readiness
Intelligent-intelligence
Violent-violence
Wide-width
Long-length
Brave-bravery
Fluent-fluency
Capable-capability
Respectable-respectability

As is often found in English, there are some adjectives with their own unique rules of grammar regarding their nominalisation. Such words include 'hot-heat', 'proud-pride' and 'high-height'. Nominalisation helps communication to become impersonal and objective, both of which are generally required in academic writing. Nominalisation also helps to provide more information with fewer words. Look at this example:

‘The worker was honest. The manager praised him at the weekly meeting.’ This can be rewritten as:
‘The manager praised the worker’s honesty at the weekly meeting.’ by using the nominalised form of ‘honest’ which is ‘honesty.’

Nominalisation is a good tool to have and it helps us to provide more information with fewer words. However, it must be noted that sometimes carelessness in using nominalisation indiscriminately could give unnecessarily more information. Take the quiz on grammar that follows and learn to nominalise adjectives into nouns.

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1. Choose the option that has pairs NOT representing nominalisation of adjectives.
[ ] decorate-decoration; divide-division
[ ] confident-confidence; different-difference
[ ] kind-kindness; selfish-selfishness
[ ] pure-purity; stupid-stupidity
2. Choose the option that has pairs NOT representing nominalisation of adjectives.
[ ] formal-formality; original-originality
[ ] thirsty-thirst; guilty-guilt
[ ] enthusiastic-enthusiasm; expert-expertise
[ ] intend-intention; improve-improvement
3. Choose the option that has pairs NOT representing nominalisation of adjectives.
[ ] attractive-attractiveness; nervous-nervousness
[ ] preserve-preservation; interrupt-interruption
[ ] bored-boredom; high-height
[ ] strong-strength; deep-depth
4. Choose the option that has pairs NOT representing nominalisation of adjectives.
[ ] generous-generosity; sensitive-sensitivity
[ ] broad-breadth; warm-warmth
[ ] expand-expansion; entertain-entertainment
[ ] fluent-fluency; buoyant-buoyancy
5. "Roger Federer is famous. It gets him numerous advertising contracts."
Combine the sentences by changing the adjective to a noun. Choose from the following.
[ ] Roger Federer's fameity gets him numerous advertising contracts.
[ ] Roger Federer's famousance gets him numerous advertising contracts.
[ ] Roger Federer's famousness gets him numerous advertising contracts.
[ ] Roger Federer's fame gets him numerous advertising contracts.
6. "The elephant's thick skin protects it from danger."
Choose the sentence that uses the correct nominalised form of the adjective from the following.
[ ] The thickness of the elephant's skin protects it from danger.
[ ] The thickity of the elephant's skin protects it from danger.
[ ] The thickance of the elephant's skin protects it from danger.
[ ] The thick of the elephant's skin protects it from danger.
7. "The witness was silent during the inquisition. It helped the accused to be set free."
Combine the sentences by changing the adjective to a noun. Choose from the following.
[ ] The witness' silencey helped the accused to be set free.
[ ] The witness' silentness helped the accused to be set free.
[ ] The witness' silence helped the accused to be set free.
[ ] The witness' silentity helped the accused to be set free.
8. "Josephine is a stupid girl. She gets into trouble often."
Combine the sentences by changing the adjective to a noun. Choose from the following.
[ ] Josephine's stupidance gets her into trouble often.
[ ] Josephine's stupidity gets her into trouble often.
[ ] Josephine's stupidence gets her into trouble often.
[ ] Josephine's stupidness gets her into trouble often.
9. "The professor's deep knowledge of the subject endeared him to his students."
Choose the sentence that uses the correct nominalised form of the adjective from the following.
[ ] The deepity of the professor's knowledge of the subject endeared him to his students.
[ ] The deepence of the professor's knowledge of the subject endeared him to his students.
[ ] The deepy of the professor's knowledge of the subject endeared him to his students.
[ ] The depth of the professor's knowledge of the subject endeared him to his students.
10. "Noting the frequent visits to the restroom the doctor concluded that the patient could have a health issue."
Choose the sentence that uses the correct nominalised form of the adjective from the following.
[ ] Noting the frequency of the patient's visits to the rest room the doctor concluded that the patient could have a health issue.
[ ] Noting the frequentness of the patient's visits to the rest room the doctor concluded that the patient could have a health issue.
[ ] Noting the frequentity of the patient's visits to the rest room the doctor concluded that the patient could have a health issue.
[ ] Noting the frequentence of the patient's visits to the rest room the doctor concluded that the patient could have a health issue.
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High School English Quiz - Grammar 45 - Nominalisation - Adjectives into Nouns 1 (Answers)
1. Choose the option that has pairs NOT representing nominalisation of adjectives.
[x] decorate-decoration; divide-division
[ ] confident-confidence; different-difference
[ ] kind-kindness; selfish-selfishness
[ ] pure-purity; stupid-stupidity
Here 'decorate' and 'divide' are verbs and they are nominalised. In option 2 nominalisation is done by adding the suffix '-ence.' In option 3 nominalisation is done by adding the suffix '-ness.' In option 4 nominalisation is done by adding the suffix '-ity' with modifications
2. Choose the option that has pairs NOT representing nominalisation of adjectives.
[ ] formal-formality; original-originality
[ ] thirsty-thirst; guilty-guilt
[ ] enthusiastic-enthusiasm; expert-expertise
[x] intend-intention; improve-improvement
Here 'intend' and 'improve' are verbs and they are nominalised. In option 1 nominalisation is done by adding the suffix '-ity.' In option 2 nominalisation is done by removing the suffix '-y.' In option 3 the nominalisation is unique to these words
3. Choose the option that has pairs NOT representing nominalisation of adjectives.
[ ] attractive-attractiveness; nervous-nervousness
[x] preserve-preservation; interrupt-interruption
[ ] bored-boredom; high-height
[ ] strong-strength; deep-depth
Here 'preserve' and 'interrupt' are verbs and they are nominalised. In option 1 nominalisation is done by adding the suffix '-ness.' In options 3 and 4 the nominalisation is unique to these words
4. Choose the option that has pairs NOT representing nominalisation of adjectives.
[ ] generous-generosity; sensitive-sensitivity
[ ] broad-breadth; warm-warmth
[x] expand-expansion; entertain-entertainment
[ ] fluent-fluency; buoyant-buoyancy
Here 'expand' and 'entertain' are verbs and they are nominalised. In option 1 nominalisation is done by adding the suffix '-ity.' In option 2 the nominalisation is unique to these words. In option 3 nominalisation is done by adding '-cy' with modifications
5. "Roger Federer is famous. It gets him numerous advertising contracts."
Combine the sentences by changing the adjective to a noun. Choose from the following.
[ ] Roger Federer's fameity gets him numerous advertising contracts.
[ ] Roger Federer's famousance gets him numerous advertising contracts.
[ ] Roger Federer's famousness gets him numerous advertising contracts.
[x] Roger Federer's fame gets him numerous advertising contracts.
'Fame' is the nominalised form of 'famous' and this is a unique word and does not use the usual suffixes. The other options use the incorrect nominalised form of 'famous'
6. "The elephant's thick skin protects it from danger."
Choose the sentence that uses the correct nominalised form of the adjective from the following.
[x] The thickness of the elephant's skin protects it from danger.
[ ] The thickity of the elephant's skin protects it from danger.
[ ] The thickance of the elephant's skin protects it from danger.
[ ] The thick of the elephant's skin protects it from danger.
'Thickness' is the nominalised form of 'thick' and this follows the process of adding '-ness' as a suffix. The other options use the incorrect nominalised form of 'thick'
7. "The witness was silent during the inquisition. It helped the accused to be set free."
Combine the sentences by changing the adjective to a noun. Choose from the following.
[ ] The witness' silencey helped the accused to be set free.
[ ] The witness' silentness helped the accused to be set free.
[x] The witness' silence helped the accused to be set free.
[ ] The witness' silentity helped the accused to be set free.
The nominalised form of 'silent' is 'silence' and this follows the process of adding '-nce' as a suffix with modifications. The other options use the incorrect nominalised form of 'silent'
8. "Josephine is a stupid girl. She gets into trouble often."
Combine the sentences by changing the adjective to a noun. Choose from the following.
[ ] Josephine's stupidance gets her into trouble often.
[x] Josephine's stupidity gets her into trouble often.
[ ] Josephine's stupidence gets her into trouble often.
[ ] Josephine's stupidness gets her into trouble often.
The nominalised form of 'stupid' is 'stupidity' and this follows the process of adding '-ity' as a suffix. The other options use the incorrect nominalised form of 'stupid'
9. "The professor's deep knowledge of the subject endeared him to his students."
Choose the sentence that uses the correct nominalised form of the adjective from the following.
[ ] The deepity of the professor's knowledge of the subject endeared him to his students.
[ ] The deepence of the professor's knowledge of the subject endeared him to his students.
[ ] The deepy of the professor's knowledge of the subject endeared him to his students.
[x] The depth of the professor's knowledge of the subject endeared him to his students.
The nominalised form of 'deep' is 'depth' and this does not follow any suffix convention. The other options use the incorrect nominalised form of 'deep'
10. "Noting the frequent visits to the restroom the doctor concluded that the patient could have a health issue."
Choose the sentence that uses the correct nominalised form of the adjective from the following.
[x] Noting the frequency of the patient's visits to the rest room the doctor concluded that the patient could have a health issue.
[ ] Noting the frequentness of the patient's visits to the rest room the doctor concluded that the patient could have a health issue.
[ ] Noting the frequentity of the patient's visits to the rest room the doctor concluded that the patient could have a health issue.
[ ] Noting the frequentence of the patient's visits to the rest room the doctor concluded that the patient could have a health issue.
The nominalised form of 'frequent' is 'frequency' and this follows the suffix convention by adding '-cy' with modifications. The other options use the incorrect nominalised form of 'frequent'
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