Conversion / Zero Derivation
B2 · Upper IntermediateWord FormationEmail (noun) → to email (verb), a run (noun) from to run (verb) — same word, new job, zero change in form.
What you'll learn
- Conversion (also called zero derivation) shifts a word to a new word class with absolutely no change in form — no prefix, no suffix, nothing added
- Many everyday nouns have become verbs this way: email → to email, google → to google, text → to text, friend → to friend (on social media)
- Many verbs have become nouns the same way: to run → a run, to look → a look, to try → a try
- Because there's no visible signal, only the surrounding grammar — word order, articles, auxiliary verbs — tells you which class a converted word is functioning as in a given sentence
A word class change with zero visible change
Unlike prefixing and suffixing, conversion adds nothing at all. The word's spelling stays exactly the same; only its grammatical job in the sentence changes.
Nouns converting to verbs
This is extremely common with modern technology and everyday objects — a noun becomes a verb simply by being used in verb position, with no suffix like -ize or -ify added.
Verbs converting to nouns
The reverse also happens constantly: a verb is used directly as a noun, usually after an article like 'a' or 'the', with no suffix like -tion or -ment added.
Real English
Watch out
Conversion adds nothing at all — inventing a suffix for a converted verb is unnecessary and incorrect.
The converted noun form is simply 'a run', with no ending added — 'running' would describe the ongoing activity, not the single event.
Real life — Making weekend plans
"Do you want to go for a run tomorrow morning?"
"Sure, sounds good. Should I text you when I'm ready?"
"Yeah, just google the trail if you want to check the route first."
"Good idea, I'll have a quick look tonight."
Practice
Exercise 1 · Identify the word class
'I'll email you the file' uses 'email' as:
Exercise 2 · Identify the word class
'Let's go for a run' uses 'run' as:
Exercise 3 · Choose the correct definition
Conversion (zero derivation) means a word changes word class:
Exercise 4 · Identify the word class
'She always texts me before calling' uses 'text' as:
Exercise 5 · Identify the word class
'Can I have a quick look?' uses 'look' as:
Exercise 6 · Choose the correct answer
How do you know 'google' is being used as a verb in 'just google it'?
Exercise 7 · Choose the correct sentence
Which sentence uses 'friend' as a converted verb (social media sense)?
Exercise 8 · Identify the word class
'It's a must-see movie' uses 'must' (usually a modal verb) as:
Exercise 9 · Complete the sentence
Complete with a converted verb (no suffix added): Can you ___ me the report by email? (from the noun 'email')
Exercise 10 · Complete the sentence
Complete with a converted noun (no suffix added): Let's have a quick ___ before we decide. (from the verb 'try')
Exercise 11 · Sort the words into groups
0 / 8 sorted
Quick challenge
Five quick questions to check what stuck.
Question 1 / 5
Score: 0/0
What tells you which class a converted word belongs to in a sentence?
You learned
- Conversion (zero derivation) shifts a word to a new word class with no change in form at all.
- Common noun-to-verb conversions: email, google, text, friend.
- Common verb-to-noun conversions: a run, a look, a try, a change.
- Only the surrounding grammar tells you which class a converted word is functioning as.
Related grammar lessons
Changing Word Classes
An overview of how English words shift between word classes — mainly through suffixes, while prefixes usually change meaning without changing class — and a preview of the more surprising mechanism covered in its own lesson: conversion, where a word changes class with no visible change at all.
Compound Words
Learn how English combines two or more words into a single unit with a new, more specific meaning — written as one word, two words, or hyphenated, with no reliable spelling rule to predict which.
Suffixes
Learn how suffixes attach to the end of a word and usually change its word class — noun-forming suffixes like -tion/-ment/-ness, adjective-forming suffixes like -ful/-able, verb-forming suffixes like -ize/-ify, and the adverb-forming -ly.
Prefixes
Learn how prefixes attach to the front of a word to change its meaning — including the four different negative prefixes English uses (un-, dis-, non-, in-/im-/il-/ir-) and other common meaning-changing prefixes like re-, over-, under-, pre-, and mis-.