Conversion is a characteristic feature ofthe English word-building system. The term “conversion” first appeared in thebook by Henry Sweet “New English Grammar” in 1891. Conversion is treateddifferently by different scientists.

Professor A.I. Smirntitsky treatsconversion as a morphological way of forming words when “one part of speech isformed from another part of speech by changing its paradigm” [Smirntitsky,1976:58], e.g. to form the verb to dialfrom the noun dial we change theparadigm of the noun (a dial, dials)for the paradigm of a regular verb (I dial, he dials, dialed, dialing). Prof.H. Marchand in his book “The Categories and Types of Present-day English”treats conversion as “a morphological-syntactical word-building” [Marchand,2001:124] because we have not only the change of the paradigm, but also thechange of the syntactic function, e.g. Ineed some good paper for my room. (The noun paper is an object in the sentence). I paper my room every year. (The verb paper is the predicate in the sentence).

Conversion is highly productive way in theEnglish word-stock. Conversion consists in making a new word from some existingword by changing the category of a part of speech, the morphemic shape of theoriginal word remaining unchanged, e.g. nurse– to nurse, hand – to hand, face – to face. The new word made fromconversion has a different meaning from that of the word from which it was producedthough the two meanings can be associated.

The converted word acquires also a newparadigm and a new syntactic function, which are peculiar to its new categoryas a part of speech, e.g. paper – topaper, work – to work.

The main varieties of conversion can bepresented as:

•       Verbalization (the formation ofverbs), e.g. to ape (from ape n.);

•       Substantivation (the formationof nouns), e.g. a private (fromprivate adj.), loser (from the verbto loose);

•       Adjectivation (the formation ofadjectives), e.g. down adj. (fromdown adv.);

•       Adverbalization (the formationof adverbs), e.g. home adv. (fromhome n.).

 Thetwo categories of parts of speech especially affected by conversion are nounsand verbs. In the group of verbs made from nouns there are some regular semanticassociations. Verbs can be formed from nouns of different semantic groups andhave different meanings. They are indicated in the following list:

a)        verbs have an instrumentalmeaning if they are formed from nouns denoting parts of a human body, e.g. to eye, to finger, to elbow, to shoulderetc;

b)       verbs have an instrumentalmeaning if they are formed from nouns denoting tools, machines, instruments,weapons, e.g. to hammer, to machine-gun,to rifle, to nail;

c)        verbs can denote an actioncharacteristic of the animal denoted by the noun from which they have beenconverted, e.g. to dog, to wolf, to ape,to monkey;

d)       verbs can denote acquisition,addition or deprivation if they are formed from nouns denoting an object, e.g. to fish, to dust, to peel, to paper;

e)        verbs can denote an actionperformed at the place denoted by the noun from which they have been converted,e.g. to park, to garage, to bottle, tocorner, to pocket,

f)        verbs can denote an actionperformed at the time denoted by the

noun from which they have been convertede.g. to winter, to week-end.

g)       verbs can denote the process oftaking a meal denoted by the noun from which they have been converted e.g. to lunch, to dinner, to supper.

The suggested groups do not include all thegreat variety of verbs made from nouns by conversion.

Verbs can be also converted fromadjectives, in such cases they denote the change of the state, e.g. to pale, to cool, to clean, to slim etc.

Nouns can also be formed by means ofconversion from verbs.

Converted nouns can denote:

a)  instant of an action e.g. a jump, a move;

b)  process or state e.g. a sleep, a walk;

c)  agent of the action expressedby the verb from which the noun

has been converted, e.g. a help, a flirt, a scold;

d)  object or result of the actionexpressed by the verb from which

the noun has been converted, e.g. a burn, a find, a purchase;

e)  place of the action expressedby the verb from which the noun

has been converted, e.g. a drive, a stop, a walk.

Many nouns converted from verbs can be usedonly in the singular form and denote momentary actions. In such cases we havepartial conversion. Such verbal nouns are often used with such verbs as: to have, to get, to take etc., e.g. to have a try, to give a push, to take aswim.