Forming nouns from adjectives

. Add –ness to form nouns from adjectives

The suffix –ness forms nouns from adjectives. Not all adjectives can have –ness added to them, but it is a common form – especially with adjectives ending in y (though note the spelling change, to –iness), hard consonant sounds like d, and many adjectives ending in ful. Common examples are:

• ready – They questioned her readiness for the test.
• happy – It is important to create happiness for everyone.
• weak – Eating too much cake was a major weakness of his.
• sad – The closure of the post office brought sadness to the community.
• mad – The decision to drive in the snow was pure madness.
• forgetful – Forgetfulness comes with old age.

2. Add –ity to form nouns from adjectives

The suffix ­–ity forms nouns from adjectives. Again, this is only for certain adjectives, though it is common adjectives ending in –ble or with soft ­–s sounds. To form nouns with –ity, changes in spelling often occur, such as replacing the last few letters of the adjective. Common examples are:

• responsible – Your children are not my responsibility.
• possible – Nuclear war seemed like a real possibility.
• scarce – The scarcity of drinks became problematic during the party.
• hilarious – They reacted to the joke with much hilarity.
• probable – It’s hard to guess the probability of her passing the test.

3. Add –ance or –ence to form nouns from adjectives or verbs

The suffix –ance (or –ence) can be added to either adjectives or verbs to form nouns. This is particularly used for adjectives ending in –ent or –ant (where the spelling changes to replace t with -ce) and various verbs. Common examples include:

• independent – Having a car has improved my independence.
• important – Never underestimate the importance of studying.
• silent – Enjoy the silence while the children are away.
• appear – The appearance of a second singer improved the concert.
• resist – The home team put up a strong resistance against their opponents

4. Add –ment to form nouns from adjectives or verbs

The suffix –ment can be added to either adjectives or verbs to form nouns. It is mostly used with verbs, of many kinds, but occasionally also with adjectives with soft endings (such as y endings). This suffix normally does not change the spelling of the core word (though y may change to i). Common examples include:

• appoint – I need to make an appointment with my doctor.
• assign – The final essay was a very big assignment.
• enjoy – Don’t let the rain affect your enjoyment of this walk.
• merry – The children found a lot of merriment in the clown’s antics.
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