When speaking any language, the majority of the
words can be broken down into the categories of nouns, verbs and adjectives. There are, of course,
other categories too like adverbs and conjunctions but today I’d like to focus
on those 3 core categories. We talk a lot about the English language here, in
fact, this whole channel is dedicated to it and I often find myself reading out definitions which
will hopefully help you to widen your vocabulary. The trouble with that is that so many words in
the English language have multiple definitions so I just have to choose whichever is more relevant
in the context but that got me thinking. I wonder if there are any words in the English language
which are nouns, verbs and adjectives all at once. Before we get into my list, let’s recap the
meaning of a noun, a verb and an adjective. A noun is a word which names a person,
place or thing. Names like ‘Anna’ are nouns. Place names like ‘London’ or ‘England’ are
nouns. Objects like ‘cloud’ or ‘book’ are nouns. Adjective is a describing word. A word we
use to describe something. For example, ‘red’, ‘tall’, ‘cute’, ‘cold’ are
all simple examples of adjectives. And lastly, a verb is a ‘doing’ word. A word
we use to describe an action. For example ‘run’, ‘want’, ‘eat’ and ‘sing’
are all simple examples of verbs. So now we are looking for words which
can be used for all three categories: as a noun, as an adjective and as a verb.
The first example I have found is the word: Fast.
As an adjective, ‘fast’ means: moving or
capable of moving at a high speed.
“This train is fast and comfortable.”
As a verb, the word ‘fast’
means: to abstain from all or some kinds of food or drink, particularly as part of a religious
ritual.
“During the month of Ramadan, Muslims are obligated to fast every day from sunrise the
sunset as an act of worship, and a way to become more compassionate to those in need.”
Lastly,
‘fast’ can also be used as a noun referring to the time in which you are fasting.
“24 hours before
the operation, you need to begin your fast.” Another example is the word: Well.
As
an adjective, ‘well’ means healthy.
“I don’t feel well.”
As a noun, a ‘well’ is a hole
made in the earth to reach water. Here is a photo of an old English well.
“Throw a penny in the
well and make a wish and it might come true!” We do have some strange superstitions, don’t
we?
Lastly, as a verb, we can use ‘well’ to describe a pooling of water.
“Tears well in
my eyes just thinking about chopping onions!” Yet another example is the word: Firm.
As an
adjective, ‘firm’ means having a solid, almost unyielding surface or structure.
“To support your
back, the bed should be firm but not too hard.”
It can also be used to describe a person who is
determined and confident.
“Some students find the teacher scary, but I think she’s nice. She’s just
very firm”
As a verb, to ‘firm’ something means to make it more solid or resilient. This is usually
part of the separable phrasal verb to ‘firm up’, meaning the act of making something more
firm.
“The plans still have to be firmed up but I think we’re going to go for coffee
on Saturday morning.”
Lastly, as a noun, the word ‘firm’ can be used to describe a for-profit
business organisation. It’s usually paired with the name of the industry to be more specific,
for example a law firm or an insurance firm. Another example of a word that is a noun,
a verb and an adjective is: Sport.
‘Sport’ as a noun refers to an activity involving
exercise and competition.
“At this school, we offer team sports including football, rugby
and netball.”
As a verb, to ‘sport’ something means to wear or display it.
“Here a photo of
me proudly sporting my school uniform.”
And the word ‘sport’ can also be used as an adjective,
meaning ‘of or relating to sport’.
“She got into the school on a sport scholarship!”
And lastly, the final example is: Last.
As an adjective, the word ‘last’ means
final. This is the last example.
As a noun, ‘the last’ is the final one.
“Of all
my siblings, I was the last to move out.”
And as a verb, to ‘last’ means to continue
for a specified period of time.
“I know it’ll be difficult, but I’m
determined to last the whole race.” So there we have 5 examples of words which
can be used as a noun, a verb and an adjective in the English language, but I’m sure there
are plenty more. We have: fast, well, firm, sport and last. Can you think of any more?
Your homework today is to choose one of the words we’ve discussed today or one you’ve thought
of yourself and use it in a sentence 3 times: first as a noun, then as a verb and then as
an adjective, and if that’s too easy and you’d like a challenge, try having all 3 meaning in the
same sentence! I can’t wait to read your answers.
