英語的實(shí)詞不但多義，而且同一詞還可以屬一種以上的詞類。此外，從一種詞類又可以轉(zhuǎn)化為另一種詞類，其中以⒈名詞轉(zhuǎn)化為動(dòng)詞、⒉動(dòng)詞轉(zhuǎn)化為名詞以及⒊形容詞轉(zhuǎn)化為動(dòng)詞，這三種最為普遍、最為生動(dòng)。轉(zhuǎn)化后的詞具有該詞基本的特性，因此轉(zhuǎn)化名詞有如真正名詞，轉(zhuǎn)化動(dòng)詞就像真正動(dòng)詞。

　　⒈名詞→動(dòng)詞

　�、� The workers found Bob's attitude hard to stomach.

　�、� The parachutist had to nerve himself for the jump from his helicopter.

　�、� A few poor children had been dogging the tourists for some time.

　　④ Tuition schools have mushroomed for the last two years.

　�、� The traitor was knifed and stoned to death.

　　⑥ I leafed through a few pages of the book to see what it was about.

　�、� Personality clashes surfaced among some rival leaders.

　�、� Tom elbowed his way through the crowd.

　　⑨ It is impolite to ape one's superiors.

　�、� Delicious food made our mouths water.

　　⒉動(dòng)詞→名詞

　�、� The innocent girl was having a good cry.

　�、� Active people are always on the go.

　�、� I often have a quiet read before going to bed.

　�、� People from all walks of life condemned a bad government.

　�、� Famine came in the wake of the drought.

　　⑥ The manager gave some lazy workers the sack.

　�、� Let me take a good look at these photos.

　�、� A visit to the Jurong Bird Park is a must for any tourist.

　�、� War is loathed by the haves and the have-nots.

　　⑩ If you have anything to discuss with me, don't hesitate to give me a ring.

　�、承稳菰~→動(dòng)詞

　�、� Don't idle away your precious time.

　　② Father's hair begins to grey.

　�、� How to quiet a fretful child?

　�、� We have no intention of seeing an innocent person humbled.

　�、� Something must be done to better the life of the underprivileged.

　　⑥ Language skills can be perfected by constant practice and regular reinforcement.

　�、� The robber wanted his victim to empty his pockets.

　�、� When the enemy's ships neared the land, our soldiers began to attack.

　　⑨ The man's muscles tensed as he saw the snake approaching him.

　�、� The hot weather soured the fresh milk.

　　此外，有些形容詞和其他詞類也可以轉(zhuǎn)化為名詞。例如：

　�、� The strong tend to bully the weak.

　　② Poor innocents deserve our greatest sympathy.

　�、跼ichard looked like a silly in such a situation.

　�、� The secretary knows the ins and outs of the matter.

　　⑤ Do you know the whys and wherefores of the accident?

　�、� Though a rich man now, Peter's earlier life was marked by ups and downs.

　　上述這些轉(zhuǎn)化名詞，并未具有名詞全部的特性。例如“the strong”和“the weak”形式是單數(shù)，意思是復(fù)數(shù)。還有④-⑥這些轉(zhuǎn)化名詞既有復(fù)數(shù)之形，也具復(fù)數(shù)之意