Representing actions with nouns
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Overview | page 4 of 5 |
A special type of nominalisation
Many nouns in English can also be used as verbs, eg have a look (noun) versus look (verb). At first glance, it looks as if there is no difference between the noun form and its verb counterpart:
Let's have a look back at the atlas again now and find Beaumont - which we said was east and slightly north of Houston. (Bank of English)
Let's look back at the atlas again now and find Beaumont ...
When a word like look is used as a noun, the action of looking is being represented as a thing, a completed event. Note that the verb have has lost most of its normal meaning of possession.
The technical term for structures such as have a look is delexical verb structures.
For further information about such structures, see 
Representing
actions with nouns: Some everyday nouns used to represent actions.
Introduction
A special type of nominalisation
