Secret Agent Nouns
Secret Agent Nouns
They’ve given you a number and taken away your name
Okay, so the song was really about a Secret Agent Man, but I just found out about something called “agent nouns” and I couldn’t stop myself from telling you about them.
Agent nouns are nouns derived from verbs. Specifically, they are nouns that describe the person performing a particular action. For example, an actor (noun) is one who acts (verb); a teacher (noun) is one who teaches (verb).
Agent nouns sometimes end with –or and other times with –er. Here is a little secret: only Latin-based words end in –or, such as:
· actor (from agere, to do or act)
· director (from dirigere, to guide)
· governor (from gubernare, to govern)
· inventor (from invenire, to discover)
Other agent nouns use the verb and the suffix –er, for example:
· To walk, walker
· To writer, writer
· To work, worker
· To sing, singer
I’m pretty sure you can work this into scintillating conversation at a holiday party!
Kara Church
Technical Editor, Advisory
619-542-6773 | Ext: 766773
Symitar Documentation Services
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