应当在此指出，把名词作动词使用时必须要符合一条准则，那就是在找不到适当的动词表示涵义时，才能用名词作动词，否则就是滥用。因此，以to message代替 to send a message to；用to bill替代to charge to one‘‘s account；以to signature代替to sign或用to suspicion 去替代to suspect都是不妥当的。然而，我们又应该注意到，在现代英语中，把名词作为动词使用的现象是很普遍的，而且有日渐增多的倾向。下面是一些从英美书刊中信手拈来的例子：
Tom has his car serviced (=maintained) regularly.
Mr. Smith has authored (=written) a book on AIDS.
You must pressure (=force) him to do it.
Her dress is pattermed upon (=made from) a paris model.
Dick is the man who used to partner Mary.
Opposition to the war snowballed.
We shall book through to Hong Kong.
Don‘‘t fool away your time， my boy!
Mr. Smith noons for half an hour every day.
They have husbanded their farms very well.
Students in Hong Kong can view a collection of more than 1oo rare species of goldfish in the Ocean park.
读者们不难从上面的例子看出，用名词作动词可以带来一种新鲜感，能唤起人们的注意并给人们留下一个逼真生动的画面。
