Possible/possibility

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optilang

#515756 Mon, 19 May 08 07:52 PM

Which is a noun and which is an adjective?

optilang

Joined on Tue, May 13 2008

Poland

Senior Member (2,100)

OptiNative British English Speaker Wherever I may roam, I'm still a Londoner.

Nouns

Yoong Liat

#515760 Mon, 19 May 08 08:01 PM

'Possible' is an adjective.

'Possibility' is a noun.

Yoong Liat

Joined on Mon, Sep 4 2006

Singapore

Veteran Member (5,861)

Yoong Liat

Nouns

optilang

#515761 Mon, 19 May 08 08:03 PM

Thanks it's as I thought, but I have an English coursebook that has them the other way round!

optilang

Marius Hancu

#515811 Mon, 19 May 08 09:28 PM

According to Merriam-Webster Unabridged, possible can be a noun, adjective and adverb:

possible

Function: noun

1 a : POSSIBILITY, POTENTIALITY -- usually used in plural <all the infinite number of possibles -- Jonathan Edwards> b : all that can be done : BEST <had done my possible ... to gratify you -- Robert Southey>

2 possibles plural : necessary things (as supplies, equipment, money) <the hunters departed, each to look after his traps and possibles -- Mayne Reid>

3 : the highest attainable score for a number of rounds fired in target shooting; broadly : the highest attainable score in a competition