The textbook divides derived nouns into six meaning-based categories. Each connects an entity to the underlying verbal idea in a different way.
CategoryBasic sense
Active participleAgent/doer
Passive participleRecipient of the action
Comparative/superlativeGreater degree of a quality
Instrument nounTool or means
Place/time nounWhere or when an action occurs
Stable-quality adjectiveEnduring/descriptive characteristic
These categories explain why a shared root can produce nouns with different semantic roles.