very important question!!

[Mhd shaher]

hello every body..
I have problem in defferentiataing between some words..
and I need your help to understand this problem..

look on this sentence:
He suggests the formation of coalition government

why haven't I put forming instead of formation in spite of that they are both nouns?(I want a rule to follow)

and there is also more nouns like:
Exam - Examination
a say - saying
a fight - fighting
what is the defferance between them?
best wishes to all​

 

[Tdol]

For me, 'forming' is the decision to have a coalition, but 'formation' would have more to do with the actual make-up of the constitution, with the arguing about who has which post, etc.
Exam - Examination- no real difference- 'exam' is an abbreviation, so is not used formally in the names and on the certificates.
a say - saying - a say - express your opinion, saying - proverb, idiom, etc
a fight - fighting - a fight- the contest, fighting - the activity

 

[Mhd shaher]

thank you sir..
but what do you mean by (the contest)..
please explain this word for me because there is more one meaning for this word..
Best Wishes

 

[Tdol]

'A fight' is like a 'unit of viol;ence'; it's countable and thinks of each instance of violence as a separate thing. With 'fighting' the meaning is closer to violence'; an activity.