"in the know", "at the ready"...

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hi, is there a specific term for those expressions in which a verb or an adjective is followed by the definite article? For example:

“put somebody in the know”,
“have your passport at the ready” etc.

Thanks. Torsten[YSaerTTEW443543]

TOEFL listening discussions: What are the two students doing?[YSaerTTEW443543]

2

Hi Torsten,

It’s a bit of a mouthful but what about substantivise - turn something into a noun?

Alan

3

Dear Alan

If I got it correctly:

Put somebody in the knowledge
Have your passport at the readiness

Do we agree?

Tom

4

Hi Tom

I think you’ve misinterpreted Alan’s comment.

Both “at the ready” and “in the know” are idioms. The words “ready” and “know” are both used as nouns in these idioms.

Amy