Nominalisation

What is nominalisation?

Nominalisation means using a noun instead of a verb or an adjective to express an idea. For example, decide becomes decision, and important becomes importance. The idea moves into a noun phrase (a group of words built around a noun). This makes writing more formal and more compact, so it is common in academic writing, reports and the news.

The company expanded rapidly. → The rapid expansion of the company surprised investors.

In the first sentence, the action is a verb (expanded). In the second, it is a noun (expansion), and the new noun phrase can be the subject of a new verb (surprised).

How to form nouns from verbs and adjectives

Common suffixes

A suffix is an ending added to a word.

Same form as the verb

Some nouns look the same as the verb: increase, change, delay, rise, drop, cost, decline, use, report, review.

• Prices rose. → There was a rise in prices.

Irregular noun forms

Check a dictionary when you are not sure. Some verbs have two nouns with different meanings: employ → employment (having a job) and employee (a person).

How a sentence changes

When a verb becomes a noun, other words in the sentence change too.

Before and after

• The company expanded rapidly. → The rapid expansion of the company...
• The council decided to close the library, and this upset residents. → The council's decision to close the library upset residents.
• Prices rose sharply, so people spent less. → The sharp rise in prices led to a fall in spending.
• If we don't invest, the town centre will decline. → Without investment, the town centre will decline.
• Researchers analysed the data carefully. → Careful analysis of the data showed...

Prepositions after nouns

Nominalised nouns often need a fixed preposition:

When to use nominalisation

1. Academic and formal writing

Nouns focus on ideas and processes, not on people. This makes writing sound more objective.

• We measured the samples. → Measurement of the samples showed...
• People are becoming more aware of the problem. → Public awareness of the problem is growing.

2. Packing more information into a sentence

A noun phrase can carry a whole idea, so you can say more in fewer words.

• The government introduced a new tax. Because of this, prices went up. → The introduction of a new tax led to higher prices.
• Fewer people are using the bus, so the service may be cut. → The decline in bus use may lead to service cuts.

3. Linking sentences

A noun can sum up the previous sentence. This is very useful in essays.

• The city added two new bus lines in 2023. This expansion reduced traffic downtown.
• Some employees refused to work weekends. Their refusal caused delays.

4. Sounding less personal

A noun can hide who did something. This can make a message more polite.

• You made a mistake on the invoice. → There is an error on the invoice.
• We have decided to cancel the event. → The cancellation of the event...

Verbs vs nouns: which to choose?

Neither style is better. Choose the style that fits the reader and the situation. See Register: Formal and Informal Grammar.

When nominalisation goes too far

Too many nouns make a sentence heavy and hard to read. The reader cannot easily see who did what.

• Too heavy: The implementation of the reorganisation of the department resulted in a reduction in staff motivation.
• Clearer: When the department was reorganised, staff became less motivated.

Watch out for a weak verb + noun where one verb is enough:

In everyday emails, use verbs most of the time. Use nominalisation when you need a formal tone or a compact summary.

Common mistakes

Mistake 1: Wrong preposition after the noun

• Wrong: an increase of prices
• Correct: an increase in prices
• Use in for the thing that changes. Use of for the amount: an increase of 5%.

Mistake 2: Keeping the adverb

• Wrong: the expansion quickly of the company
• Correct: the rapid expansion of the company
• A noun is described by an adjective, not an adverb.

Mistake 3: Using a verb form as a noun

• Wrong: The analyse of the data took weeks.
• Correct: The analysis of the data took weeks.
• Many verbs have a special noun form. Check a dictionary.

Mistake 4: Mixing noun style and verb style in a list

• Wrong: Our goals are the reduction of costs and improving quality.
• Correct: Our goals are reducing costs and improving quality. / Our goals are the reduction of costs and the improvement of quality.
• Keep items in a list in the same form.

Mistake 5: Wrong verb agreement after a long noun phrase

• Wrong: The rise in housing prices are worrying.
• Correct: The rise in housing prices is worrying.
• The verb agrees with the main noun (rise), not the nearest noun (prices).

Mistake 6: Stacking too many nouns

• Hard to read: The failure of the implementation of the policy led to the cancellation of the project.
• Clearer: The project was cancelled because the policy was not implemented properly.
• One or two nominalisations per sentence are usually enough.

Quick reference

Common questions

What is an example of nominalisation?

The government decided to raise taxes → The government's decision to raise taxes. The verb decided becomes the noun decision.

Is nominalisation good or bad?

It is useful in formal and academic writing because it is concise and objective. Too much of it makes writing hard to read, so use it where it helps the reader.

Is it 'nominalisation' or 'nominalization'?

Both are correct. Nominalisation is the British spelling, and nominalization is the American spelling, which is also common in Canada. The meaning is the same.

Practise next

• Complex Noun Phrases — build and read long noun phrases.
• Register: Formal and Informal Grammar — choose the right style for the situation.
• Passive Voice — another way to make writing less personal.
• Hedging Language — soften claims in academic and work writing.