Nominalization (also known as “nouning”) happens when adjectives (words that describe nouns and pronouns) or verbs (actions or events) are changed into nouns (people, places, concepts, or things).
Nominalization is frequently used in academic writing for 3 reasons:
- It avoids repetition.
- It makes writing more impersonal by focusing on the action rather than the doer of the action.
- It makes writing more creative and varied. One can also use a paraphraser to achieve it.
Nominalization Examples
Let’s look at a few examples of verb nominalization:
- Sentence – Many children experience stress when they start school.
- Nominalized sentence – The experience of stress is familiar to many children when they start school.
- Sentence – I saw a group of men arguing over a banana.
- Nominalized sentence – I saw a group of men having an argument over a banana.
List of Verb Nominalizations
| Verb | Noun |
| Intend | Intention |
| Revolve | Revolution |
| Interfere | Interference |
| Achieve | Achievement |
| Concede | Concession |
| Diagnose | Diagnosis |
| Fail | Failure |
| Succeed | Success |
| Perform | Performance |
Let’s look at a few examples of adjective nominalization.
- Sentence – Everyone commented on the fact that most of the contestants were wearing similar outfits.
- Nominalized sentence – Everyone commented on the similarity of most contestants’ outfits.
- Sentence – Tom was notorious for being careless in money matters.
- Nominalized sentence – Tom was notorious for his carelessness in money matters.
List of Adjective Nominalizations
| Adjective | Noun |
| Beautiful | Beauty |
| Good | Goodness |
| Happy | Happiness |
| Quick | Quickness |
| Brave | Bravery |
| Desirable | Desirability |
| Stable | Stability |
| Thrifty | Thriftiness |
| Appropriate | Appropriateness |
Nominalization in Academic Writing
Nominalization is a typical feature of academic writing and rewriting. Authors of papers and articles should not refer to themselves in the first person (I, me, my, mine, myself). Nominalization has, therefore, become an established practice in academic writing.
Note the difference between these sentences:
- Sentence – I analyzed the data, which revealed that the population of pigeons in urban areas has increased ten-fold in the last decade.
- Nominalized sentence – Analysis of the data revealed a ten-fold increase in the population of pigeons in urban areas in the last decade.
The second sentence depersonalizes the writing by omitting “I” and nominalizing the verb “analyzed.” It helps authors achieve a higher degree of abstraction and technicality. In some cases, nominalization helps shorten a sentence whilst retaining the academic tone and meaning of the sentence.
Nominalization can sometimes be a tricky process. Try this quick exercise to see if you have mastered the concept.
Nominalization Practice
Nominalize the verbs in these sentences to give them a more academic tone. The verbs are in bold.
1. The blemishes on the sofa were removed, making it look more beautiful.
2. Some people say that wealth is distributed unequally in the United States.
3. Consuming fast food has significantly contributed to obesity in the country.
4. The government decided to increase taxes by 25% this year.
5. Researchers analyzed the data gathered, and it showed that sales of the supplement had reduced significantly.
