What is nominalisation and how to use it in your writing in an effective way.

1. Verb
Nominalisation

2. Verb Nominalisation
Turning verbs into nouns to:
- focus on objects and concepts
- avoid writing about actions

3. Example
Verbs Nouns
Decide Decision
Argue Argument
Interfere Interference

4. Example
Before nominalisation:
He researched how malaria disseminates due to
inferior housing and infrastructure.
After nominalisation:
He researched the dissemination of malaria due to
inferior housing and infrastructure.

5. Purpose
Nominalisation adds:
1. Variety
2. Conciseness
3. Authority
4. Formality

6. Variety
Example:
The number of a car accidents is increasing rapidly.
The cause of this increase can be found in the fact
that the legal driving age was lowered.
1

7. Conciseness
2
Before nominalisation:
The government decided two things that were
considered incredibly important for the infrastructure.
After nominalisation:
The government made two incredibly important
infrastructure decisions.

8. Authority
3
Before nominalisation:
When I was bitten by that snake my arm turned
red, began to itch and swell up.
After nominalisation:
The snake bite caused redness, itching and
swelling.

9. Formality
4
Before nominalisation:
Steve preferred bottled wine, which caused him to
drink excessively.
After nominalisation:
Steve’s preference for bottled wine was the cause of
his excessive drinking.

10. Types Nouns
Formed from Verbs
1. Gerund
2. Agent Nouns
3. Recipient Nouns
4. Nouns Formed with Suffixes
5. Zero-change Nouns

11. Gerunds
The present participle form of the verb used as a
noun:
Studying can be stressful.
Overthinking sometimes leads to bad decision making.
1

12. Agent Nouns
Nouns that end in -or or -er which were derived
from verbs:
Governor = Someone who governs
Writer = Someone who writes
2

13. Recepient Nouns
3
Nouns that end in -ee to indicate a passive
party:
Employee = A person who is employed by someone
Payee = A person to whom money is paid

14. Nouns Formed with
Verbs and Suffixes
4
Suffixes that transform verbs into nouns, like -
tion, -sion, -ment, -ence, and -ance.

15. Nouns Formed with
Verbs and Suffixes
4
Noun Verb
Transformation To transform
Confusion To confuse
Treatment To treat
Dependence To depend
Performance To perform

16. Zero-change Nouns
5
Nouns without additions of suffixes:
Change is inevitable. (From the verb to change)
Murder is on the rise. (From the verb to murder)

17. Use with Care!
Overuse of nominalisation leads to a style that
is too abstract and too wordy.

18. Use with Care!
Example:
Our company reached an agreement with this
contractor on the construction of a new building.
Our company agreed with this contractor to construct
a new building.