Nominalisation
Definition
Nominalisation turns a verb, adjective or clause into a noun or noun phrase. It can make ideas more compact and abstract, and it is common in formal, academic and administrative writing.
Examples
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The committee rejected the proposal after careful consideration.
Consideration packages the action consider as a noun.
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The rapid expansion of the city created new problems.
Expansion turns expand into the head of a noun phrase.
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Her refusal to cooperate delayed the process.
Refusal expresses the action refuse as a noun.
Verb clause vs. nominalised expression
The company decided to close the branch.
The people or organisation performing the action remain prominent.
The company’s decision to close the branch caused concern.
The decision becomes a thing that can be discussed and evaluated.
A verb-centred clause often sounds direct and dynamic. A nominalisation can connect complex ideas but may sound denser or more impersonal.
Nominalisation can hide responsibility
Because an action becomes a noun, the person responsible can be omitted. This may be useful when the actor is unknown, but it can also make a statement less transparent.
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The destruction of the records caused serious delays.
The nominalised phrase does not identify who destroyed the records.
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The contractor destroyed the records, causing serious delays.
The verb-centred version names responsibility directly.
Common mistakes
The decide to cancel surprised everyone.
The decision to cancel surprised everyone.
A noun form is required as the subject of the sentence.
Their efficient improved quickly.
Their efficiency improved quickly.
The adjective efficient changes to the noun efficiency.
Quick check
Question 1 of 3
Which sentence correctly uses a noun formed from decide?
Decision is the noun form needed as the subject.Which sentence is the more direct verb-centred version?
The researchers analysed the results names the actor and uses a direct verb.Which noun correctly derives from expand?
Expansion is the noun form of expand.Nice work — you've completed the quick check.
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