Nominalization — Changing Word Forms

Form

Nominalization turns a verb or an adjective into a noun, so the idea itself becomes something the sentence can talk about (decide becomes decision, complex becomes complexity).

Verbs usually take -tion, -sion, -ment, -ance or -al (implement becomes implementation, improve becomes improvement, agree becomes agreement, arrive becomes arrival). Adjectives usually take -ity, -ness, -ence or -ance (complex becomes complexity, happy becomes happiness, different becomes difference, important becomes importance). A singular countable noun of this kind needs an article, a possessive or another determiner (a decision, our decision, this decision), while an uncountable one stands alone (customer satisfaction), and it often links to what follows with of (The implementation of the new strategy presented challenges).

When to Use It

1. 1

   Make the idea itself the subject of a formal sentence

   The decision to reduce taxes was welcomed.

2. 2

   Refer back to something already mentioned in one phrase

   We replaced the old system in June. The implementation was smooth.

3. 3

   Describe an amount or a change without naming who caused it

   There was a significant improvement in profits.

4. 4

   Use -ity or -ness to name a quality

   The complexity of the problem was underestimated.

5. 5

   Keep the actor out of a report

   The investigation of the complaints revealed several problems.

6. 6

   Go back to the verb when a sentence turns heavy

   We decided to expand, so we hired more staff.

Common Mistakes

• A verb in the noun slot: write The board reached a decision, not The board reached a decide — after an article you need the noun form.
• A noun in the verb slot: write The accountant analyzed the figures, not The accountant analysis the figures — the noun belongs only where a noun can go.
• The wrong suffix: write the importance of the report, not the importancy of the report — important takes -ance.
• An adjective for a noun: write There is a lot of competition in our sector, not There is a lot of competitive in our sector — competition is the noun, competitive the adjective.
• Dropping of: write The implementation of the strategy took months, not The implementation the strategy took months — a noun like this usually links to the thing it acts on with of.