Nominalization: Definition, examples, and how to improve your writing

Nominalization is the linguistic process of turning verbs, adjectives, or adverbs into nouns.

While it is a staple of academic and professional writing, knowing when to use it—and when to avoid it—is key to maintaining a clear and engaging writing style.

Also included resources:

• The transformation: Active vs. nominalized
• Quiz: Are you a master of nominalization?

The Ultimate Guide on Nouns

Nouns are the foundation of every sentence you write. This guide explores every category and rule, providing you with the tools to identify, use, and master them with total confidence.

• All about nouns in English: Types, examples, and usage
• Compound nouns in English: Rules, examples, and types
• Nominalization: Definition, examples, and how to improve your writing (this article)
• Uncountable nouns: A complete guide to mass nouns in English
• Countable nouns: A complete guide to grammar and usage
• Collective nouns: The ultimate guide to group names and usage
• Abstract nouns: Definition, examples, and how to use them
• What are concrete nouns? Definition, examples, and usage
• Proper nouns: Definition, examples, and usage rules
• Infinitives: A complete guide to understanding and using the base verb form
• Understanding gerunds: A complete guide to grammar, rules, and examples

What is nominalization?

• Nominalization is the process of turning different parts of speech, such as verbs, adjectives, or adverbs, into nouns. This transformation often involves adding suffixes like “-tion,” “-ment,” “-ance,” “-ness,” or “-ity” to the base word.  
• Essentially, it’s taking an action, quality, or process and making it a thing or concept.  
• It allows us to talk about actions and qualities as if they were objects or entities.  
• In addition, nominalization can make writing more formal and abstract.

At a glance: Common nominalization suffixes

How nominalization works: Transformations and examples

Understanding how to form nouns from other parts of speech is the first step in mastering this grammatical tool.

Verbs to nouns

This is the most common form of nominalization. It allows you to describe a process as a static event.

• Investigate becomes investigation
• Establish becomes establishment
• React becomes reaction

Adjectives to nouns

Transforming adjectives into nouns helps you discuss qualities as independent entities.

• Applicable becomes applicability
• Careless becomes carelessness
• Elegant becomes elegance

Adverbs to nouns

While less frequent, some adverbs can be traced to nominal roots or function within nominal phrases.

• Example: “He arrived timely” (adverbial use) vs. “The timeliness of his arrival” (nominalized).

When to use nominalization in your writing

Nominalization is not “bad” grammar; in fact, it is essential for several writing goals:

1. To condense complex information

Nominalization allows you to group several ideas into one subject. This is particularly useful when summarizing a previous sentence.

• Original: The team analyzed the results for three weeks. This helped them understand the problem.
• Nominalized: The three-week analysis of the results provided a better understanding of the problem.

2. To create a formal or objective tone

In scientific and legal writing, nominalization removes the “actor” to create a sense of objectivity.

• Informal: We tested the chemicals and found they were acidic.
• Formal: Testing of the chemicals revealed high levels of acidity.

3. To shift the focus of the sentence

If the result of an action is more important than who performed it, nominalization is the perfect tool.

• Focus on the actor: The manager organized the event perfectly.
• Focus on result: The organization of the event was perfect.

The “zombie nouns” warning: When nominalization goes wrong

Linguist Helen Sword famously called over-nominalized words “zombie nouns” because they can suck the life out of your prose.

Tip: If your sentence is cluttered with words ending in “-tion” or “-ment,” and you see too many “is/are” verbs, you may be over-nominalizing.

The risks of overuse:

• Wordiness: It often takes more words to say the same thing.
• Passivity: It hides who is responsible for an action (e.g., “A decision was made” vs. “I decided”).
• Density: It makes the text harder for the average reader to scan and understand.

Frequently asked questions about nominalization (FAQ)

Appendix

The transformation: Active vs. nominalized

Another example

Quiz: Are you a master of nominalization?