Nominalisation helps you communicate about formal, academic and information-dense style. Start with the meaning, notice the pattern, and then use it in complete sentences.
By the end of this lesson, you can
- I can use nominalisation to express processes and qualities concisely in formal writing.
- Recognise and build the form: verb/adjective → abstract noun with related grammatical restructuring.
- Use the pattern accurately in a meaningful sentence.
Meaning and use
Use Nominalisation for formal, academic and information-dense style. Always read the whole situation before choosing the form: grammar expresses a meaning, not only a pattern.
The company decided to expand. The decision was announced today.
Nominalise 'decided' as 'decision' to refer to the action as a thing.
Prices increased rapidly. The rapid increase affected demand.
Use the noun 'increase' after the adjective 'rapid'.
The committee rejected the plan. Its rejection caused delays.
Nominalise the verb 'reject' as 'rejection'.
verb/adjective → abstract noun with related grammatical restructuringKeep this pattern visible while you study the examples. Then cover it and rebuild one example from memory.
Key rules to notice
These rules explain why the form is correct. Focus on the subject, auxiliary, verb form, word order and time or meaning clues.
- Nominalise 'decided' as 'decision' to refer to the action as a thing.
- Use the noun 'increase' after the adjective 'rapid'.
- Nominalise the verb 'reject' as 'rejection'.
- Nominalise the adjective 'efficient' as 'efficiency'.
- The noun 'failure' names the unsuccessful process.
Common mistakes
Not:The company decided to expand. The decide was announced today.
Use:The company decided to expand. The decision was announced today.
Nominalise 'decided' as 'decision' to refer to the action as a thing.
Not:Prices increased rapidly. The rapid increasingly affected demand.
Use:Prices increased rapidly. The rapid increase affected demand.
Use the noun 'increase' after the adjective 'rapid'.
Not:The committee rejected the plan. Its reject caused delays.
Use:The committee rejected the plan. Its rejection caused delays.
Nominalise the verb 'reject' as 'rejection'.
Check before you practise
Complete each sentence mentally, then reveal the answer.
The system is efficient. Its ____ saves time.
efficiency
Nominalise the adjective 'efficient' as 'efficiency'.
They failed to communicate. This communication ____ was costly.
failure
The noun 'failure' names the unsuccessful process.
The government implemented the policy. Its ____ began in June.
implementation
The formal process noun from 'implement' is 'implementation'.