Nominalisation
Nominalisation is the process of turning verbs, adjectives, and other word classes into nouns. It is a defining feature of formal, academic, and professional English.
What is nominalisation?
Nominalisation creates a noun from another word class — most commonly from a verb or adjective. It makes writing more abstract, formal, and impersonal.
Verb → noun
| Verb | Nominalisation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| decide | decision | The decision was made quickly. |
| fail | failure | The failure of the system caused delays. |
| investigate | investigation | An investigation was launched. |
| reduce | reduction | A significant reduction in costs was achieved. |
| conclude | conclusion | The conclusion was reached after deliberation. |
| analyse | analysis | A detailed analysis was conducted. |
Adjective → noun
| Adjective | Nominalisation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| effective | effectiveness | The effectiveness of the policy was measured. |
| accurate | accuracy | The accuracy of the data is critical. |
| significant | significance | The significance of the findings is unclear. |
Effect of nominalisation
Verbal: They investigated the cause and concluded that safety procedures had failed.
Nominal: An investigation into the cause led to the conclusion that there had been a failure of safety procedures.
The nominal style is: more impersonal, more abstract, denser, typical of academic and official English.
Don't over-nominalise: Heavy nominalisation can make writing dense and difficult to read. Use it purposefully — not as a default. In creative writing, a verbal style is often more effective.
Common suffixes: -tion/-sion (decision, conclusion), -ment (development, management), -ity (ability, clarity), -ness (effectiveness, awareness), -ance/-ence (performance, preference), -al (approval, denial).