Answer:
Nominalization is the process of turning a verb or adjective into a noun or noun phrase. This is done by adding suffixes such as -ment, -ion, -ence, -ance, -ity, -ent, -ant, and -ancy to the original word. Nominalizations can be useful in academic writing because they can make writing more creative, varied, and interesting. However, overusing nominalizations can make sentences unnecessarily wordy and interfere with writing concise and direct sentences. Nominalizations can also lead to passive voice and weak verb choices. To avoid overusing nominalizations, it is recommended to use active verbs instead of nominalized verbs whenever possible. Here are some examples of nominalizations and their concise revisions
- Nominalization: The court provided analysis on the issue and offered its conclusion that the defendant was guilty.
- Better: The court analyzed the issue and concluded the defendant was guilty.
- Nominalization: The usage of the property by the defendants was for the storage of the stolen jewelry and murder weapons.
- Better: The defendant stored the jewelry and murder weapons on the property.
- Nominalization: An agreement was made by the parties to reach a plea deal by Monday.
- Better: The parties agreed to reach a plea deal by Monday.
In summary, nominalization is a grammatical process that can be useful in academic writing, but it is important to use it judiciously to avoid making sentences unnecessarily wordy and interfering with writing concise and direct sentences.