Subject Code: ENG 5 English 5
LG Code: 2.0 Characteristics of Academic Writing
Lesson Code: 2.3 Feature 3: Nominalization
Time Limit: 30 minutes
TARGET (1 minute)
By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:
1. discuss the concept of nominalization;
2. explain the importance of observing nominalization in academic papers; and
3. write nominalized sentences.
Bullseye CC0
HOOK (3 minutes)
In this lesson, we are going to study the concept of nominalization, another feature of academic writing.
For starters, let us compare the two sets of sentences below. In your opinion, which set is better suited
for academic writing? Why so? Write down your thoughts in your notebook.
SET 1 SET 2
1. Metals are generally malleable. 1. Malleability is a characteristic common among
metals.
2. New equipment has been procured to improve 2. The procurement of new equipment is said to
the assembly line’s efficiency. improve the assembly line’s efficiency.
IGNITE: (11 minutes)
Simply put, nominalization involves the conversion of a verb or an adjective into its noun form. For
instance, “adherence” is the noun form of the verb “adhere” and “beauty” is the noun form of the
adjective “beautiful”.
Below are more examples of nominalizations:
FROM VERBS TO NOUNS
Verb Nominalized Form
intend intention
explore exploration
repent repentance
direct direction
omit omission
ENG 5 | LG 2.0 | Lesson 2.3 | Page 1 of 4
FROM ADJECTIVES TO NOUNS
Adjectives Nouns
erudite erudition
poignant poignancy
adaptable adaptability
probable probability
malleable malleability
Would you like to try nominalizing the following words?
ORIGINAL WORD NOMINALIZED FORM
concentrate
expose
helpless
arrogant
permit
In general, nominalized sentences sound convoluted and are thus avoided. Here are some examples:
Nominalized Structure
The election of a new mayor in the town of Tralala will happen tomorrow.
The procurement of a new TV set is going to be done by my family tomorrow.
Common Structure
Tralala will elect a new mayor tomorrow.
My family is going to procure a new TV set.
In academic writing, however, sentences are nominalized to emphasize an object rather than an actor.
This coincides with the principle of objectivity. For research work to be useful, other scholars should
clearly see the process involved in obtaining results so that the study can be replicated. Moreover,
academic papers should also highlight key findings. For these reasons, both processes and results are
presented as the subjects of sentences.
Consider the following examples:
ENG 5 | LG 2.0 | Lesson 2.3 | Page 2 of 4
1. Learners’ adaptability has been established as a major consideration in implementing distance
learning.
2. The motivation of the employees has dropped because their benefits and incentives have been
abruptly removed.
3. The maturation of physical features peaks during late adolescence.
4. The implementation of a four-day workweek is said to dramatically lower operational
expenses.
NAVIGATE (12 minutes)
Formative task: Rewrite the following sentences. Nominalize the underlined words.
(graded and recorded; 5/5 points)
1 In rating essays, examiners do not only expect accurate answers from examinees.
2 Answers also need to be elaborated to get high marks.
3 Moreover, ideas should also be presented in a coherent manner.
4 Accurate grammar does not merit a lot of points, but erroneous grammar may negatively affect
the marks awarded for the other components.
5 Most importantly, the essay needs to have complete parts because incomplete outputs are left
unmarked.
KNOT (3 minutes)
In this lesson, we have learned that nominalization is an important trait of academic writing because it
highlights important information and the process by which it is obtained. In addition, this trait also adds
more clarity in the manner an idea is conveyed. In the next lesson, we will have more practice in
presenting ideas using concrete and specific terms as we discuss specificity, another feature of academic
writing.
ENG 5 | LG 2.0 | Lesson 2.3 | Page 3 of 4
References:
Purdue University. (2020). Sentence clarity: Nominalizations and subject position. Purdue Online
Writing Lab. Retrieved from https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/english_as_a_second_language/
esl_students/nominalizations_and_subject_position.html
University of Wollongong. (2020). Academic Writing: Nominalisation. UniLearning. Retrieved from
https://unilearning.uow.edu.au/academic/3b.html#:~:text=Academic%20writing%20frequentl
y%20uses%20nominalisations,We%20walked%20for%20charity.
Using English for Academic Purposes. (2020). Features of Academic Writing. Retrieved from
http://www.uefap.com/writing/feature/complex_nom.htm
Image Reference:
(n.d.) Target Bullseye Clipart. [Online image]. Retrieved from
https://www.kissclipart.com/target-bullseye-clipart-bullseye-target-corporatio-2ybaqt/
Prepared by John Daryl B. Wyson Reviewed by Kornellie L. Raquitico
Position: Special Science Teacher (SST) - IV Position: Special Science Teacher (SST) – IV
Campus: Main Campus Campus: Main Campus
ENG 5 | LG 2.0 | Lesson 2.3 | Page 4 of 4
