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Nominalisation DECS Languages & Multicultural Education Portfolio Group

Professional Development and Resource Materials for ESL .Modified for UNSWIL by

Ivan Smith Romero

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Nominalisation 

Nominalisation is essentially theprocess of converting:

NounstoVerbs

AdjectivestoAdverbs

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Why nominalise?

The fundamental reason fornominalisation is to raise the formality

and academic quality of writing by“packing” more information in to a lesser 

amount of words. Additionally, morequalification, classification and

description is provided throughadjectives of the „head noun‟.

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Nominalisation

Text 1The choir sang beautifully so the class

applauded wildly.

Text 2The choir‟s beautiful singing drew wild applause

from the class.

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Nominalisation 

Text 1

The choir sang beautifully so the classapplauded wildly.

Text 2

The choir‟s beautiful singing drew wild applause

from the class.

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Nominalisation : Noun groups

Text 1

The choir sang beautifully so the classapplauded wildly.

Text 2

The choir‟s beautiful singing drew wild applause

from the class.

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Nominalisation : verbs and clauses

Text 1

The choir sang beautifully so the classapplauded wildly.

Text 2

The choir‟s beautiful singing drew wild applause

from the class.

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Nominalisation Table adjective adverb verb noun 

pretty prettily prettify prettification

beauty beautifully beautify beauty/ beautification

quiet quietly quieten quietness

silent silently silence silence

evaporative/ evaporable

evaporate evaporation/ evaporator

observable/ 

observational/ observant

observably/ 

observationally/ observantly

observe

observation/ observer

conservative conservatively conserve conservation

operative operatively operate operation

 justifiable justifiably justify justification

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Nominalisation Table Writing 1/1 

adjective adverb verb noun 

rising rise a rise

increasing increasingly increase an increase

falling fall a fall

dropping drop a drop

declining decline a decline

peaking peak a peak

dipping dip dip

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Nominalisation Table Writing 1/1 

adjective adverb verb noun 

sharp sharply sharpen sharpness

considerable considerably consider consideration

steady steadily steady steadiness

slight/ slightish

slightly/ slightingly

slight slightness

gentle gently gentleness

gradual gradually gradualness

relative relatively relationship

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The council decided to allow the building to bedemolished even though the heritage committeewas just about to debate whether it should beheritage listed or not. The Aurora Heritage Grouphas said that this has got to be the most appallingthing the council has ever done.

Nominalised versionThe council‟s decision to allow the demolition ofthe building prior to debate on its heritage listing has drawn a scathing rebuke from the Aurora

Heritage Group.

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Scale 10 describers: the biggest, most colourful centre

classifiers: the biggest, most colourful shopping centre

more complex qualifiers: “It is the biggest, most colourful

shopping centre located in the city” 

Scales: noun groups

Scale 12 

• describers: the most important and exciting discoveries

• classifiers: the most important and exciting medicaldiscoveries

• qualifiers: “One of the most important and exciting medical

discoveries in recent times is …” 

Field: Language

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Field: Language

Scale 6 understands a range of nominalisations and uses a limited

range

understands: movement, your turn, a good chance 

uses: “What‟s your height?”, a lot of happiness, education 

Nominalisations

Scale 8

• understands a range of nominalisations and uses smallrange

• understands: possibility, allowance 

• uses with varying degrees of accuracy: permission,

ability 

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Field: Language

Scale 12Uses a range of increasingly abstract and technical

nominalisations with increasing confidence: growth, risk,capability 

NominalisationsScale 10 

• Uses a small range of technical nominalisations withvarying degrees of grammatical accuracy: evaporation,

expansion