Nominalization in English: Deverbal Nouns, Deadjectival Nouns & Academic Writing

Definition

What is nominalization? A linguistic definition

Nominalization (also spelled nominalisation in British English) is the linguistic process of deriving a noun from a word belonging to another grammatical category — most commonly a verb or an adjective. The resulting noun is called a nominalization, a deverbal noun (when derived from a verb) or a deadjectival noun (when derived from an adjective).

The term comes from the Latin nomen (name, noun). In transformational-generative grammar, nominalization was first systematically studied by Noam Chomsky in the 1970s. In systemic-functional linguistics, M.A.K. Halliday developed the concept of grammatical metaphor to describe how nominalization reconstrues dynamic processes as static things — a key feature of formal written language across scientific, legal and academic domains.

The three types of nominalization

English uses three primary types of nominalization:

1. Deverbal nominalization: a noun derived from a verb. To investigate → investigation; to decide → decision; to grow → growth.
2. Deadjectival nominalization: a noun derived from an adjective. Happy → happiness; possible → possibility; free → freedom.
3. Conversion / Zero-derivation: a word used as a noun without any morphological change. To work → work (n.); to run → a run (n.); to change → change (n.).

Deverbal Nouns

Deverbal nouns: forming nouns from verbs

A deverbal noun (also called a process noun or action noun) is formed from a verb stem using a nominalizing suffix. Deverbal nouns are extremely common in English, particularly in Latinate vocabulary. They typically refer to the action itself, the result of the action, or the process described by the verb.

The -tion / -sion suffix: the most productive

The suffix -tion (and its allomorph -sion) is the single most frequent nominalization suffix in English, derived from the Latin -tio/-tionis. Both are pronounced /ʃən/ in final position.

Verb	Deverbal noun	Phonemic form	Context
to communicate	communication	/kəˌmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃən/	corporate communication strategy
to investigate	investigation	/ɪnˌvɛstɪˈɡeɪʃən/	a formal investigation was launched
to produce	production	/prəˈdʌkʃən/	production costs exceeded forecasts
to decide	decision	/dɪˈsɪʒən/	a unanimous board decision
to divide	division	/dɪˈvɪʒən/	division of labour
to expand	expansion	/ɪkˈspænʃən/	market expansion plans
to revise	revision	/rɪˈvɪʒən/	a major revision of the policy
to construct	construction	/kənˈstrʌkʃən/	under construction

The -ment suffix

The suffix -ment also derives from Latin (via French -ment). It forms nouns denoting an action, its result, or a condition. Unlike -tion, -ment generally attaches to the verb stem with little or no modification:

Verb	Deverbal noun	Domain
to develop	development	economics, technology, personal growth
to manage	management	business, HR, project management
to achieve	achievement	education, sport, career
to assess	assessment	education, risk, performance
to invest	investment	finance, infrastructure, human capital
to engage	engagement	marketing, HR, social media
to establish	establishment	law, institutions, organisations
to govern	government	politics, public administration

The -al suffix

The suffix -al forms nouns from verbs, often referring to a single instance of the action:

• to arrive → arrival (the arrival of the guests)
• to refuse → refusal (a blunt refusal)
• to propose → proposal (a merger proposal)
• to approve → approval (regulatory approval)
• to deny → denial (a formal denial)
• to withdraw → withdrawal (fund withdrawal)
• to renew → renewal (contract renewal)

Irregular deverbal nouns: the ones to memorise

Some very common English verbs have irregular deverbal nouns that must be learnt individually. These do not follow the standard suffix patterns:

Verb	Incorrect (don't write this)	Correct deverbal noun
to choose	~~choosement / choision~~	choice
to grow	~~growment / growtion~~	growth
to lose	~~losement / losstion~~	loss
to prove	~~provement~~	proof
to think	~~thinkment / thinkion~~	thought
to know	~~knowment~~	knowledge
to believe	~~believement~~	belief
to advise	~~advisement~~	advice

Deadjectival Nouns

Deadjectival nouns: forming nouns from adjectives

A deadjectival noun is derived from an adjective. Unlike deverbal nouns, which typically refer to actions or processes, deadjectival nouns denote qualities, states or abstract properties. They are a crucial component of formal philosophical, psychological and sociological vocabulary in English.

The -ness suffix: Germanic origin, universal productivity

The suffix -ness derives from Old English and can theoretically attach to any adjective. It is therefore the most productive deadjectival suffix in contemporary English. Note: adjectives ending in -y change to -i before -ness (happy → happiness).

Adjective	Deadjectival noun	Register / Frequency
aware	awareness	Very high — business, psychology, marketing
happy	happiness	Very high — philosophy, positive psychology
effective	effectiveness	High — management, evaluation, healthcare
mindful	mindfulness	High — wellness, HR, psychology
kind	kindness	High — ethics, social sciences
dark	darkness	Medium — literature, physics, religion
fit	fitness	High — sport, healthcare, HR
willing	willingness	High — HR, research, negotiations

The -ity / -ty suffix: Latinate formality

The suffix -ity (contracted to -ty in some words like safety, liberty) comes from Latin -itas. It typically modifies adjectives of Latin or French origin and produces a highly formal register:

Adjective	Deadjectival noun	Morphological change
possible	possibility	-ible → -ibility
responsible	responsibility	-ible → -ibility
creative	creativity	-ive → -ivity
productive	productivity	-ive → -ivity
equal	equality	-al → -ality
original	originality	-al → -ality
safe	safety	-e → -ety (-ty contracted)
loyal	loyalty	-al → -alty

The -ance / -ence suffix

These suffixes convert adjectives (or present participles) ending in -ant / -ent into abstract nouns. They are extremely common in formal and legal English:

Process Nouns

Process nouns and the gerund as nominalization

In English grammar, a distinction is often made between derived nominalizations (using suffixes like -tion, -ment) and gerunds — the -ing form of a verb used as a noun. Both function as nominalizations in a broad sense, but they differ significantly in their grammatical behaviour and stylistic weight.

Gerunds vs derived nominalizations

Understanding the difference between a gerund and a derived nominalization is essential for producing accurate, idiomatic academic English:

Feature	Gerund (-ing)	Derived nominalization (-tion, -ment...)
Formation	verb + -ing (no suffix variety)	verb/adjective + specific suffix
Takes object?	Yes: investigating the case	No: the investigation of the case
Takes adverb?	Yes: rapidly developing	No: rapid development (adjective)
Preceded by article?	Rarely: the running of X	Routinely: the development of X
Preceded by adjective?	Rarely: hard working	Routinely: rapid development
Register	Neutral to semi-formal	Formal, academic, professional

Academic Writing

Nominalization in academic writing: functions and examples

Systemic-functional linguist M.A.K. Halliday described nominalization as the single most powerful resource for creating grammatical metaphor in English — that is, the ability to construe processes (normally expressed by verbs) as if they were things (expressed by nouns). This reconstrual has four key functions in academic writing:

Function 1: Objectification and impersonality

By turning a human action into a noun phrase, nominalization removes the human agent from the foreground, creating the impersonal tone that academic writing requires:

• "We found that..." → "The findings indicate that..."
• "The researchers observed..." → "Observation of the data suggests..."
• "We recommend that..." → "The recommendation is that..."

Function 2: Information condensation

Nominalization allows complex information to be packed into a dense noun phrase, making it possible to build long, information-rich sentences without using multiple clauses:

Function 3: Thematic development

Nominalization enables a technique called theme-rheme development, whereby the nominalized summary of one sentence becomes the starting point of the next:

Function 4: Register marking

High nominalization density signals formal written register. A text with a high ratio of nouns to verbs sounds academic; a text with many dynamic verbs sounds conversational or journalistic. This distinction is tested in IELTS Task 2, TOEFL Independent Writing, and advanced Cambridge exams (CAE, CPE).

Professional Writing

Nominalization in professional and business English

Beyond the academy, nominalization is the backbone of business English — from executive reports and board minutes to contract language, HR documentation and investor presentations. Mastering nominalized structures is what enables a professional to write confidently in English at the level expected by multinational employers.

Nominalization in business reports

Business reports systematically favour nominalized structures because they project authority, objectivity and analytical depth. Compare these paired examples:

Colloquial phrasing	Business report phrasing
We grew 15% last year.	Revenue growth of 15% was recorded in the prior year.
We decided to cut costs.	A cost reduction strategy was implemented.
Staff performed better.	A marked improvement in staff performance was observed.
The market changed quickly.	Rapid market transformation was noted.
We must solve this problem.	Problem resolution requires immediate attention.
Customers complained a lot.	A significant increase in customer dissatisfaction was recorded.

Stylistic Analysis

Analysing nominalization in authentic English texts

One of the best ways to internalize nominalization is to analyse authentic academic and professional texts. When reading a research article, a management report or a legal document, try to identify every nominalization and ask: what verb or adjective is this derived from? What suffix was used? What function does it serve in the sentence?

Sample text analysis

Consider this short excerpt from a fictional corporate annual report:

Counting nine nominalizations in a three-sentence passage gives a very high nominalization density — entirely typical of corporate reporting style. This kind of analytical awareness is precisely what targeted language training develops, and what separates a genuine C1 English user from an upper-intermediate learner.

Learning

How to master nominalization: practical learning strategies

Developing productive control of nominalization — being able to use it naturally and accurately in your own writing and speaking — requires deliberate practice. It is not enough to understand the concept passively; you need to build strong lexical entries that pair each verb or adjective with its nominalized form. Here are the most effective strategies.

Strategy 1: Build suffix-specific vocabulary lists

Organise your vocabulary learning by suffix rather than alphabetically. Create separate lists for -tion verbs, -ment verbs, -al verbs and so on. For each entry, record both the base form and the nominalized form. Use spaced repetition software (Anki, Quizlet) to maintain retention over time.

Strategy 2: Paraphrase practice

Take sentences with verbs and rewrite them using nominalizations. This forces you to practice the morphological transformation and the syntactic restructuring simultaneously. Example task: "The company expanded into Asia last year" → "The company's expansion into Asia last year..." or "Last year's expansion into Asia..."

Strategy 3: Reverse engineering from academic texts

Take a paragraph from an academic journal in your field, identify every nominalization, determine its base form, and then rewrite the paragraph using verbal constructions. This exercises your understanding of when and why nominalization is used in context.

Strategy 4: Productive exposure through reading

Read widely in formal English: The Economist, The Financial Times, Nature, academic journals in your discipline, UN reports, European Commission documents. The more you encounter nominalizations in context, the more natural your own use of them will become.

For a full French-language explanation of the same concepts, see our companion article: La nominalisation en anglais. To learn about the professional certification framework, see our guide on Professional English level: CECRL, TOEIC, Linguaskill.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about nominalization