Types of Writing Types Characteristics

Academic Writing

Academic Writing Formal Clear focus Well-developed Coherent *Concise*

Concise Compact writing Using less words to express the same idea Maintain meaning and clarity

Improve Word Choice and Conciseness Nominalization can help or hurt you

Useful Nominalization

Use Nominalization to create a link between two sentences Ex. Nominalization is a subject referring to a previous sentence These arguments all depend on a single, unproven claim. This decision can lead to costly consequences.

Use nominalization to create the (direct/indirect) object of a verb I do not understand either what she meant or what he intends. I do not understand either her meaning or his intentions.

Use nominalization to replace awkward “The fact that” The fact that I denied what he accused me of impressed the jury. My denial of his accusations impressed the jury. Other options: When I denied his accusations, I impressed the jury. In denying his accusations, I impressed the jury.

Referring to an often repeated concept Few issues have so divided Americans as the ability to abort babies when you demand it. Few issues have so divided Americans as abortion on demand. There is a demand for an end to taxation on entertainment. We demand that the government stop taxing entertainment.

Other uses Use nominalizations after “there is/there are” to introduce a topic that develops in subsequent sentences. Examples: - There are many expectations people have about their educational experience. …

Useless Nominalization

Sometimes a topic is so abstract that we think we can write about it only in nominalizations. However we can often rewrite a paragraph using subject and verbs, rather than nominalization.

Nominalization follows a verb The police conducted an investigation into the matter. The police investigated the matter.

Nominalization follows “there is” There was considerable erosion of the land from the floods. The floods considerably eroded the land.

Nominalization is the subject of an “empty” verb Our discussion concerned a tax cut. We discussed a tax cut.

Linked nominalizations Their cessation of hostilities was because of their personnel losses. They ceased hostilities because they lost personnel.

Consecutive Nominalizations There was first / a review of / the evolution of the dorsal fin. First, / she reviewed / the evolution of the dorsal fin. First, / she reviewed / how the dorsal fin / evolved.

Review Academic Writing Word Choice Concise Use of nominalization