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C1 · Unit 2
Complex noun phrases I · nominalisation
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Complex Noun Phrases I

In this unit, students learn how academic writing often compresses information into complex noun phrases through nominalisation (turning verbs/adjectives into nouns). Students practice building dense-but-clear style and editing for readability.

Objectives What is Nominalisation? Common Forms Examples Editing Practice Final Task Materials

SWBAT (Objectives)

  • Identify nominalisations and complex noun phrases in academic/professional texts.
  • Transform clauses into noun phrases to create a more academic register when appropriate.
  • Recognize when dense style harms clarity and revise for readability.
  • Edit sentences for precision: fewer verbs, clearer agents, and better cohesion.
  • Produce a short paragraph using a controlled number of nominalisations (not overused).

What is Nominalisation?

Plain language (clause-based)
“When the company expanded, it reduced delivery times.”
Nominalised (noun phrase-based)
“The company’s expansion led to a reduction in delivery times.”
Why use it?

Nominalisation helps you sound more academic and lets you connect ideas efficiently (cause/effect, comparison, classification). However, too much nominalisation can make writing heavy and unclear—so the goal is controlled density.

Nominalisation Basics (PDF) Density vs Clarity (PDF)

Common Nominalisation Forms

Verb → Noun

decide → decision
improve → improvement
reduce → reduction
analyze → analysis
expand → expansion

Adjective → Noun

efficient → efficiency
available → availability
stable → stability
complex → complexity
relevant → relevance

Clause → Noun phrase

“how costs change” → “cost variation”
“that we failed to deliver” → “delivery failure”
“when demand rises” → “demand growth”

Common academic “carrier” nouns

impact · trend · factor · issue · approach · outcome · evidence · assumption · limitation

Forms Reference (PDF)

Examples (Upgrade the Register)

Before → After
Before: “We invested in training, so employees performed better.”
After: “Investment in training resulted in improved employee performance.”
But keep it readable
Too dense: “The implementation of the optimisation of the allocation of resources…”
Clearer: “Implementing better resource allocation…”

Aim for density that improves cohesion, not density that hides meaning.

Example Pack (PDF)

Editing Skills (De-clutter Dense Academic Style)

Editing checklist
  • Circle nominalisations (-tion, -ment, -ity, -ance).
  • Underline the real action (main verb).
  • Ask: Who is doing what? Is the agent clear?
  • Remove stacked nouns (3+ in a row) if unclear.
  • Swap 1–2 nominalisations back into verbs for flow.
Common “stacking” problem
“policy implementation timeline adjustment meeting”
→ “meeting to adjust the policy implementation timeline”
Clarity upgrade

If a sentence has too many nouns, add a verb. If it has too many verbs, consider one nominalisation. Balance = advanced control.

Editing Checklist (PDF) De-clutter Exercises (PDF)

Practice (Transform + Edit)

Practice 1: Clause → noun phrase

Rewrite using nominalisation:
1) “The prices increased quickly.”
2) “The company failed to deliver on time.”
3) “People are concerned about privacy.”

Practice 2: Edit for clarity

Simplify without losing meaning:
“The implementation of the optimisation of the allocation of resources resulted in an improvement of operational efficiency.”

Practice 3: Find and fix stacking

Rewrite these to sound natural:
“customer complaint resolution procedure update”
“data security policy compliance review”

Practice Worksheet (PDF)

Final Task: Academic-Style Paragraph (120–160 words)

Choose ONE topic
  • Remote work productivity
  • Public transport investment
  • Social media and attention
  • University tuition and access
Requirements
  • Use 6 nominalisations (no more than 8)
  • Include 2 complex noun phrases with pre/post modifiers
  • Keep the agent clear at least once (“The government/company…”)
  • End with a concise conclusion sentence
Self-check

If your paragraph feels heavy, convert 1–2 nominalisations back into verbs to restore flow. Advanced writing = choosing the right level of density for the audience.

Paragraph Template (PDF) Rubric (PDF)

Materials & Downloads

  • Unit 2 Slides — PPTX
  • Nominalisation Basics — PDF · Density vs Clarity — PDF
  • Forms Reference — PDF · Example Pack — PDF
  • Editing Checklist — PDF · De-clutter Exercises — PDF
  • Practice Worksheet — PDF
  • Paragraph Template — PDF · Rubric — PDF

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