Verbs: Nominalisations cheat sheet
Strong writing uses verbs rather than turning them into nouns (nominalisations). Nominalisations hide the real action. Your writing sounds more formal and your sentences might be longer than they need to be.
Recognising nominalised verbs
Nominalised verbs often end in –ion, -ment, -al, -age, -ing, -ance, -ant, -dom.
- Find the verb (action, doing word) in your sentence.
- Check the noun that follows closely. Can you turn this into the verb?
Examples
Here are some examples of nominalisations turned back into verbs.
| Avoid these nominalisations | Use these verbs |
|---|---|
| Achievement | Achieve |
| Action | Act |
| Agreement | Agree |
| Appearance | Appear, seem |
| Application | Apply |
| Approval | Approve |
| Arrival | Arrive |
| Assessment | Assess, review, check, evaluate |
| Beginning | Began |
| Transition | Ttransit, change |
| Commitment | Commit, promise, agree to |
| Communication | Communicate, tell, email, call |
| Conclusion | Conclude, decide |
| Confirmation | Confirm |
| Consideration | Consider |
| Consultation | Consult, discuss |
| Continuation | Continues |
| Contribution | Contributed, gave, donated, helped |
| Decision | Decide |
| Definition | Define |
| Demonstration | Demonstrate, show |
| Description | Describe |
| Determination | Determine |
| Development | Develop, produce, make, create |
| Discussion | Discuss |
| Donation | Donate, give |
| Editing | Edit |
| Employment | Employ |
| Enhancement | Enhance, improve, upgrade |
| Enrolment, re-enrolment | Enrol, re-enrol |
| Evaluation | Evaluate |
| Examination | Examine, check |
| Expectation | Expect |
| Explanation | Explain |
| Implementation | Implement, set up, install |
| Implication | Imply, suggest |
| Indication | Indicate, show, prove |
| Inspection | Inspect, check |
| Instruction | Instruct, teach, tell |
| Intention | Intend, mean |
| Introduction | Introduce |
| Investigation | Investigate, check |
| Leadership | Lead |
| Mentoring | Mentor, coach |
| Notification | Notify, tell, email, call |
| Objection | Object |
| Observation | Observe, saw, notice |
| Ownership | Own |
| Payment | Pay |
| Performance | Perform, act, sing, do |
| Prioritisation | Prioritise, order, rank |
| Progression | Progress, improve |
| Reaction | React, respond, reply |
| Recommendation | Recommend |
| Reduction | Reduce, cut back |
| Referral | Refer |
| Reformation | Reform, change, improve |
| Refusal | Refuse |
| Rejection | Reject, deny |
| Relocation | Relocate, move |
| Replacement | Replace, change |
| Requirement | Require, must |
| Resistance | Resist |
| Resolution | Resolve, decide, agree |
| Review (as a noun) | Review (as a verb) |
| Revision | Revise, change, edit |
| Ruling | Rule, decide, order |
| Solution | Solve, fix |
| Statement | State, say |
| Submission | Submitted, lodged, sent |
| Suggestion | Suggest |
| Training | Train |
| Transformation | Transform, change |
| Translation | Translate |
| Undertaking | Undertake, do, promise |
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