An Attempt and Associated Gains of Nominalization

Zijing+Ji

【Abstract】Nominalization， a significant method of composing articles， was specially mentioned in our writing class. This paper is intended to explore the special features nominalization contributes to written language and its effects on writing.

【Key words】nominalization； English writing； features； effects.

Introduction

In the past CET4， I was eager to try out some tricks which I had gained from the writing class. The first skill that called to mind was to replace verbs or adjectives with nouns when I read the requirements of composition. Unfortunately， tension and anxiety had totally occupied my brain and a monster that kept me from the exact corresponding substitutability was released. In case of a possible self-defeating consequence， I surrendered， imaging how excellent it would be if I had the ability to freely make use of this knack.

It is my lack of words and practice that contributes to this unsuccessful attempt. But replacing verbs and adjectives with nouns， which belongs to nominalization， is an effective tool to improve the quality of our composition. What follows is a brief of the products about nominalization I have acquired from the writing class and some materials.

Features

As an important form of Grammatical Metaphor， nominalization enriches the language system and provides a diversity of options for language users. The Noun， especially the abstract noun， having a highly-recapitulative force， can convey a significant amount of content with relatively few words as a result of its exactness and brevity.

Here is an example：

· If you compare two ways of life carefully， you will find the former is superior to the latter.

· Careful comparison of two ways of life will show the superiority of the former over the latter.

It is obvious that noun phrases， containing the original subject， predicate and object in a sentence， is much more concise and vivid.

Effects

1.Nominalization provides the discourse with authenticity and impersonality through escaping from the influence of the executor of action and environmental components. Compared to English， Chinese expression emphasizes the subject consciousness， which implies that the human being and animate subject are absolutely dominated in a sentence. Consequently， using personal pronouns as subject， following this mindset， leads to the absence of fairness and variation.

Here is an example：

· If you expose the item for long， it will rapidly deteriorate.

· Prolonged exposure will result in rapid deterioration of the item.

Clearly， omitting the strong subjectivity and restraining interpersonal function of language， the latter sentence embodies the pivotal process so that it appears to be more objective than the former.

2.Nominalization endues the sentence with concinnity and cohesion， concretes movements and prettifies disorder and abstract.

“Our progress is a tribute to the spirit of the Afghan people， to the resolve of our coalition， and to the might of the United States military...”

This is from President Bushs State of the Union Address. Three parallel nominalization structures not only convey a great deal of information but also hold a good sense of rhythm， which enhances its attraction to some extent.

3. Nominalization imbues articles with preciseness and rigorousness. By nominalization， movements and processes are provided with properties of nouns， which incline them to be quantified and classified.

Here is an example：

·If we analyze the statistics of the actual vote， we will find that the opposition was localized.

·A statistic analysis of the actual vote indicates that the opposition was localized.

The noun “analysis”， nominalized by the verb “analyze”， can be quantified by “a” and “statistics”. From this， the expression becomes more intelligible.

Conclusion

In the process of writing， the appropriate nominalization can compact structure， simplify words and extend information. It is a shortcut which is especially effective in examinations. From my point of view， nominalization seeks the diction effects like verse in Chinese. However， excessive nominalization disposes articles to stereotypes， which accordingly impedes the train of thought. It is imperative to fully grasp the proper usage of nominalization in practice.

References：

[1]Halliday，M.A.K.An Introduction to Functional Grammar[M].Beijing：Foreign Language Teaching and Research Press，2000.

[2]Z Qiu，The Application of Nominalization to the Teaching of English Writing.Journal of Fujian Commercial College，2008，（6）， 100-103.

[3]Wang Lu，Nominalization in Written Language.Journal of Xian International Studies University，2005，13（1），1-3.