Series ID: EDKS-BASIC-ZH-0070 · Lesson No.070 · B2-Direction Formal Information Packaging
Nominalisation and Information Density | 名词化与信息密度
The team decided to expand.
The team’s decision to expand…
Nominalisation turns actions, qualities or processes into nouns. It can make formal writing more compact and help ideas connect across sentences—but too much nominalisation can hide people, actions and responsibility.
名词化可以提高信息密度，也可能让句子变重、变模糊。B2 的目标不是“写得更像论文”，而是知道什么时候压缩，什么时候还原成清楚的动词。
Chinese Edition Hub · 中文版入口 · ← Lesson No.069 · Advanced Relative Clauses and Reduced Clauses
The nominalisation map | 名词化路线
- verb → noun
- adjective → noun
- process → concept
- information density
- formal register
- cohesion through noun phrases
- hidden agency
- unpacking dense prose
- plain-English editing
- Mandarin transfer
1. Verb → noun | 动词变名词
- decide → decision
- improve → improvement
- analyse → analysis
- expand → expansion
- reduce → reduction
2. Adjective → noun | 形容词变名词
- accurate → accuracy
- available → availability
- efficient → efficiency
- important → importance
3. Why nominalise? | 为什么名词化？
It can help writers:
- talk about an action as a concept
- connect back to an earlier event
- package several details into a noun phrase
- use a more formal register where appropriate
4. Action → concept | 动作变概念
Verb version:
The company expanded rapidly.
Nominalised:
The company’s rapid expansion changed staffing needs.
5. Cohesion through nominalisation | 用名词化连接前文
Sentence 1: The company expanded into three new markets.
Sentence 2: This expansion increased demand for support staff.
This expansion compresses the whole previous action into a noun phrase.
6. This change / this decision / this increase | 高频衔接
- This change…
- This decision…
- This increase…
- This reduction…
- This improvement…
7. Information density | 信息密度
Compare:
Because the company expanded quickly, it needed more staff.
The company’s rapid expansion created a need for more staff.
The second sentence packs more information into noun phrases.
8. Density is not automatically better | 密度高不等于更好
Dense writing can be efficient for expert readers but harder for learners or general audiences.
9. Nominalisation + adjective | 名词化 + 形容词
- rapid expansion
- significant improvement
- careful analysis
- unexpected reduction
10. Nominalisation + of phrase | 名词化 + of
- the reduction of costs
- the analysis of results
- the introduction of a new system
11. More natural alternative | 更自然替代
The introduction of a new system improved efficiency.
Could become:
Introducing a new system improved efficiency.
12. Gerund vs nominalisation | 动名词 vs 名词化
- introducing a system
- the introduction of a system
Both package actions differently; register and structure differ.
13. Hidden agent | 隐藏执行者
A decision was made to reduce staff.
Who made the decision?
Nominalisation plus passive voice can hide responsibility.
14. Critical reading question | 批判阅读问题
Whenever you see a dense noun phrase, ask:
- What action is inside this noun?
- Who performed it?
- Who was affected?
15. “The implementation of…” | implementation
Dense:
The implementation of the policy resulted in a reduction in waiting times.
Clearer:
After the organisation implemented the policy, waiting times fell.
16. Same meaning, different register | 同义不同语体
Formal density may be useful in reports. Plain verbs may be better in instructions, teaching or public communication.
17. Nominalisation can improve topic continuity | 维持主题
The committee rejected the proposal. The rejection surprised several members.
18. Topic noun becomes sentence subject | 名词化做主语
This helps writers discuss the event itself.
19. Nominalisation and cause | 原因表达
- Because prices increased…
- The increase in prices…
20. Nominalisation and comparison | 比较
- the growth of A
- the decline of B
- a difference in performance
21. Nominalisation and evidence | 证据表达
- the findings
- the observation
- the measurement
- the comparison
22. Beware empty nouns | 空泛名词
Phrases like the situation, the issue, the factor need clear referents.
23. Too many abstract nouns | 抽象名词堆积
Heavy:
The implementation of the improvement strategy led to the achievement of greater efficiency.
Clearer:
Implementing the strategy made the process more efficient.
24. Nominalisation audit | 名词化审计
Underline nouns ending in:
- -tion / -sion
- -ment
- -ance / -ence
- -ity
- -al
Then ask whether a verb would be clearer.
25. Common verb–noun pairs | 高频词族
| decide | decision |
| develop | development |
| improve | improvement |
| perform | performance |
| respond | response |
| vary | variation |
26. Word family control | 词族控制
Do not assume every noun takes the same preposition or collocation as its verb.
27. Collocation matters | 搭配重要
- make a decision
- conduct an analysis
- show improvement
- achieve a reduction
28. Nominalisation and prepositions | 名词化后的介词
- increase in
- reduction in
- effect on
- response to
29. Reading dense noun phrases | 解码长名词短语
the rapid expansion of online learning platforms
Unpack:
- platforms expanded
- they are online-learning platforms
- the expansion was rapid
30. Head noun first | 先找中心名词
In the rapid expansion of online learning platforms, the head noun is expansion.
31. Work outward | 再向外拆
Ask what modifies the head noun and what follows in of-phrases or relative clauses.
32. Nominalisation in headings | 标题中的名词化
- Analysis of Results
- Reduction in Costs
- Evaluation of Options
Headings often favour noun phrases because they label sections.
33. Nominalisation in instructions | 指令中少用
Instead of:
Completion of the form is required.
For general readers:
Please complete the form.
34. Register choice | 语体选择
Use denser nominal style when it improves precision and professional tone, not as decoration.
35. Agency check | 执行者检查
Dense:
The cancellation of the service caused disruption.
If responsibility matters:
The operator cancelled the service, causing disruption.
36. Cause check | 因果检查
Nominalisation can make causal claims sound objective. Evidence still matters.
37. Paraphrase connection | 与 Lesson 067 连接
Nominalisation is one paraphrase method, but the same certainty, scope and causality must remain.
38. Relative-clause connection | 与 Lesson 069 连接
Reduced clauses and nominalisations can both raise information density. Combining too many at once can make prose difficult.
39. Mandarin transfer: 中文也可高密度名词化 | 但结构不同
Do not transfer long Chinese noun chains word-for-word. English often needs articles, prepositions and clearer head-noun structure.
40. Mandarin transfer: 动词通常更灵活 | 英语名词搭配更固定
Learn the noun together with its typical preposition and collocation.
41. Reading practice A | 阅读 A
The introduction of flexible scheduling led to a reduction in commuting during peak hours. This reduction was followed by an improvement in reported employee satisfaction.
Unpack the nominalisations into verbs.
42. Reading practice B | 阅读 B
Following the evaluation of the pilot programme, the committee recommended an expansion of the scheme.
Rewrite in plainer English.
Possible answer: After the committee evaluated the pilot programme, it recommended expanding the scheme.
43. Writing practice: compress | 压缩练习
Turn two clauses into one noun-based sentence where useful.
44. Writing practice: unpack | 解压练习
Turn five dense nominal sentences into clear verb-based prose.
45. Error clinic | 常见问题
| Problem | Repair |
|---|---|
| Too many -tion nouns. | Restore verbs. |
| Agent disappears. | Name the actor if responsibility matters. |
| Wrong preposition. | Learn noun collocation. |
| Sentence sounds formal but unclear. | Prefer plain English. |
46. First weak link diagnosis | 第一个卡点诊断
- I cannot unpack dense prose → head-noun analysis.
- I overuse nominalisation → register judgement.
- I lose agency → critical-reading problem.
- I use wrong noun collocations → word-family problem.
- I change meaning while nominalising → paraphrase-control problem.
47. Retrieval lab | 提取练习
- 决定 → ______
- 改进 → ______
- 减少 → ______
- 分析 → ______
- 这个变化…… → ______
Suggested answers: decision / improvement / reduction / analysis / This change…
48. Seven-day training cycle | 七天训练
| Day 1 | verb→noun families | 词族 |
| Day 2 | noun collocations | 搭配 |
| Day 3 | cohesion nouns | 衔接 |
| Day 4 | dense phrase decoding | 阅读 |
| Day 5 | agency audit | 责任 |
| Day 6 | plain-English rewriting | 编辑 |
| Day 7 | 400-word density audit | 综合 |
49. Self-test | 自测
Create and unpack common nominalisations; identify head nouns; choose appropriate prepositions; explain when nominalisation improves cohesion; detect hidden agency; rewrite over-dense prose into clear English.
50. For parents and teachers | 给家长和老师
Teach nominalisation as a reading-and-writing choice, not as a marker of “advanced” status.
Make learners translate dense noun phrases back into simple propositions: who did what to whom?
For Mandarin speakers, focus on English head nouns, articles, prepositions and collocations.
51. Final real-world challenge | 最终真实任务
- Build ten verb–noun families.
- Use five nominalisations for cohesion.
- Decode five long noun phrases.
- Identify hidden agents.
- Rewrite five dense sentences plainly.
- Compress five simple sentences appropriately.
- Check noun prepositions.
- Check causality.
- Edit a 300-word formal paragraph for information density.
- Explain every retained nominalisation.
Next: Lesson No.071 | 下一课
The next lesson develops B2 listening beyond literal words: implication, attitude, discourse structure, contrast, repair and how speakers signal what matters most.
Lesson No.071 · Listening to Implication, Attitude and Discourse · 听懂暗示、态度与篇章结构
Reference floor: British Council B2 Upper-intermediate.
