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Types of Writing
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Types

Characteristics
Academic Writing
Academic Writing
Formal
 Clear focus
 Well-developed
 Coherent
 *Concise*
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Concise
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Compact writing
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Using less words to express the same
idea
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Maintain meaning and clarity
Improve Word Choice
and Conciseness
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Nominalization can help or hurt you
Useful Nominalization
Use Nominalization to create a
link between two sentences
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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.
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I do not understand either her meaning or his intentions.
Use nominalization to replace
awkward “The fact that”
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The fact that I denied what he accused me of impressed
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My denial of his accusations impressed the jury.
the jury.
Other options:

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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.
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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”
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There was considerable erosion of the
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The floods considerably eroded the land.
land from the floods.
Nominalization is the subject of
an “empty” verb
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Our discussion concerned a tax cut.

We discussed a tax cut.
Linked nominalizations
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Their cessation of hostilities was because of
their personnel losses.
They ceased hostilities because they lost
personnel.
Consecutive Nominalizations
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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