Nominalisation in Academic Writing

**Nominalisation** = turning a verb/adjective into a noun to make writing more formal. **Verb → Noun:** - develop → **development**: The government's **development** of rural areas... - investigate → **investigation**: An **investigation** was carried out. - apply → **application**: Please submit your **application**. - decide → **decision**: The committee's **decision** was final. - improve → **improvement**: There has been a significant **improvement**. **Adjective → Noun:** - important → **importance**: The **importance** of education... - poor → **poverty**: **Poverty** remains a challenge. - different → **difference**: The **difference** between the two approaches... **Why nominalise?** Informal: "The company grew because they invested in technology." Formal: "The company's **growth** was driven by **investment** in technology." Informal: "Students fail because they don't prepare properly." Formal: "Student **failure** is often due to inadequate **preparation**."