Nominalisation and Clear Academic Style

What you’ll learn

Use nouns for concepts while keeping actions readable.

ប្រើនាមសម្រាប់គំនិត ដោយរក្សាសកម្មភាពឱ្យអានច្បាស់។

Meaning and use

Nominalisation turns an action or quality into a noun, such as decide into decision. It can help refer back to a process or package a complex idea. Too many nominalisations hide who did what and lengthen sentences. Keep the noun when it supports cohesion; restore a verb when it improves clarity.

Nominalisation ប្ដូរសកម្មភាព ឬគុណភាពជានាម ដូច decide ទៅ decision។ វាជួយយោងគំនិត ប៉ុន្តែច្រើនពេកអាចលាក់អ្នកធ្វើ និងធ្វើឱ្យប្រយោគវែង។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Verb → noun	analyse → analysis / approve → approval
Clear action alternative	make a decision → decide

Examples

1. The committee approved the plan.

   គណៈកម្មាធិការបានអនុម័តផែនការ។

2. Approval of the plan took two weeks.

   ការអនុម័តផែនការចំណាយពេលពីរសប្ដាហ៍។

3. We analysed the survey responses.

   យើងបានវិភាគចម្លើយស្ទង់មតិ។

4. This analysis revealed a common concern.

   ការវិភាគនេះបានបង្ហាញកង្វល់រួមមួយ។

Everyday conversation

Dara: Should I replace every verb with a noun in an academic essay?

Maly: No. Use nouns to link ideas, and verbs to keep actions and responsibility clear.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
The approval of the plans were delayed.	The approval of the plans was delayed.	Approval is the singular head noun.
We conducted an analyse of the results.	We conducted an analysis of the results.	The noun after an is analysis, not the verb analyse.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Make more direct: We made a decision to postpone the event.
2. Nominalise for a follow-up sentence: We evaluated the course. ___ identified three issues.
3. Is nominalisation always a mistake?

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. We decided to postpone the event.

   The verb removes an unnecessary noun phrase.

2. The evaluation

   The noun packages the earlier action for reference.

3. No.

   It can support cohesion or express a useful abstract concept; clarity determines whether it helps.

Quick recap

• Verb → noun: analyse → analysis / approve → approval
• Clear action alternative: make a decision → decide