Day 13: Avoid nominalization: Keep verbs as verbs, not as nouns.

Words like eradication, utilization, usage, and transference sound very fancy. These words are nouns that come from the verbs eradicate, utilize, use, and transfer, respectively. The process of changing a verb into a noun is called “nominalization.” Most words ending in –tion, -ment, and -ence/-ance are nominalizations.

Nominalizations create weak, cumbersome, and pretentious writing. For clear, engaging, and effective writing, revise your sentences to change nominalizations back into verbs. In many cases, you may be able to remove the word altogether. For examlple:

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“Our enactment of the plan for the eradication of the disease was a failure.”
(We failed to eradicate the disease.)
“There is resentment towards this policy.”
(Some people resent this policy.)
“The commencement of the ceremony will be at noon.”
(The ceremony will commence at noon.)

Convert nominalizations back into their verb forms and revise the sentence accordingly. Then consider whether the revised sentence says the same thing as the original but in a simpler, more direct manner. In most cases, the revised sentences will be far superior to those laden by nominalizations.