Continuous Writing, Grammar: Normalization of Verbs – SS1 English Lesson Note (First Term)

Nominalisation is the formation of nouns from verbs and other parts of speech, for example arrive (verb) gives arrival (noun) and absent (adjective) gives absence (noun). This lesson also sets a descriptive essay on a flood disaster.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. explain what nominalisation is;
2. identify the noun and the verb in sentences that use words such as death and died;
3. form nouns from verbs such as arrive, choose, allow and marry;
4. use nominalised words correctly in sentences;
5. write a descriptive essay on a flood disaster caused by blocked drains.

What is nominalisation?

Nominalisation is the process of forming a noun from a verb or from another part of speech.

• From a verb: arrive gives arrival; marry gives marriage.
• From an adjective: absent gives absence; free gives freedom.
• Use: it lets a writer name an action or idea as a thing, which is common in formal essays and reports.

Study these examples

Words in capital letters show the difference between a noun and a verb.

1. His mother was at the point of DEATH (noun).
   James’s mother DIED (verb).
2. The elephant ADVISED (verb).
   They thanked him for the good ADVICE (noun).

• Death and advice: nouns, because they name things and can follow words such as the or good.
• Died and advised: verbs, because they show an action in the past tense.
• Result: nouns can be formed from verbs.

How are nouns formed from verbs?

Nouns are formed from verbs in three main ways: adding a suffix, changing the spelling of the word, and using the same word as a noun.

1. Adding a suffix

• -er, -or and -ar: these suffixes name the person who does the action.
• Spelling change: a final e is often dropped, as in create to creation.

2. Changing the spelling of the word

• Choose to choice: the ending changes.
• Live to life: the vowel and the last letter change.
• Advise to advice: the verb ends in -ise and the noun in -ice.
• Believe to belief: the ending -ve becomes -f.
• Think to thought and speak to speech: the whole word changes.
• Die to death: the noun has a different form.

3. Using the same word

• Visit: We will visit him (verb). The visit was short (noun).
• Help: Please help me (verb). I need your help (noun).

Table of verbs and nouns

How do we use nominalised words in sentences?

A nominalised word lets us turn an action into the subject or object of a sentence.

• Verb form: The guests arrived late.
  Noun form: The late arrival of the guests annoyed the host.
• Verb form: Students must attend school daily.
  Noun form: Attendance at school is compulsory.
• Verb form: They decided to move.
  Noun form: Their decision to move surprised us.

What is a descriptive essay?

A descriptive essay is a piece of writing that uses words to paint a clear picture of a person, place, object or event.

• Senses: use sight, sound, smell, touch and taste details.
• Order: describe in a clear order, such as before, during and after the event.
• Tense: keep to one tense, usually the past tense for an event.
• Language: use exact adjectives and verbs, and similes where they fit.

How do you write a descriptive essay on a flood disaster caused by blocked drains?

Task: Write a descriptive essay on a flood disaster caused by blocked drains.

Steps to follow

1. Choose a title, for example “The Day the Flood Entered Our Street”.
2. Plan an outline with an introduction, body paragraphs and an ending.
3. Describe the setting before the flood.
4. Describe the flood itself using the senses.
5. Describe the effect on people and property.
6. End with the clean-up or a lesson learnt.
7. Read through to correct spelling, punctuation and tense.

Outline

Useful nominalised words for the essay

• Blockage: from block, for the cause of the flood.
• Destruction: from destroy, for the damage to homes.
• Collapse: the same word as a verb and a noun, for fallen walls.
• Rescue: the same word as a verb and a noun, for saving people.
• Disposal: from dispose, for proper handling of refuse.

Evaluation

1. What is nominalisation?
2. In the sentence “James’s mother died”, is died a noun or a verb? Which noun is formed from it?
3. Give the noun formed from each of these verbs: arrive, choose, marry.
4. Give the noun formed from the verb advise and use it in a sentence.
5. Write the outline of a descriptive essay on a flood disaster caused by blocked drains.

Assignment

1. Define nominalisation and give five examples of your own.
2. Pick out the verbs in this list. One word is a noun: behave, believe, breathe, apply, compare, collect, create, discovery, divide, enter, explain, see, speak, hate, think, visit.
3. Form nouns from five of the verbs and use each noun in a sentence.