Nominalization is an academic grammar tool which is used to turn verbs and adjectives into nouns. Example: Exercising is essential for good health in this example, we have turned the verb “exercise” into a noun so that it can serve as the subject of the sentence.
Nominalization function just like nouns: as subjects and objects of verbs and preposition. Also, in linguistics, nominalization or nominalisation is the use of a word which is not a noun (e.g. a verb, an adjective or an adverb) as a noun or as the head of a noun phrase, with or without morphological transformation. The term can also refer specially to the process of producing a noun from another part of speech.
How Nominalization are formed:
Example: The Fiber in apples helps with digestion.
Nominalizations are formed by adding a suffix to the original verb or adjective.
A suffix is a meaningful segment that is added into the end of a word. Unlike prefixes, suffixes can change the part of speech of a word.
Example: The suffix – tion changes the verb digest into a noun: digestion.
More examples are:
ance / ence (permanent – permanence)
ing (eat – eating)
ness (healthy – healthiness)
ment (enjoy – enjoyment)
tion (assimilate – assimilation)
Formation of verbs from Adjectives
Adjective Verb
Able Enable
Abundant Abound
Wide Widen
Specific Specify
Rich Enrich
Solid Consolidation
Popular Popularize
Just Justify
Flat Flatten
Pure Purify
Different Differentiate
Base Debase
Civil Civilize
Dark Darken
Equal Equalize
See also