Representing actions with nouns
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Examples from a variety of text types | page 3 of 10 |
School textbooks: history
Here is an excerpt from a Secondary 4 history book:
The Limitation of Modernization
The "Self-strengthening Movement" was a limited modernization of the Chinese defence. But this modernization was carried within the traditional framework and conducted by the bureaucrats of the Confucian mentality. The movement was not supported by structural changes in the Chinese economy, education and production.
Lam, S.C. (1990) A Concise History of East Asia for the Certificate, 1815 - 1921
(With M.C. Exercises). Wide Angle Press, Ltd., p 64.
Some comments concerning this passage
Each of the nominalisations 
in the above excerpt is not in itself all that difficult to understand.
However, when there are so many, in almost every single sentence of the textbook, the
effect can be quite overwhelming for a student who is struggling with English as a second
language. Teachers must be able to help students unpack heavily nominalised texts in all subjects.
For some of the teaching implications related to nominalisation, see 
Representing actions with nouns: Teaching implications.
Introduction
School textbooks: history
