Beware of nominalizations (AKA zombie nouns) - Helen Sword
Summary
TLDRThis script discusses the overuse of 'nominalizations', or nouns formed from verbs and adjectives, which can obscure meaning and hinder clear communication. Dubbed 'zombie nouns', they are prevalent in academic, legal, and business writing. The speaker illustrates their negative impact by transforming a complex sentence into a simpler, more engaging one. The script also references George Orwell's essay, highlighting the importance of concrete language over abstract nominalizations for effective writing.
Takeaways
- π§ Nominalizations are nouns created from verbs, adjectives, or other nouns by adding suffixes like '-ity', '-tion', or '-ism'.
- π They are favored by academics, lawyers, bureaucrats, and business writers but are criticized for making language less clear.
- π§ββοΈ The speaker dubs them 'zombie nouns' because they 'consume the living' by replacing active verbs and concrete language with abstract terms.
- π Overuse of nominalizations can lead to pomposity and abstraction, making it hard to understand who is doing what.
- π Replacing nominalizations with active verbs and concrete terms can revitalize a sentence and make it more engaging.
- π Nominalizations can be useful for expressing complex ideas like 'perception', 'intelligence', and 'epistemology' when used appropriately.
- π At their worst, nominalizations impede clear communication and should be used sparingly.
- π George Orwell criticized the overuse of nominalizations and abstractions in his essay 'Politics and the English Language'.
- π Nominalizations can create jargon, turning simple words like 'globe' into complex terms like 'globalization'.
- π€ A paragraph filled with nominalizations can bore readers, whereas active, concrete sentences can keep them engaged.
- βοΈ To write effectively, use vigorous verb-driven sentences that are concrete, clear, and structured to avoid the 'zombie apocalypse' of nominalizations.
Q & A
What is a nominalization?
-A nominalization is a noun created by adding a suffix such as '-ity', '-tion', or '-ism' to an adjective, verb, or another noun.
Why are nominalizations referred to as 'zombie nouns' in the script?
-Nominalizations are called 'zombie nouns' because they are seen as consuming the vitality of language by replacing active verbs and concrete language with abstract entities.
Who are the groups of people that tend to use nominalizations according to the script?
-The groups that tend to use nominalizations include academics, lawyers, bureaucrats, and business writers.
What is the effect of nominalizations on sentence clarity?
-Nominalizations can impede clear communication by making sentences sound pompous and abstract, often obscuring who is doing what.
How does the script suggest improving a sentence filled with nominalizations?
-The script suggests eliminating or reanimating most of the nominalizations, adding human subjects, and using active verbs to make the sentence more lively and clear.
What is the role of nominalizations in expressing complex ideas?
-At their best, nominalizations can help express complex ideas such as 'perception', 'intelligence', and 'epistemology'.
How does the script use George Orwell's essay 'Politics and the English Language' to illustrate the point about nominalizations?
-The script uses Orwell's essay to show the difference between concrete language and the overuse of nominalizations, which can lead to vague and less engaging prose.
What is the effect of nominalizations when they gather in jargon-generating packs?
-When nominalizations gather in jargon-generating packs, they can create dense and difficult-to-understand language that can put readers to sleep.
What is the example given in the script of a complex nominalization?
-The example given is 'antidisestablishmentarianism', which contains multiple verbs, adjectives, and nouns within it.
What is the recommended way to write sentences to avoid the pitfalls of nominalizations?
-The recommended way is to use vigorous, verb-driven sentences that are concrete and clearly structured to keep the sentences lively and engaging.
How does the script suggest one can test the impact of nominalizations on a sentence?
-One can test the impact by releasing a few nominalizations into a lively sentence and observing how they sap the energy and clarity from it.
Outlines
π§ββοΈ Nominalizations: The Zombie Nouns
The paragraph discusses the concept of nominalizations, which are nouns formed from other parts of speech by adding suffixes like '-ity', '-tion', or '-ism'. It humorously refers to these as 'zombie nouns' because they tend to make language less lively and more abstract. The speaker criticizes their overuse in academic, legal, and business writing, suggesting that they obscure meaning rather than clarify it. An example is given where a sentence filled with nominalizations is made more understandable by replacing them with active verbs and concrete language. The paragraph concludes by advising writers to use nominalizations sparingly and to favor clear, active sentences to engage readers.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Nominalizations
π‘Zombie Nouns
π‘Pomposity
π‘Abstraction
π‘Concrete Language
π‘Jargon
π‘Antidisestablishmentarianism
π‘Vigorous Verb-Driven Sentences
π‘Clear Communication
π‘George Orwell
Highlights
Nominalizations are nouns created by adding suffixes to adjectives, verbs, or other nouns.
Examples of nominalizations include 'implacability', 'proliferation', and 'cronyism'.
Nominalizations are popular in academic, legal, bureaucratic, and business writing.
The speaker refers to nominalizations as 'zombie nouns' due to their abstract nature.
Zombie nouns can make sentences sound pompous and abstract.
A sentence with seven nominalizations is provided as an example of unclear communication.
Rewriting the example sentence with fewer nominalizations makes it clearer and more engaging.
At their best, nominalizations can express complex ideas like 'perception', 'intelligence', and 'epistemology'.
At their worst, nominalizations impede clear communication.
George Orwell's essay 'Politics in the English Language' is referenced to illustrate the overuse of nominalizations.
Orwell's translation of a Bible verse is used to contrast concrete language with nominalizations.
Concrete nouns and active verbs are more engaging than nominalizations.
Nominalizations can form jargon and obscure meaning when used excessively.
The example of 'antidisestablishmentarianism' shows how nominalizations can become bloated with multiple parts of speech.
Overuse of nominalizations can cause readers to lose interest and fall asleep.
To avoid the 'zombie apocalypse' of nominalizations, use vigorous, verb-driven sentences that are concrete and clearly structured.
The goal is to create sentences that are lively and engaging, rather than dull and abstract.
Transcripts
Transcriber: tom carter Reviewer: Bedirhan Cinar
Take an adjective such as "implacable,"
or a verb like "proliferate,"
or even another noun, "crony,"
and add a suffix, such as "-ity," or "-tion," or "-ism."
You've created a new noun.
"Implacability," "proliferation," "cronyism."
Sounds impressive, right?
Wrong! You've just unleashed a flesh-eating zombie.
Nouns made from other parts of speech are called nominalizations.
Academics love them.
So do lawyers, bureaucrats, business writers.
I call them zombie nouns, because they consume the living.
They cannibalize active verbs, they suck the lifeblood from adjectives,
and they substitute abstract entities for human beings.
Here's an example.
"The proliferation of nominalizations in a discursive formation may be an indication
of a tendency towards pomposity and abstraction." Huh?
This sentence contains no fewer than seven nominalizations,
yet it fails to tell us who is doing what.
When we eliminate, or reanimate, most of the zombie nouns,
so "tendency" becomes "tend," "abstraction" becomes "abstract,"
then we add a human subject and some active verbs,
the sentence springs back to life.
"Writers who overload their sentences with nominalizations tend to sound pompous and abstract."
Only one zombie noun -- the key word "nominalizations" --
has been allowed to remain standing.
At their best, nominalizations help us express complex ideas,
perception, intelligence, epistemology.
At their worst, they impede clear communication.
To get a feeling for how zombie nouns work, release a few of them into a lively sentence
and watch them sap all its energy.
George Orwell played this game in his essay "Politics in the English Language."
He started with a well-known verse from the book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible.
It says "I returned and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong,
neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favor to men of skill;
but time and chance happeneth to them all."
Now here's Orwell's modern English version.
"Objective considerations of contemporary phenomena compel the conclusion that success or failure in competitive activities
exhibits no tendency to be commensurate with innate capacity, but that a considerable element of the unpredictable
must invariably be taken into account."
The Bible passage speaks to our senses and emotions with concrete nouns,
descriptions of people, and punchy, abstract nouns such as "race,"
"battle," "riches," "time," "chance."
Not a zombie among them.
Orwell's satirical translation, on the other hand, is teeming with nominalizations and other vague abstractions.
The zombies have taken over, and the humans have fled the village.
Zombie nouns do their worst damage when they gather in jargon-generating packs
and swallow every noun, verb and adjective in sight.
So "globe" becomes "global," becomes "globalize," becomes "globalization."
The grandfather of all nominalizations, antidisestablishmentarianism,
contains at least two verbs, three adjectives, and six other nouns
inside its distended belly.
A paragraph heavily populated by nominalizations will send your readers straight to sleep.
Rescue them from the zombie apocalypse with vigorous verb-driven sentences
that are concrete and clearly structured.
You want your sentences to live,
not to join the living dead.
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