Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales” – nominalization exercises for C1 students

Q: What is nominalization?

Nominalization is expressing an action or a quality as a noun , so that a clause becomes a noun phrase: The board decided quickly becomes the board's quick decision . It is typical of reports, essays and formal letters. Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales” is a C1 drill lesson on edio.ai with 46 self-checking exercises on it.

Q: What do nominalization exercises practice?

Nominalization exercises practice turning a plain clause into a noun phrase : the noun ending, the preposition after the noun and an adjective in place of the adverb. In Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales” on edio.ai, they build up to whole rewrites: The factory closed, so 200 people lost their jobs becomes The closure of the factory led to the loss of 200 jobs. A board report then shows the style at work.

Q: Is it “despite the rain” or “despite it rained”?

It's despite the rain : a noun follows despite , never a clause . With a clause, use although : Although it rained heavily, the race went ahead. The same split applies to because of the heavy snow and because the pilot was ill , and despite of is always wrong. Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales” on edio.ai drills the choice in chapter 4 and again in the homework.

Q: What mistakes do students make in nominalization exercises?

Typical slips are the wrong preposition after the noun ( an impact at small shops for an impact on ), an invented noun ( decidement for decision ) and an adverb where an adjective belongs ( a sharply rise ). Each noun has its own partner: a sharp rise in house prices , a serious lack of nurses , damage to hundreds of homes . Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales” on edio.ai uses these slips as wrong options, and chapter 3 drills the prepositions.

Q: Is it “nominalization” or “nominalisation”?

Both spellings are correct : nominalization is the American spelling, and nominalisation is common in British English, like organization and organisation . The grammar is the same either way. The edio.ai library teaches American English, so its C1 drill lesson is called Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales” , and every exercise in it uses American spelling.

Q: How do I use nominalization exercises with C1 students?

Work from plain to formal in small steps : first the noun endings, then the preposition after each noun, then whole rewrites with despite , because of and led to . A real comparison makes the point, since a report reads shorter and more formal than its draft. Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales” on edio.ai follows those steps in chapters 2 to 4 and ends with a bike-share report and its plain first draft.

Q: What's a good activity for practicing nominalization?

Run a headline race : teams get plain news sentences ( The mayor resigned , Crime fell sharply ) and race to write the report version ( the mayor's resignation , a sharp fall in crime ). Points go for the right noun and the right preposition. The memory game in chapter 2 of Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales” on edio.ai makes a quick warm-up for it.

Q: Which nominalization exercises make good homework?

The best homework exercises mix single nouns with whole rewrites : invent → the invention of the printing press , a noun with its preposition ( a ban on plastic bags ) and plain sentences to make formal. The homework chapter of Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales” on edio.ai checks itself and adds a food bank's thank-you letter and a study summary with gaps.

Q: How do you practice nominalization one-to-one?

Rewrite the student's own writing : take two or three sentences from an email or report they wrote and turn the key verbs into nouns together, then decide which version suits the reader. Between classes, the chat in Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales” on edio.ai needs no partner: the student helps Florian make his slides formal the night before a board meeting.

Q: Are there interactive nominalization exercises?

Yes. This page plays five parts of Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales” , a C1 drill lesson on edio.ai, without an account: a sort of verbs by noun ending ; gaps for nouns made from verbs; a choice of prepositions; a table that turns plain sentences formal; and Florian's chat about his slides. An account opens the remaining 41.

This C1 drill lesson gives 46 self-checking nominalization exercises on noun endings, the preposition after each noun and formal rewrites such as sales fell → a fall in sales.

Grammar: Verbs and adjectives as nouns (decide → decision, available → availability), adverbs as adjectives (a sharp rise in trips), nouns with their prepositions, and despite or because of + noun.
Topic: An invented bike-share nonprofit: the director's quarterly report to its board, a manager's plain draft turned into slides, the meeting minutes and news for riders.
Activities: Sorts, gap-fills, choices, anagrams, memory games, matches, tables, rewrites, short texts, a chat and a final test.

What's inside

Chapter 1The rule
- PictureUnlock
- Study the scheme: nominalizationGrammar schemeTry it
- Is the sentence correct? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Sort the verbs: which ending makes the noun?Sort into columnsTry it
- Choose the nounChoose the optionUnlock
- Write the nounFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 2From verb to noun
- Sort the adjectives: which ending makes the noun?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: write the nounFill in the gapsTry it
- Fill in the gaps: adjective → nounFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right nounChoose the optionUnlock
- Unscramble the nounsAnagramUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: the word and its nounMemory gameUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right wordsQuizUnlock
Chapter 3A rise in, a lack of
- Choose the right prepositionChoose the optionTry it
- Fill in the gaps: noun + prepositionFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: adjective + nounFill in the gapsUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endingsMatchUnlock
- Read the town news and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right prepositionQuizUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: noun phrasesUnjumbleUnlock
Chapter 4Say it formally
- Choose the right words: a noun or a clause?Choose the optionUnlock
- Write the sentences again: use a nounFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the table: plain and formalFill in the tableTry it
- Match the plain sentences and the noun phrasesMatchUnlock
- Choose the formal version of each sentenceQuizUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: formal sentencesUnjumbleUnlock
- Read the theater's newsletter and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: the board report
- Read the report to the BoardReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the report again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Fill in the table: from Florian's draft to the slidesFill in the tableUnlock
- Read the minutes of the meeting and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the news for riders and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Choose the right replies: Florian texts youChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose the right words: in the newsChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: nouns in everyday sentencesFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: the noun and its prepositionFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the food bank's letter and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: in the newsUnjumbleUnlock
- Fill in the table: from plain to formalFill in the tableUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: in the newsQuizUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endings: formal sentencesMatchUnlock
- Sort the nouns: from a verb or from an adjective?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: plain and formalMemory gameUnlock
- Unscramble the nouns from adjectivesAnagramUnlock
- Is the sentence correct? Mark true or false: formal writingTrue or falseUnlock
- Read the study summary and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right words: because of, despite or a clause?Choose the optionUnlock
- Choose the formal version: everyday lifeQuizUnlock

Grammar: nominalization: say it with nouns

Nominalization turns the verbs and adjectives of a clause into a noun phrase, the usual style of reports, essays and formal letters: The company decided quickly becomes the company's quick decision. Neither version is wrong; the nouns make a text shorter, more formal and more impersonal, while verbs sound more natural in speech and chats.

Nominalization: say it with nouns

Formal reports often turn verbs and adjectives into nouns: The company decided quickly → the company's quick decision.

From a clause to a noun phrase

The verb becomes a noun, its subject becomes 's or of, its object follows of, and the adverb becomes an adjective: Trips rose sharply → a sharp rise in trips; We replaced the app → the replacement of the app.

the / a / the board's(adjective)nounof / in / to + …

The board decided quickly. → the board's quick decision

Trips rose sharply. → a sharp rise in trips

We replaced the app. → the replacement of the app

Noun endings for verbs and adjectives

Verbs often take -tion, -ment, -al, -ure or -ance (reduction, approval, failure); adjectives often take -ity, -ness or -cy (availability, awareness, accuracy). Some nouns are new words (growth, theft, strength), and increase, fall and delay stay the same.

Verbs into nouns

Ending	Verb → noun
-tion / -sion	reduce → reduction · introduce → introduction · decide → decision · expand → expansion
-ment	improve → improvement · replace → replacement · develop → development · pay → payment
-al	arrive → arrival · approve → approval · refuse → refusal · remove → removal
-ure	fail → failure · close → closure · depart → departure
-ance / -ence	perform → performance · maintain → maintenance · rely → reliance
-y / -ery	recover → recovery · discover → discovery · deliver → delivery
-ing	open → opening · hire → hiring · fund → funding · close → closing (= closure)
a new word	grow → growth · lose → loss · steal → theft · succeed → success · analyze → analysis
a new word	respond → response · complain → complaint · choose → choice · sell → sale · behave → behavior
the same word	increase · rise · fall · drop · decline · delay · change · cost · demand

Adjectives into nouns

Ending	Adjective → noun
-ity	available → availability · reliable → reliability · popular → popularity · secure → security
-ness	aware → awareness · effective → effectiveness · willing → willingness · kind → kindness
-ance / -ence	important → importance · absent → absence · confident → confidence
-cy	efficient → efficiency · accurate → accuracy · urgent → urgency · fluent → fluency
a new word	strong → strength · long → length · high → height · wide → width · safe → safety
-ty / -y / -age	loyal → loyalty · difficult → difficulty · short → shortage
with un- / in-	unreliable → unreliability · unavailable → unavailability · inefficient → inefficiency

The preposition after the noun

Each noun has its own partner: a rise in what changes, but an increase of the amount; the closure of a station; the failure to + verb; demand for; an impact on; damage to; a lack of. Learn the noun and its preposition together.

Noun	Preposition	Example
increase · rise · fall · drop · decline	in + what changes	a sharp rise in prices
increase · rise · fall · drop	of + the amount	an increase of 15% = a 15% increase in trips
reduction	in or of (both are fine)	a reduction in costs · a reduction of costs
introduction · closure · replacement · purchase · theft	of + the thing	the closure of two stations
failure · decision · refusal · attempt · ability	to + verb	our failure to meet the target
demand · need · reason · respect	for	a growing demand for e-bikes
effect · impact · ban	on	a big impact on costs
access · damage · response · contribution	to + noun	damage to 30 bikes
interest · investment · participation	in	investment in new bikes
lack · awareness · cause · cost	of	a lack of mechanics

Because of, despite, following, led to

Linking words change with the clause: because becomes because of or due to, although becomes despite, after becomes following, each + a noun: Despite the rise in prices, sales grew. Verbs such as led to and resulted in join two noun phrases.

The subject becomes 's or of: The board decided → the board's decision / the decision of the board.
The object becomes of + noun: We replaced the app → the replacement of the app.
An adverb becomes an adjective: Sales fell sharply → a sharp fall in sales.
because / although / after + a clause → because of / due to, despite / in spite of, following / after + a noun.
Verbs that link two noun phrases: led to, resulted in, caused, was due to.
There was / There has been + noun: Complaints rose. → There was a rise in complaints.

Common mistakes

Four slips: an invented noun (The decidement was made), an adverb before the noun (a sharply rise), a clause after despite (Despite prices rose) and the wrong preposition (an impact at small shops). The fixes: decision, a sharp rise, despite the rise in prices, an impact on.

The decidement was made on Monday.
The decision was made on Monday.
learn each noun: decide → decision, arrive → arrival
There was a sharply rise in trips.
There was a sharp rise in trips.
an adjective before the noun, not an adverb
Despite prices rose, sales grew.
Despite the rise in prices, sales grew.
despite, because of, due to + a noun, not a clause
The new rules had an impact at small shops.
The new rules had an impact on small shops.
each noun has its own preposition

Examples

The opening of six new stations led to a 15% increase in trips.two verbs → two nouns, linked by led to
Despite the rise in prices, ridership kept growing.despite + a noun phrase
The council's decision to close the bridge angered drivers.decide → decision + to
There has been a steady decline in complaints.steadily → steady
The unavailability of spare parts caused long delays.unavailable → unavailability
Following the arrival of the new coach, the team improved.after the coach arrived → following the arrival of the coach

Both are correct: choose by the reader

Sales fell by 10%. and There was a 10% fall in sales. are both correct. Nouns make a text formal, short and impersonal: use them in reports, essays and formal letters. In speech, chats and friendly emails, verbs sound more natural. And don't overdo it: a sentence with five nouns in a row is hard to read.

More lessons on this grammar: Word formation lessons and exercises

Try the nominalization exercises

Try them yourself: these are the same exercises your students do in edio.

What's in the lesson

39 auto-checked exercises
7 games
1 real-life document
1 grammar scheme
1 picture

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

form nouns from verbs and adjectives: arrive → arrival, accurate → accuracy, steal → theft
add the preposition each noun takes: a sharp rise in house prices, a serious lack of nurses, damage to hundreds of homes
turn the adverb into an adjective as the verb becomes a noun: Unemployment declined steadily → a steady decline in unemployment
use despite, because of and following with a noun, not a clause: Despite the rise in prices, sales kept growing.
rewrite a plain draft in the style of a report: We introduced 50 e-bikes in August → the introduction of 50 e-bikes

Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales” is lesson 9 of English Grammar Practice · C1 and belongs to the word formation page. It follows lesson 8, Ellipsis and substitution: I hope so, I'd love to, and comes before lesson 10, Advanced participle clauses: weather permitting. With no word list of its own, it serves as extra practice beside any C1 course or writing class.

The rule chapter has the scheme, a true-or-false check, a sort of verbs by ending, a choice and noun gaps. Chapter 2 builds nouns from verbs and adjectives with sorts, gaps, an anagram and a memory game; chapter 3 pairs nouns with prepositions, with town news about a pool among its drills; chapter 4 rewrites plain sentences formally, ending with a theater newsletter. In chapter 5, students read a bike-share director's report to her board, turn a manager's draft into slides, complete the meeting minutes and the news for riders, help Florian fix his slides in the chat and take a final test.

The 15 homework tasks check themselves and draw on the news and everyday life: noun choices, gap-fills with nouns and prepositions, word order, a plain-to-formal table, two quizzes, a match, a sort by source word, a memory game, an anagram, true or false and a choice between despite, because of and a clause. Two longer texts sit among them: a food bank's thank-you letter and a study summary on car-free streets near schools.

Grammar:: nominalization · noun suffixes · noun + preposition · because of / despite + noun · formal register
Topic:: grammar practice · formal writing · reports · business · board meetings

Teaching tips

Start from a headline: show Sales fell sharply and ask for the report version, a sharp fall in sales. Then name the three changes together: verb to noun, adverb to adjective, a preposition added.
Collect nouns with their prepositions: students keep a two-column list (rise in, lack of, demand for, impact on) and add a new pair from every text in chapters 3 to 5.
Rewrite the draft before reading the report: hand out Florian's plain sentences from chapter 5's table, let pairs write their own slide lines, then compare them with the director's report.
Warn against overdoing it: as the scheme's last tip says, five nouns in a row are hard to read. Students read their formal versions aloud and cut any line that sounds heavy.

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The whole course: English Grammar Practice · C1

English Grammar Practice · C1 has 16 drill lessons on advanced grammar, one point each: inversion, cleft sentences, the subjunctive, advanced passives, ellipsis, nominalization, hedging, fronting and concession. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words.See the course

Questions about this lesson

What is nominalization?

Nominalization is expressing an action or a quality as a noun, so that a clause becomes a noun phrase: The board decided quickly becomes the board's quick decision. It is typical of reports, essays and formal letters. Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales” is a C1 drill lesson on edio.ai with 46 self-checking exercises on it.

What do nominalization exercises practice?

Nominalization exercises practice turning a plain clause into a noun phrase: the noun ending, the preposition after the noun and an adjective in place of the adverb. In Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales” on edio.ai, they build up to whole rewrites: The factory closed, so 200 people lost their jobs becomes The closure of the factory led to the loss of 200 jobs. A board report then shows the style at work.

Is it “despite the rain” or “despite it rained”?

It's despite the rain: a noun follows despite, never a clause. With a clause, use although: Although it rained heavily, the race went ahead. The same split applies to because of the heavy snow and because the pilot was ill, and despite of is always wrong. Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales” on edio.ai drills the choice in chapter 4 and again in the homework.

What mistakes do students make in nominalization exercises?

Typical slips are the wrong preposition after the noun (an impact at small shops for an impact on), an invented noun (decidement for decision) and an adverb where an adjective belongs (a sharply rise). Each noun has its own partner: a sharp rise in house prices, a serious lack of nurses, damage to hundreds of homes. Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales” on edio.ai uses these slips as wrong options, and chapter 3 drills the prepositions.

Is it “nominalization” or “nominalisation”?

Both spellings are correct: nominalization is the American spelling, and nominalisation is common in British English, like organization and organisation. The grammar is the same either way. The edio.ai library teaches American English, so its C1 drill lesson is called Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales”, and every exercise in it uses American spelling.

How do I use nominalization exercises with C1 students?

Work from plain to formal in small steps: first the noun endings, then the preposition after each noun, then whole rewrites with despite, because of and led to. A real comparison makes the point, since a report reads shorter and more formal than its draft. Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales” on edio.ai follows those steps in chapters 2 to 4 and ends with a bike-share report and its plain first draft.

What's a good activity for practicing nominalization?

Run a headline race: teams get plain news sentences (The mayor resigned, Crime fell sharply) and race to write the report version (the mayor's resignation, a sharp fall in crime). Points go for the right noun and the right preposition. The memory game in chapter 2 of Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales” on edio.ai makes a quick warm-up for it.

Which nominalization exercises make good homework?

The best homework exercises mix single nouns with whole rewrites: invent → the invention of the printing press, a noun with its preposition (a ban on plastic bags) and plain sentences to make formal. The homework chapter of Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales” on edio.ai checks itself and adds a food bank's thank-you letter and a study summary with gaps.

How do you practice nominalization one-to-one?

Rewrite the student's own writing: take two or three sentences from an email or report they wrote and turn the key verbs into nouns together, then decide which version suits the reader. Between classes, the chat in Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales” on edio.ai needs no partner: the student helps Florian make his slides formal the night before a board meeting.

Are there interactive nominalization exercises?

Yes. This page plays five parts of Nominalization: from “sales fell” to “a fall in sales”, a C1 drill lesson on edio.ai, without an account: a sort of verbs by noun ending; gaps for nouns made from verbs; a choice of prepositions; a table that turns plain sentences formal; and Florian's chat about his slides. An account opens the remaining 41.

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