Ch 31 · Lesson 18English · Chapter 31 · Lesson 18 · Grammar primer
Heavy nouns and plain verbs
The destruction of the bridge does not say who did it. Formal writing loves these nouns; in speech, turn them back: They discussed the plan.
The short version
Turn the heavy noun back into a verb
.
Why?Hide
Formal English turns actions into things: agree becomes agreement, decide becomes decision. The habit hides the actor and pads the sentence. The test is simple: if the noun ends in -tion, -ment, -ance or -al and the verb beside it is make, have, give, take or reach, try the plain verb instead.
What the noun does to a sentence
A verb needs someone to do it. A noun does not. So the person :
.- who did it? The army..- who did it? The sentence does not say.
The passive voice does the same thing: the bridge was destroyed.
A noun can also into a new sentence, as its subject:
. ..
The second is shorter, and it makes it easy to say something about the event. That is why reports and science lean on these nouns.
Back to the verb
In speech, and in writing that wants to be clear, turn the noun verb. The test: noun -ion, -ment, -ance -al, , , ? verb.
- We decided.plain
- We made a decision.
- A decision was made.nobody did it
| Verb | Plain | Heavy |
|---|---|---|
. | . | |
. | . | |
. | . |
The plain verb also brings the person back: someone has to agree, explain, discuss.
Keep the noun when the event itself is your subject
( unpopular.), or when nobody needs to know
who did it.
Common mistakes
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| destroyment | destruction | noun verb. |
| do a decision | make a decision | verb . |
| We made decision. | We made a decision. | countable. |
| a refusement | a refusal | -al. |
Going further: The endings: learn them with the verb and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
Practise this lesson
8-question session
One question at a time, mixed across the exercises in this lesson. Miss one and it comes back round before the end.
English · Free printables
Worksheets for this lesson
Worksheets with answer keys built in. Open any one to view, print or save.
Free for members
The printable worksheets, infographics and PDFs are free with an account. Start a free week and download as many as you like.
Start your free weekLesson 18 of 26 in this chapter