Which of these sentences contains a nominalised expression?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To determine which sentence contains a nominalised expression, first recall that nominalisation occurs when a verb or adjective is converted into a noun form, often creating a noun phrase.
Option a: 'Student numbers are increasing rapidly from year to year and the University is becoming concerned that they may need more space.' In this sentence, the phrase 'are increasing' uses the verb 'increase' in its progressive verb form, not a noun. The structure centers on an action (increasing) rather than a noun-form that names the action.
Option b: 'The rapid increase in student numbers is causing space concerns at the University.' Here we have the noun phrase 'the rapid increase in student numbers.' The word 'increase' is functioning as a noun (a nominal form) modified by the adjective 'rapid,' and it is the subject of the sentence. This is a clear instance of nominalisation, since a verb concept ('increase') is treated as a noun.
In terms of how the sentence treats the idea, option b abstracts the event of increasing into a noun ('increase'), which is characteristic of nominalised expressions, whereas option a expresses the event itself with a verb ('increasing') rather than naming the event as a noun. The presence of 'increase' as a noun in option b distinguishes it from option a.
Additionally, consider how nominalisation can affect emphasis: sentence b foregrounds the situation as a concrete event or phenomenon ('the rapid increase'), whereas sentence a emphasizes the ongoing action and its rate of change ('increasing rapidly'), which is more verb-driven.
Overall, the salient indicator is the noun form 'increase' acting as the head of the noun phrase in option b, signaling nominalisation, while option a relies on a verbal predicate without turning the action into a noun phrase.

ME Mod4 Intake 2A - 14 Apr 2025 - 4 Jul 2025 Foundations of English - Grammar Review - Quiz 2

Which of these sentences contains a nominalised expression?

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