Which of these sentences contains a nominalised expression?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To determine which sentence contains a nominalised expression, we first identify any nouns that have been formed from verbs or actions (nominalisations).

Option a: "The report indicates that sales figures are down 10% on last month, which is worrying." Here, the main verb is indicates, and there is a subordinate clause "that sales figures are down..." followed by a participial phrase "which is worrying." There is no noun that has been converted from a verb to express the concept, so this sentence does not hinge on a nominalised expression. The structure relies on a finite verb (indicates) rather than a noun form derived from a verb.

Option b: "The indication that sales figures are down 10% on last month is worrying." In this sentence, the word "indication" is a nominal form: it is a noun derived from the verb root indicate. This presents the action of indicating as a noun concept, which is the classic example of nominalisation. The surrounding structure then centers on this noun (the indication) and its content, rather than on a verb performing the action.

Why the distinction matters: nominalisation shifts focus from an action to the result or concept of that action. In option b, the sentence foregrounds the existence of an indication (a noun), whereas option a foregrounds the act of indicating (a verb) itself. This makes option b the one that contains a nominalised expression.

Additional checks: consider whether any other nouns are formed from verbs elsewhere in the sentences. In option a, while there is the noun "report" and the gerund-like feel of "indicate" being used as a verb, there is no explicit nominalisation of the process itself. In option b, the phrase "the indication" clearly demonstrates the noun form.

Summary: option b uses a noun derived from a verb (indication), which is the textbook sign of nominalisation, while option a relies on a verb-centered construction without nominalising the underlying process.

Which of these sentences contains a nominalised expression?

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