Verb Nominalization

1
Verb / Nominalization

• Act
• Create
• Revise
• Divide
• Discover
• Explore
• Examine
• Decide
• Write
• Hope

• Action
• Creation
• Revision
• Division
• Discovery
• Exploration
• Examination
• Decision
• Writing
• Hope

2
Adjective/Nominalization

• Independent
• Great
• Impressive
• Altruistic
• Dependence
• Proficient
• Officious
• Articulate
• Intelligent
• Mindless

• Independence
• Greatness
• Impressiveness
• Altruism
• Dependency
• Proficiency
• Officiousness
• Articulation
• Intelligence
• Mindlessness

3
The winner would not be known to us until hours
after the competition ended.

• Who is the subject?
• Who is performing the action?

4
The winner would not be known to us until hours
after the competition ended.

• Who is the subject? The winner
• Who is performing the action?

5
The winner would not be known to us until hours
after the competition ended.

• Who is the subject? The winner
• Who is performing the action? us

6

• The winner would not be known to us until hours
  after the competition ended.

• We would not know the winner until hours after
  the competition ended.

7

• A new poll out this afternoon shows that Barack
  Obama and Hillary Clinton are statistically tied
  among likely democratic voters heading into
  Tuesday's primary in Massachusetts.
• What/who are the subjects?
• What are the actions?
• Who are the actors performing the actions?

8
A new poll out this afternoon shows that Barack
Obama and Hillary Clinton are statistically tied
among likely democratic voters heading into
Tuesday's primary in Massachusetts. What/who are
the subjects? -a new poll -Barack Obama and
Hillary Clinton What are the actions? Who are the
actors performing the actions?
9

• A new poll out this afternoon shows that Barack
  Obama and Hillary Clinton are statistically tied
  among likely democratic voters heading into
  Tuesday's primary in Massachusetts.
• What are the subjects?
• -a new poll
• -Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton
• What are the actions (verbs)?
• -shows that
• -are statistically tied
• Who are the actors performing the actions?

10

• A new poll out this afternoon shows that Barack
  Obama and Hillary Clinton are statistically tied
  among likely democratic voters heading into
  Tuesday's primary in Massachusetts.
• What are the subjects?
• -a new poll
• -Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton
• What are the actions (verbs)?
• -shows that
• -are statistically tied
• Who are the actors performing the actions?
• -a new poll
• -Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton

11
Sentence Breakdown-active verb version

• A new poll noun (subject)
• out this afternoon prepositional phrase
  (describes poll)
• shows that verb
• Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton noun (subject)
• are statistically tied verb
• among likely democratic voters prepositional
  adverb phrase (object, describes the tie)
• heading into Tuesdays primary gerund object
  (describes the voters)
• in Massachusetts prepositional phrase (describes
  the primary)

• A new poll out this afternoon shows that Barack
  Obama and Hillary Clinton are statistically tied
  among likely democratic voters heading into
  Tuesday's primary in Massachusetts.

12
Sentence breakdown passive verb version

• It subject (noun)
• is shown passive verb
• in a new poll out this afternoon prepositional
  adverb phrase (describes shown)
• that a statistical tie is occurring passive
  verb phrase
• between BO HC noun/ object
• among likely democratic voters prepositional
  adverb phrase (describes tie)
• heading into Tuesdays primary gerund object
  (describes voters)
• In Massachusetts prepositioinal phrase,
  describes the primary

• It is shown by a new poll out this afternoon that
  a statistical tie is occurring between Barack
  Obama and Hillary Clinton among likely demogratic
  voters heading into Tuesdays primary in
  Massachusetts.

13
Active vs. Passive

• A new poll out this afternoon shows that Barack
  Obama and Hillary Clinton are statistically tied
  among likely democratic voters heading into
  Tuesday's primary in Massachusetts.

• It is shown in a new poll out this afternoon that
  a statistical tie is occurring between Barack
  Obama and Hillary Clinton among likely demogratic
  voters heading into Tuesdays primary in
  Massachusetts.

14
Active arrangement, stripped down sentence

• A new poll out this afternoon shows that Barack
  Obama and Hillary Clinton are statistically tied
  among likely democratic voters heading into
  Tuesday's primary in Massachusetts.

• A poll shows that Barack and Hillary are tied.
• What/who are the subjects?
• What are the verbs?
• Who/what is performing the actions in the verbs?

15
Stripped down sentence, passive verbs

• It is shown in a new poll out this afternoon that
  a statistical tie is occurring between Barack
  Obama and Hillary Clinton among likely demogratic
  voters heading into Tuesdays primary in
  Massachusetts.

• It is shown in a poll that a tie is occuring
  between Barack and Hillary.
• Who/what are the subjects?
• What are the verbs?
• Who/what is performing the actions expressed in
  the verbs?

16
Were moving on after this last one, I promise.

• A poll shows that Barack and Hillary are tied.

• It is shown by a poll that a tie is occuring
  between Barack and Hillary.

17
My dog was attacked by the letter carrier.

• What/who is the subject?
• What is the verb?
• What or who performed the action in the sentence?

18
My dog was attacked by the letter carrier.

• What/who is the subject?
• -my dog
• What is the verb?
• -was attacked
• What or who performed the action in the sentence?
• -the letter carrier

19
Passive vs. Active

• My dog was attacked by the letter carrier.

• The letter carrier attacked my dog.

20
At least since the time two years ago that
toilet-flushing cats started doing their business
on MySpace, professional TV content and amateur
cyber content have been racing for that sweet
spot.

• What/who is the subject?
• What is the verb?
• Who is performing the verb?

21
At least since the time two years ago that
toilet-flushing cats started doing their business
on MySpace, professional TV content and amateur
cyber content have been racing for that
sweet spot.

• What/who is the subject?
• -professional TV content and amateur cyber
  content
• What is the verb?
• -have been racing
• Who is performing the verb?
• -profesisonal TV content and amateur cyber
  content

22
Stripped down sentence

• At least since the time two years ago that
  toilet-flushing cats started doing their business
  on MySpace, professional TV content and amateur
  cyber content have been racing for that sweet
  spot.

• TV content and amateur content have been racing
  for that sweet spot.
• At least since that time... is a prepositional
  phrase describing how long the race has been on.

23
Stripped down sentences, active and passive

• TV content and amateur content have been racing
  for that sweet spot.

• The race has been on between TV content and
  amateur content for that sweet spot.

24
Sentences in full, active and passive

• At least since the time two years ago that
  toilet-flushing cats started doing their business
  on MySpace, professional TV content and amateur
  cyber content have been racing for that sweet
  spot.

• The race has been on between TV content and
  amateur content for that sweet spot at least
  since the time two years ago that toilet-flushing
  cats started doing their business on MySpace.
• There are a number of ways you can re-write this
  sentence correctly.