1. Turn the list of nominalizations into verbs:
Analysis
Belief
Conclusion
Evaluation
Expression
Failure
Definition
Discussion
Appearance
Improvement
Description
Explanation
Suggestion
Comparison
Intention
Competition
2. One sentence in each of the following pairs is clear, expressing characters as agents and using active verbs to power the sentence forward. The other is indirect, with actions buried in nominalizations and abstractions for subjects. Identify which is which, then circle nominalizations, underline subjects, and highlight verbs.
1a. Some have argued that atmospheric carbon dioxide does not elevate global temperature.
1b. There has been speculation by educators as to the role of a good family environment in the improvement of educational achievement.
2a. Smoking during pregnancy may cause fetal injury.
2b. When we write concisely, readers understand easily.
3a. Researchers have identified the AIDS virus but failed to develop a vaccine to immunize those at risk.
3b. Attempts by economists at defining full employment have generally been met with failure. ?
4a. Complaints by editorial writers about voter apathy generally don't offer suggestions about dispelling it.
4b. Although many critics have claimed that children who watch television tend to become less able readers, no one has yet demonstrated that to be true.
5a. Professional athletes often fail to realize that they are unprepared for life after stardom because their teams protect them from the problems the rest of us adjust to every day.
5b. Many colleges have come to an understanding that continued tuition increases are no longer possible because of strong resistance from parents to the soaring costs of higher education.