TED-ED: Beware of nominalizations (AKA zombie nouns) - Helen Sword

TED-ED: Beware of nominalizations (AKA zombie nouns) - Helen Sword

Assessment

Interactive Video

English, Other

KG - University

Hard

Created by

Quizizz Content

FREE Resource

The video discusses nominalizations, or 'zombie nouns,' which are nouns formed from other parts of speech. These nominalizations can make writing sound pompous and abstract by replacing active verbs and adjectives with abstract entities. The video provides examples of how nominalizations can obscure meaning and offers strategies to reanimate sentences by reducing their use. It highlights the impact of nominalizations in literature, using George Orwell's work as an example, and warns against their overuse, which can lead to jargon-filled writing that lacks clarity.

Read more

1 questions

Show all answers

1.

OPEN ENDED QUESTION

3 mins • 1 pt

What new insight or understanding did you gain from this video?

Evaluate responses using AI:

OFF