Zombie nouns
Zombie nouns (or nominalisations) are unnecessarily long, heavy nouns that would work better as verbs or adjectives.
Change zombie nouns to precise verbs
You can replace the zombie noun with a verb:
We carried out a comprehensive
We comprehensively studied...
Few researchers have concentrated their
Few researchers have focused on this area.
...leading to a
...reducing the frequency of hospitalizations.
You can even replace multiple zombie nouns in the same sentence and let the main actors (here, the patients) become the subject:
Our treatment led to a
Our treament reduced how frequently patients were hospitalized.
You can also replace the zombie noun with an adjective:
These targeted therapies show inconsistent treatment
These targeted therapies were not consistently effective.
You will probably have certain keywords in your text that can remain zombie nouns. Balance them out by removing all the other zombie nouns around them. Leave only the most important zombie nouns standing.
Zombie nouns are usually longer than their corresponding verb:
| Verb | Zombie Noun |
|---|---|
| analyze | analysis |
| predict | prediction |
| assess | assessment |
| avoid | avoidance |
| absorb | absorption |
| invade | invasion |
Here are some common zombie noun endings:
| Common zombie noun endings | ||
|---|---|---|
| -ance | -ian | -able |
| -ation | -ency | -ment |
| -ion | -ism | -ity |
| -ment | -sion | -ness |
Zombie nouns are usually hiding next to empty, vague verbs like have, make, show, do, and is. They are often followed by a preposition (often of or in). When you have multiple prepositional phrases in a row, you usually have a zombie noun.
Remove lists of zombie nouns in prepositional phrases
When you link multiple nouns together with prepositions (for, at, by, with, in ...), the reader is not able to see the relationship between them clearly.
When you have three prepositional phrases in a row, you need to revise; when you have two in a row, you can consider revising.
Find the verb that shows the relationship between two nouns. Put it back into the verb form and put it between the two nouns:
We do not know whether there is
We do not know whether A affects B.
In the first sentence, you can't see exactly how A relates to B because the only word that connects them is "on".
In the second sentence, you have a new verb: affects. Once you find the verb, ask yourself if it is the most precise verb to show the relationship.
How does A affect B? Does it increase B? Does it improve B?
What is wrong with zombie nouns?
Sentences full of zombie nouns can sound fancy 1 but they fail to tell us who is doing what. Change the zombie nouns to active verbs (or remove them completely) and add human or concrete subjects to breathe life back into your text.
Readers expect the action of the sentence to be articulated by the verb. In more complex sentences, there may be multiple actions: each action needs to be a verb.
There is currently no benchmark
There is currently no benchmark to prevent stroke using EHRs (electronic health records).
This disease can be prevented
This disease can be prevented by identifying people with increased risk early.
Liquids and other substances are less likely to overflow.
The ReallyWrite Editor helps you identify potential zombie nouns in your text. Your job is to look at each zombie noun and ask yourself if that zombie noun could actually be a verb (or adjective or adverb) and if so, how?
Do I need to remove ALL zombie nouns?
No, you won't remove all the zombie nouns in your text, just most of them. You may choose to keep zombie nouns that you use as key words. In this case, just click "Ignore" on the ReallyWrite Editor.
Why does this work?
Removing zombie nouns and changing them back into verbs lightens up the sentence because verbs are usually shorter, more active and easier to read than nouns. It puts the action where readers expect to find it and aligns your text with the readers' expectations, which improves the flow and readability.
How important is it?
On a scale of 1-10, it's a 9: very important! You don't have to remove every zombie noun in your text. Some zombie nouns are necessary and can help you express complex ideas simply. However, you should remove as many zombie nouns as you reasonably can.
Are you having trouble removing zombie nouns in your text? Ask for help!
Related topics
Footnotes
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but mostly they sound complex and heavy ↩