The Noun Plague

加菲猫

This chapter diagnoses the “noun plague”—the overuse of abstract nouns that transform verbs and adjectives into static entities. Pinkham attributes this to Chinese’s preference for nominalized structures, which often sound stiltish in English.
The chapter opens with a damning example: “The implementation of the reform has been carried out.” Here, the verb “implement” is buried beneath layers of nominalization. Pinkham’s revision—“We have implemented the reform”—restores agency and action, transforming passive description into active narrative.
What resonates is the chapter’s exploration of how nominalization obscures causality. Phrases like “the conduct of an investigation” hide who is conducting it and why. By contrast, “investigate” assigns responsibility and purpose. This reflects a broader cultural divide: Chinese’s preference for impersonal constructions versus English’s action-oriented syntax.
The chapter’s taxonomy of nominalization is particularly enlightening. Type 1 involves verbs turned into nouns (“make a decision” → “decide”). Type 2 converts adjectives (“provide assistance” → “assist”). Type 3 creates abstract entities (“in a state of confusion” → “confused”). Each category demands a distinct revision strategy, from simple verb conversion to rephrasing entire clauses.
However, the chapter’s blanket condemnation of nominalization feels one-sided. In academic or bureaucratic contexts, nominalized phrases can convey formality and detachment. Yet as a tool for de-Chinglish-ing prose, this chapter is revolutionary. It teaches writers to view nouns with suspicion, asking: “Is this word hiding an action or a quality?”