Formal reports: using nominalization for professional communication
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Think about these questions before reading. Share your ideas with a partner.
- Describe a time you had to write a formal document, like a report or a proposal, for work or school. What was the situation and who was your audience?
- In what ways does your communication style change when you move from a casual email to a friend to a formal report for a manager? What specific words or sentence structures might you change?
- Think about a situation where a good idea was poorly presented. How can the way we communicate our findings affect whether a proposal is accepted or rejected?
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Discussing a Business Report
Listen to the dialogue. Notice how the vocabulary and grammar from the lesson are used.
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Answer these questions in your own words. Support your answers with evidence from the article.
01According to the article, what is nominalization and what are its main benefits in professional communication?
Sample answerNominalization is when you create a noun from a verb or an adjective. The article says its main benefits are making your language sound more formal, objective, and concise, which is great for business reports.
02Looking at the list of key vocabulary, what kind of professional situations are these terms most likely used in?
Sample answerThese terms seem to be for meetings and project discussions. For example, 'get the ball rolling' is for starting a conversation, and 'stakeholder buy-in' is about getting agreement on a project, which usually happens in a meeting.
03How does the article explain the effect of changing 'the team investigated' to 'the team's investigation'?
Sample answerIt says that using the noun 'investigation' makes the sentence more formal. It also shifts the focus from the people doing the action to the action itself as a concept.
04Why might a writer choose to combine nominalization with the passive voice, based on the information in the article?
Sample answerA writer might do that to sound more impersonal and objective. The article mentions this combination is common in formal proposals where you want to present information as factual and neutral, rather than as a personal opinion.
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Key vocabulary for professional communication
Vocabulary
These expressions will help you discuss findings and proposals in a more professional and natural way.
Examples
Actionable insights — conclusions or pieces of information that can be directly used to make decisions or take specific actions.
Usage note: This is a very common and positive phrase in business. Use it to emphasize that your report's findings are practical and valuable. It often follows verbs like 'provide', 'offer', or 'generate'.
To drill down into (something) — to examine something in greater detail or at a deeper level.
Usage note: This phrasal verb is often used when discussing data, reports, or complex problems. For example, 'We need to drill down into the quarterly sales figures to understand the trend.'
In light of (the findings) — a formal phrase meaning 'because of' or 'considering' a particular fact or situation.
Usage note: Use this to connect a new piece of information to a recommendation or decision. It's a sophisticated way to show cause and effect in formal writing and speaking. Example: 'In light of the recent feedback, we have revised the proposal.'
A ballpark figure — a rough estimate or an approximate number, not an exact one.
Usage note: This idiom is common in business meetings when you don't have precise data but need to give a general idea, especially about costs or timelines. It's less formal than 'an approximation' but still very professional.
To flesh out (a proposal/an idea) — to add more details or substance to a plan or idea to make it more complete.
Usage note: This phrasal verb is useful when you have a basic concept but need to develop it further. You might present initial findings and then suggest a meeting 'to flesh out the details of the proposal'.
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Complete the sentences with words from the box. One word is extra.
Word bank
01The report was good, but the team needed more recommendations they could implement immediately.
02I don't need the exact cost right now, just a figure so we can see if the project is feasible.
03The initial concept is promising, but we need to the details of the implementation plan before presenting it to the board.
04In of the recent market analysis, we have decided to postpone the product launch until the next quarter.
05The summary data looks interesting, but we need to into the regional sales figures to understand the specific trends.
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Grammar: Using nominalization in formal writing
Grammar
Nominalization is the process of creating a noun from a verb or an adjective (e.g., investigate → investigation). In professional contexts like formal reports, this technique is used to make your writing sound more objective, authoritative, and concise by focusing on actions and concepts rather than the people performing them.
Examples
Instead of 'We recommend that the company invests in new software,' a report might say: 'Our recommendation is for an investment in new software.'
This shifts the focus from the people making the recommendation ('we') to the recommendation itself, creating a more impersonal and formal tone.
Active verb: 'The team will implement the changes next quarter.'
Nominalized: 'The implementation of the changes is scheduled for next quarter.'
Using the noun 'implementation' makes the statement sound more official and planned, as you would find in a formal project update.
Adjective: 'It is important to be accurate.'
Nominalized: 'Accuracy is of great importance.'
Transforming the adjective 'accurate' into the noun 'accuracy' allows you to discuss it as a key concept or value, which is common in business reports.
Key points
- Turn verbs and adjectives into nouns to create a more formal and objective style.
- Nominalization helps to focus on the action or idea itself, not the person doing it.
- Be careful not to overuse it, as too much nominalization can make your writing difficult to understand.
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Find the mistake
Read the sentences below. They are all related to presenting findings and making proposals in a professional context.
Each sentence contains one error. Find and correct it.
01The team's investigate of the market trends was extremely thorough.
Corrected version
The team's investigate investigation of the market trends was extremely thorough.
02In light to the recent findings, we have decided to change our strategy.
Corrected version
In light to of the recent findings, we have decided to change our strategy.
03The development of these new procedures were a top priority for the department.
Corrected version
The development of these new procedures were was a top priority for the department.
04We need to drill down on the feedback from our key stakeholders before moving forward.
Corrected version
We need to drill down on into the feedback from our key stakeholders before moving forward.
05The report provided several actionible insights for the marketing team.
Corrected version
The report provided several actionible actionable insights for the marketing team.
06A full analyze of the potential risks is required before we can approve the project.
Corrected version
A full analyze analysis of the potential risks is required before we can approve the project.
07Before we start, could you give us a fleshed out figure for the estimated budget?
Corrected version
Before we start, could you give us a fleshed out ballpark figure for the estimated budget?
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Useful phrases: Discussing next steps after a report
Vocabulary
After a report is presented, the real work begins: deciding what to do next. Use these phrases to discuss the findings, propose actions, and agree on a plan in a professional and constructive way.
Examples
Based on these findings, my main takeaway is that... — use this to state your most important conclusion from the report and open the discussion.
Register: Neutral/Formal. Perfect for starting the conversation after a presentation or when asked for your opinion on a report.
That's a crucial point. The next logical step would be to... — use this to show strong agreement with a colleague's analysis and immediately suggest a related action.
Register: Neutral. This phrase is great for building consensus and moving the conversation from analysis to action.
I'm on board with the general direction, but I have a slight reservation about... — use this to politely express a concern without sounding negative or dismissive.
Register: Neutral. It softens your disagreement by first showing you agree with the overall goal. 'Reservation' is a more formal word for 'worry' or 'doubt'.
I'd like to propose that we form a small working group to look into this. — use this to make a formal suggestion for a specific action involving other people.
Register: Formal. A 'working group' is a temporary team created for a specific task. You can replace this with any other concrete action (e.g., '...that we run a pilot project').
Before we commit, can we get a clearer picture of the resources required? — use this to ask for more practical details (like time, money, or staff) before agreeing to a plan.
Register: Neutral. This is a constructive way to slow down a decision, ensuring it's practical and well-thought-out. It shows you are thinking about implementation.
Okay, so to recap, the immediate action items are... — use this at the end of a discussion to summarize the decisions and confirm who is responsible for what.
Register: Neutral/Informal. 'To recap' is a common, slightly less formal version of 'to recapitulate'. 'Action items' are the specific tasks that need to be done.
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Collocations for formal reports
In professional reports and presentations, certain words often go together. These are called collocations.
Match the verb on the left with the phrase that best completes the collocation on the right.
Drag or click to match
Definitions
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Discuss these questions with a partner. Try to use vocabulary from the lesson.
- Thinking about business communication in your country, how much emphasis is placed on formal language versus personal relationships? In light of your experience, do you think providing 'actionable insights' in a structured report is always more effective than a less formal discussion?
- Some argue that overly formal language, like heavy use of nominalization, can make communication sound impersonal and hide a lack of clear ideas. To what extent do you agree? Is it more important for a proposal to be objective and concise, or for it to be persuasive and engaging?
- Imagine your manager asks you for a 'ballpark figure' for a new project by the end of the day. The next morning, she asks you to 'flesh out' the proposal. How would you approach these two tasks differently, and what kind of information would you need to 'drill down into' for the second request?