Nominalization (Nominalisierung)

Imagine reading an official report and coming across this sentence: "Nach der Untersuchung des Problems und der anschließenden Entwicklung einer Lösung wurde die Implementierung beschlossen." Not a single verb except the last one. This is not an accident. Formal and academic German strongly prefers noun constructions because they are compact, carry multiple layers of information simultaneously, and leave room for complex modifiers. This stylistic device is called Nominalisierung: converting verbs or adjectives into nouns. Roughly a third of all words in formal texts are such derivations. In the EPD you need to recognise nominalization (reading, Satztransformation) and produce it (Textproduktion).

Verb → Noun

The most common form: a verb is replaced by a derived noun. The verb's arguments are preserved as genitive attributes.

Common Noun Suffixes

The suffix determines the article; learn both together:

Verbal Nominalization — Systematically

When converting from a verbal sentence to nominal style, the verb is replaced by a derived noun. The article and sentence structure change accordingly.

Pattern: -ung (most common)

The suffix -ung is attached to the verb stem. These nouns are always feminine (die).

Pattern: Infinitive as Noun

Any infinitive can be used as a neuter noun (das), a convenient option when no derived noun exists. These nominalized infinitives are always neuter and always capitalized:

• das Schreiben, das Lernen, das Forschen, das Entscheiden
• Das Lesen von Fachtexten fördert den Wortschatz.
• Das Verbessern der Methoden ist notwendig.

In EPD Textproduktion, nominalized infinitives let you pack a verbal idea into a compact noun phrase: Wir müssen die Methoden verbessern becomes Das Verbessern der Methoden ist notwendig. They are especially useful when you need a subject for a sentence and no standard -ung noun exists.

Adjective Nominalization

Adjectives become nouns via suffixes; they then denote properties or states. Choosing the right suffix is critical: they are not interchangeable.

Pattern: -heit and -keit

After adjectives ending in -ig, -lich, -sam, -bar use -keit; otherwise usually -heit. Both suffixes always form feminine nouns.

Pattern: -ität (international adjectives)

Agent Nouns: -er / -in

Agent nouns denote the person performing an action. They are derived directly from the verb stem with the suffix -er (masculine) or -erin (feminine). The article follows grammatical gender (this matters for agreement in the rest of the sentence).

In formal writing, use gender-inclusive forms where appropriate: Forscherinnen und Forscher, Teilnehmende, Studierende. The EPD expects you to handle both gendered and neutral forms correctly.

Genitive Chains — When to Restructure

Nominalization often produces long genitive chains: die Untersuchung der Auswirkungen der Maßnahmen der Regierung. While grammatically correct, stacking more than two genitives makes the sentence hard to read. Consider restructuring with von + Dativ or splitting the sentence:

• ❌ die Untersuchung der Auswirkungen der Maßnahmen der Regierung (three genitives)
• ✓ die Untersuchung der Auswirkungen von Regierungsmaßnahmen (von + Dativ replaces one genitive)
• ✓ Die Regierung ergriff Maßnahmen. Deren Auswirkungen wurden untersucht. (split into two sentences)

In Textproduktion, one or two genitives are elegant. Three or more signal that the sentence needs restructuring.

Sentence Transformation: Verbal ↔ Nominal

This is the core skill for EPD Satztransformation. The key question: which conjunction is replaced by which preposition? And which case follows the new preposition?

Verbal → Nominal

Verbal: Weil die Kosten steigen, müssen wir sparen. Nominal: Wegen des Kostenanstiegs müssen wir sparen.

Verbal: Nachdem man das Problem untersucht hatte, fand man eine Lösung. Nominal: Nach der Untersuchung des Problems fand man eine Lösung.

Verbal: Obwohl es Schwierigkeiten gab, wurde das Ziel erreicht. Nominal: Trotz der Schwierigkeiten wurde das Ziel erreicht.

Verbal: Wenn Studierende ankommen, werden sie begrüßt. Nominal: Bei der Ankunft der Studierenden werden sie begrüßt.

Important Prepositions for Nominalization

Common Mistakes

1. Wrong Article

Every suffix determines the article. Memorise the pairings:

• die → all -ung, -heit, -keit, -schaft, -ität, -ei (almost always)
• der → all -er (person nouns: Lehrer, Forscher)
• das → all -tum, nominalized infinitives (das Lernen); -nis is usually das, but: die Kenntnis, die Erlaubnis

❌ der Entwicklung → ✓ die Entwicklung ❌ das Gesellschaft → ✓ die Gesellschaft

2. Wrong Suffix

Not every verb forms its noun with -ung; many have irregular forms. Before appending -ung to every verb stem, check the established form:

3. Forgetting Article Changes in Transformation

When rewriting in nominal style, the article must match the case required by the new preposition. The nominative of the verbal sentence is often no longer correct:

❌ Wegen das Problem … → ✓ Wegen des Problems … (genitive, not nominative!) ❌ Nach die Prüfung … → ✓ Nach der Prüfung … (dative singular feminine)

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