The Grammar of Rage
Grammar: Nominalisation
A Level 6 English lesson exploring society.
What's in this lesson
A Level 6 (proficiency) ESL lesson on society, practising nominalisation. The worksheet has a reading, target vocabulary, a grammar reference with practice and discussion questions.
From the reading: The Grammar of Rage
Here is a sentence from a British government briefing document, published in 2022: "The implementation of the regulatory framework has resulted in the facilitation of enhanced outcomes for affected stakeholders." Now here is what it means: "The new rules helped people." Six words. The government used seventeen. Why? George Orwell asked the same question in 1946, in an essay so sharp it still draws blood. His answer was simple, and it was devastating: abstraction is not accidental. It is a technology of evasion.
Vocabulary
- agentless passive
- counter-discourse
- plain English movement
- radical transparency
Grammar: Nominalisation
- De-nominalisation
- The termination of employment occurred. → The company fired her. — restores agent and action
- Rhetorical distance
- A restructuring of operational capacity was announced. — abstraction removes who did what to whom
Discussion questions
- Would you rather read a government report or an angry pamphlet?
- Which is more honest: formal language or plain speech?
- If a rule confuses you, does that protect you or control you?
The Grammar of Rage
Grammar: Nominalisation
What's in this lesson:
Full lesson plan with reading, grammar, vocabulary, and discussion.
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