Using noun phrases

Building sentences around nouns rather than verbs or adjectives is a typical feature of academic English, and helps to create its impersonal style. Creating sentences based on nouns Compare these two sentences on the subject of local politics. If community groups get together to buy land, they can, in some cases, prevent it from being developed. → This sentence is built around the underlined verbs. The joint purchase of land by community groups enables them, in some cases, to prevent development. → This sentence is built around a noun phrase and a noun (both in bold). Here are some ways of creating sentences based on nouns. 1 Using the noun form of verbs or adjectives Councillors criticised the way in which newspapers covered the local elections. Councillors criticised newspaper coverage of the local elections. Several councillors wondered how reliable the traffic statistics were. Several councillors questioned the reliability of the traffic statistics. Using nouns and noun phrases makes it possible to put the important idea (e.g. the joint purchase of land ) at the front of the sentence.