The problem

Writers often turn verbs into nouns: “decide” becomes “make a decision,” “analyze” becomes “conduct an analysis,” and “implement” becomes “the implementation of.” These nouns, sometimes called nominalizations, are not always wrong. Technical fields use them to name stable concepts. They become a problem when they hide the main action and force the sentence to rely on weak verbs such as “make,” “perform,” or “occur.”

Revision should recover the action and actor only when the source supports both.

Why it weakens the text

Abstract noun chains delay the point and can conceal responsibility. “A review was conducted” does not say who reviewed what. Replacing every noun mechanically can also damage meaning: “evaluation” may refer to a defined process or artifact rather than merely the act of evaluating.

Before

The completion of an evaluation of the proposed controls was carried out by the security team, and a recommendation for the implementation of two additional checks was made.

The sentence contains two clear actions—evaluated and recommended—but both are buried inside noun phrases.

After

The security team evaluated the proposed controls and recommended implementing two additional checks.

The actor, actions, and objects are now visible. The revision is substantially shorter without becoming less specific.

What changed

“The completion of an evaluation” becomes “evaluated.” “Was carried out by” disappears when the security team becomes the subject. “A recommendation ... was made” becomes “recommended.” The phrase “for the implementation of” becomes the verb form “implementing.” Coordination with “and” works because the same actor performed both actions.

The adjective “proposed” and the quantity “two” remain because they limit the meaning. “Additional” remains because the checks supplement existing ones.

What stayed intact

The security team remains the responsible actor. The controls remain proposed rather than active. The team still performed an evaluation and made a recommendation, and the recommendation still concerns exactly two additional checks. The revision does not claim that the checks were implemented, approved, or effective.

A quick checklist

  • Look for nouns ending in forms such as -tion, -ment, -ance, or -al.
  • Ask whether each noun names an action or a genuine technical concept.
  • Recover the actor from the source rather than guessing one.
  • Put the action in a precise verb and keep its object nearby.
  • Check that recommendation, approval, and implementation remain distinct stages.

Try it on your text

Underline abstract nouns and circle the verbs around them. If the verb contributes little more than “happen,” test whether the noun can become the main verb. Then identify the actor from the source. If the actor is unknown or deliberately omitted, do not invent one; revise the sentence for clarity while preserving that uncertainty. Finally, verify that a proposed action has not become a completed action.