Nominalization And Its Contrastive Study Between English And Chinese

Nominalization is the process by which either a noun or a syntactic unit functioning as a noun phrase is derived from any other kind of unit. Nominalization is regarded as one of the most prominent features of scientific and technical writings. Therefore, the interpretation of its formation, usage and evolution has aroused special concern of linguists, and as a result, many famous scholars abroad and in China have made intensive research on the topic.The focus of formalists like Noam Chomsky has been laid on the formation, classification and structural features of various types of nominalization. Generative semanticist Levi explores the syntactic and semantic properties of complex nominal groups in English. Cognitive linguists point out that as a type of decategorization, the process of nominalization is a gradual one, which can be illustrated by a multiple cognitive domain. Functionalist Halliday argues that the use of nominalization is a natural result of language evolution and the development of human beings' understanding of experiential world. From the perspective of grammatical metaphor, Halliday presents a comprehensive account of the functions of nominalization.We may classify nominalization by means of its resources or forms. For example, we may have nominalizations from verbs, adjectives, prepositions or conjunctions. In accordance with their forms, nominalizations can be divided into three types, namely, nominal clauses, non-finite verbal groups, and regular nouns. From the classification in the hierarchy of syntax rather than lexicon, we can have a better understanding of how a unit gradually accumulates the attributes of a noun through nominalization and in which way a nominalization is still different from a prototypical noun.The paper presents an interpretation of the functions and disadvantages of nominalization. It first discusses the three metafunctions. In the ideational function, nominalization is the device in the grammar that allows authors to categorize, label and describe phenomena more effectively. Then it goes into the textual function, of which the argument is brought forward. Next, the study turns to interpersonal function, which renders the proposition to a presupposition and no longer arguable. And then, it transfers to stylistic functions, such as formality, objectivity, andauthority especially what role nominalization plays to achieve clarity in writing.Finally, the disadvantages of the process are discussed. The inappropriate use ofnominalization may render the writing awkward, passive, heavy, and obscure, whichbrings unnecessary difficulty for understanding.A contrastive study between Chinese and English is given in the last chapter. The paper first analyses the relevant grammatical feature of Chinese and examines the forms and functions of nominalization in Chinese. Then the paper discusses the translation of nominalization between English and Chinese. A contrastive study of the frequency has been made in three registers of scientific discourse. In the end, a diachronic study of nominalization between English and Chinese has been incorporated.