1.What this page explains
At C1, the goal is no longer only to build grammatically correct sentences. You also need to control how dense, abstract, factual, or accessible a text feels.
A central tool for this is the choice between verbal style and nominal style.
Verbalstil
→ actions and processes are expressed mainly through verbs
Nominalstil
→ actions, processes, and relations are expressed more strongly through nouns
and nominal groups
Compare:
Weil die Nachfrage stark gestiegen ist, hat das Unternehmen die Produktion erweitert.
Aufgrund des starken Anstiegs der Nachfrage hat das Unternehmen die Produktion erweitert.
Or more densely:
Der starke Nachfrageanstieg führte zu einer Erweiterung der Produktion.
All three versions can be correct. They differ, however, in:
register
information density
explicitness of the agent
sentence rhythm
readability
degree of abstraction
text function
The central C1 question is therefore not:
Which form is “better”?
but:
Which form fits this text,
this information structure,
and this communicative goal?
This page explains the overall stylistic contrast. The following C1 pages on nominalization treat individual semantic relations such as cause, condition, time, and concession in systematic detail.
The page is reference and self-study material. It contains no exercises or tests.
2.1. Verbal style: basic idea
In verbal style, actions, processes, and states are centered in verbs. This often makes temporal sequences and agents especially clear.
Examples:
Die Regierung prüft den Vorschlag.
3.2. Nominal style: basic idea
In nominal style, processes are often presented as nouns. This can package information more compactly and as established “facts” or “states of affairs.”
Examples:
Die Prüfung des Vorschlags erfolgt nächste Woche.
4.3. Style is not a grammar box
A text is rarely entirely verbal or entirely nominal. Usually it mixes both, with different weightings.
Examples:
Wir analysieren die Daten und nehmen anschließend eine Bewertung der Ergebnisse vor.
5.4. C1 means controlled choice
At C1, you should be able to recognize, reformulate, and deliberately use both styles.
Examples:
Je nach Textsorte ist eine andere Gewichtung sinnvoll.
6.5. Verbal style often feels more dynamic
Verbs present processes as events. This often makes sequences more vivid and immediate.
Examples:
Die Nachfrage steigt, die Produktion wächst und neue Stellen entstehen.
7.6. Nominal style often feels denser
Nominal groups can package several pieces of information into one syntactic unit.
Examples:
Der anhaltende Anstieg der Nachfrage nach regionalen Produkten ...
8.7. Nominal style often feels more factual
Because actions appear as concepts or states of affairs, nominal style can feel more distanced and institutional.
Examples:
Die Durchführung der Maßnahme erfolgt im kommenden Quartal.
9.8. Verbal style is not automatically colloquial
Scientific and formal texts can also use clear verbal style. Formality does not depend only on nominalizations.
Examples:
Die Studie zeigt, dass sich das Verhalten verändert.
10.9. Nominal style is not automatically better
Too much nominal style can become difficult to read, abstract, or bureaucratic.
Examples:
Die Durchführung der Überprüfung der Einhaltung der Vorgaben ...
11.10. Verbal style is not automatically simpler
Verbal style can also be syntactically complex, for example through subordinate clauses, passive voice, or complex verbal brackets.
Examples:
Nachdem die Daten ausgewertet worden waren, wurde entschieden, ...
12.11. Text function decides
Instructions, analyses, summaries, administrative documents, and speeches require different levels of density and explicitness.
Examples:
Ein Vortrag braucht meist mehr Verbalstil als eine tabellarische Verwaltungsvorlage.
13.12. The central balance
Good C1 style combines precision with readability. Nominalization should structure information, not hide it.
Examples:
Dichte dort, wo sie nützt; Explizitheit dort, wo sie nötig ist.
14.13. Verb → noun
Many nominalizations derive from verbs: entscheiden → die Entscheidung, entwickeln → die Entwicklung, prüfen → die Prüfung.
Examples:
Wir entscheiden morgen. → Die Entscheidung fällt morgen.
15.14. Adjective → noun
Properties can also be nominalized: stabil → die Stabilität, möglich → die Möglichkeit, wichtig → die Bedeutung/Wichtigkeit.
Examples:
Das System ist stabil. → Die Stabilität des Systems ist hoch.
16.15. Subordinate clause → prepositional phrase
A subordinate clause is often replaced by a preposition plus nominal group.
Examples:
Weil die Kosten steigen ... → Aufgrund steigender Kosten ...
17.16. Temporal clause → nominal time phrase
Temporal relations can be expressed verbally or nominally.
Examples:
Nachdem die Prüfung abgeschlossen war ... → Nach Abschluss der Prüfung ...
18.17. Conditional clause → nominal condition
Conditions can also be compressed nominally.
Examples:
Wenn die Nachfrage weiter steigt ... → Bei weiter steigender Nachfrage ...
19.18. Concessive clause → nominal concession
Contrast and concession can also be nominalized.
Examples:
Obwohl die Kritik zunahm ... → Trotz zunehmender Kritik ...
20.19. Purpose clause → nominal purpose phrase
Purpose relations can be expressed through prepositional groups.
Examples:
Um die Qualität zu verbessern ... → Zur Verbesserung der Qualität ...
21.20. Manner clause → nominal means phrase
An indem clause can often be compressed with durch + noun.
Examples:
Indem man die Prozesse automatisiert ... → Durch die Automatisierung der Prozesse ...
22.21. Relative clause → attribute
Relative clauses can sometimes be converted into attributes.
Examples:
die Maßnahmen, die geplant wurden → die geplanten Maßnahmen
23.22. Active clause → nominal event structure
A whole action clause can become a nominal unit.
Examples:
Die Behörde genehmigte das Projekt. → Die Genehmigung des Projekts durch die Behörde ...
24.23. Not every reformulation is equally natural
Grammatical possibility does not automatically mean idiomatic or stylistic suitability.
Examples:
die Verbesserung der Situation klingt natürlicher als manche künstliche Nominalisierung
25.24. Meaning must be preserved
When reformulating, tense, cause, agent, or modality may be lost. Every nominalization therefore needs semantic checking.
Examples:
muss prüfen ≠ die Prüfung
26.25. The verb carries tense and mood
In verbal style, tense, modality, and person are directly visible on the verb.
Examples:
Die Kommission könnte den Vorschlag ablehnen.
27.26. The noun neutralizes tense
A nominalization itself normally does not show when something happens. Time must be inferred from context or added expressions.
Examples:
die Ablehnung des Vorschlags
28.27. Modality can disappear
When moving into nominal style, meanings such as possibility, necessity, or intention may become less explicit.
Examples:
Wir müssen prüfen ... → die notwendige Prüfung ...
29.28. The agent can disappear
Nominal style makes it easy to omit the agent.
Examples:
Die Entscheidung wurde getroffen. → Nach der Entscheidung ...
30.29. Agent with durch
With event nominalizations, durch can mark an agent or cause.
Examples:
die Genehmigung des Projekts durch die Behörde
31.30. Agent as genitive
Depending on the noun, a genitive attribute can express the agent or possessor. Interpretation depends on the noun.
Examples:
die Entscheidung der Kommission
32.31. Object often becomes genitive or prepositional attribute
Verbal complements must be re-linked in nominal style.
Examples:
das Projekt prüfen → die Prüfung des Projekts
33.32. Valency changes
A verb and its related noun do not always have exactly the same complement structure.
Examples:
an etwas teilnehmen → die Teilnahme an etwas
34.33. Prepositions become more important
Nominal style relies heavily on prepositions because logical relations are no longer expressed through finite verbs and conjunctions.
Examples:
aufgrund
trotz
bei
durch
zur
35.34. Genitive chains arise easily
Several nominal relations can create long genitive chains.
Examples:
die Bewertung der Auswirkungen der Reform
36.35. Limit genitive chains
Too many genitives in a row make processing difficult. A prepositional phrase or verbal clause often helps.
Examples:
besser: die Bewertung der Auswirkungen, die die Reform hat
37.36. Articles and adjectives carry more information
When processes are nominalized, grammatical information often shifts into articles, adjectives, and attributes.
Examples:
die sorgfältige Prüfung aller eingegangenen Anträge
38.37. Information density
Nominal style often increases the amount of information per clause element.
Examples:
die kurzfristig angekündigte Verschiebung des bereits bestätigten Termins
39.38. Packaging known information
Previously introduced events can later be referred to compactly as nouns.
Examples:
Der Ausschuss lehnte den Antrag ab. Diese Ablehnung ...
40.39. Nominalization as text cohesion
A verbal proposition from one sentence can be resumed as a noun in the next.
Examples:
Die Preise stiegen stark. Dieser Anstieg führte zu ...
41.40. Abstraction
Nominalizations turn events into conceptual units. This is especially useful in analysis and argumentation.
Examples:
die Veränderung
die Entwicklung
die Stabilisierung
42.41. Categorizing and comparing
Nominalized processes are easier to compare, classify, or evaluate as objects.
Examples:
Die Digitalisierung und die Automatisierung unterscheiden sich ...
43.42. Verbal style unfolds relations
Verbal style tends to distribute information across several clause elements or subordinate clauses. This can make complex relations easier to follow.
Examples:
Weil die Nachfrage steigt, muss das Unternehmen mehr produzieren.
44.43. Nominal style compresses relations
Nominal style can compress cause, time, or condition into short prepositional phrases.
Examples:
Aufgrund steigender Nachfrage ...
45.44. Density requires reader knowledge
The denser a text is, the more relations the reader has to reconstruct.
Examples:
die Umsetzung der vorgesehenen Anpassungsmaßnahmen
46.45. Nominal style and technical language
Technical texts often use nominal style because processes are treated as defined concepts.
Examples:
die Datenerhebung
die Auswertung
die Validierung
47.46. Nominal style and administrative language
Administrative texts often use nominal style because procedures, responsibilities, and conditions can be named compactly.
Examples:
nach Eingang der Unterlagen
zur Prüfung des Antrags
48.47. Verbal style and spoken clarity
In presentations and conversation, verbal style is often easier to process because actions and participants remain more explicit.
Examples:
Wir haben die Daten ausgewertet und anschließend verglichen.
49.48. Mixed style is often optimal
Professional texts deliberately alternate between verbal expansion and nominal compression.
Examples:
Wir haben drei Szenarien geprüft. Die anschließende Bewertung zeigt ...
50.49. Light-verb constructions
Nominal style often uses noun-verb combinations such as eine Entscheidung treffen, eine Analyse durchführen, and in Betracht ziehen.
Examples:
Wir treffen morgen eine Entscheidung.
51.50. Simple verb vs light-verb construction
A simple verb is often more direct: entscheiden instead of eine Entscheidung treffen. The construction can, however, nuance register or aspect.
Examples:
Wir entscheiden morgen. ↔ Wir treffen morgen eine Entscheidung.
52.51. durchführen
eine Untersuchung durchführen sounds more institutional than etwas untersuchen.
Examples:
Die Behörde führt eine Untersuchung durch.
53.52. vornehmen
eine Änderung vornehmen is more formal and nominal than etwas ändern.
Examples:
Wir nehmen eine Anpassung vor.
54.53. erfolgen
erfolgen is typical of institutional nominal style: the actual event is carried by the noun.
Examples:
Die Auszahlung erfolgt im Juni.
55.54. kommen zu
es kommt zu + dative presents an event as something that occurs rather than as an action by a clear agent.
Examples:
Es kam zu Verzögerungen.
56.55. Nominal style can blur responsibility
Formulations without a clear agent can be useful, but they can also make responsibility unclear.
Examples:
Es kam zu Fehlern bei der Bearbeitung.
57.56. Verbal style can clarify responsibility
When it matters who acted, a verbal form is often more transparent.
Examples:
Das Team hat die Daten falsch übertragen.
58.57. Nominal style and politeness
Formal requests or notices can sound more distanced through nominal style.
Examples:
Wir bitten um Übersendung der Unterlagen.
59.58. Too much distance can feel cold
In customer-facing communication, fully nominal style can feel less personal.
Examples:
Freundlicher: Bitte senden Sie uns die Unterlagen.
60.59. Nominal style in headings
Headings and bullet points often use nominal style because full sentences are unnecessary.
Examples:
Analyse der Ergebnisse
Bewertung der Risiken
61.60. Verbal style in instructions
For concrete actions, verbs are usually clearer.
Examples:
Öffnen Sie die Datei und wählen Sie anschließend ...
62.61. Nominalization can create ambiguity
With nouns, it can be unclear who acts and who is affected.
Examples:
die Unterstützung der Mitarbeitenden
63.62. Genitive is not always unambiguous
die Kritik des Ministers can mean criticism by the minister or criticism of him, depending on context.
Examples:
die Kritik des Ministers
64.63. Verbal style resolves roles
A verbal clause can make agent and object unambiguous.
Examples:
Der Minister kritisierte den Vorschlag.
65.64. Nominal style can package causality more strongly
A nominal phrase such as aufgrund der Reform can present the reform as an established cause. A verbal clause can leave more room for hedging.
Examples:
Möglicherweise liegt das daran, dass ...
66.65. Nominal style can hide evaluation
Adjectives inside nominal groups can integrate evaluations in an apparently factual way.
Examples:
die notwendige Reform
die problematische Entwicklung
67.66. Article choice changes reference
Nominalizations behave like nouns and therefore require control over definiteness and reference.
Examples:
eine Verbesserung
die Verbesserung
Verbesserungen
68.67. Plural turns processes into categories
Nominalized events can be pluralized and treated as repeated or distinct cases.
Examples:
mehrere Anpassungen
wiederholte Verzögerungen
69.68. Use attribute chains carefully
Several adjectives, participles, and genitives around a noun sharply increase density.
Examples:
die kurzfristig angekündigte grundlegende Änderung des Verfahrens
70.69. Verbs reduce processing load
When a sentence contains too many nominal attributes, verbalization can make it much easier to process.
Examples:
Das Verfahren wurde grundlegend geändert. Die Änderung wurde kurzfristig angekündigt.
71.70. Parallelism in text
In lists, it is often stylistically better to keep similar structures parallel.
Examples:
Planung, Durchführung und Auswertung
72.71. Nominal style in summaries
Summaries benefit from nominalization when known processes are resumed compactly.
Examples:
Die Einführung der Maßnahme führte zu ...
73.72. Verbal style in explanations
When a complex relation is being explained for the first time, verbal style is often more transparent.
Examples:
Wenn die Temperatur steigt, dehnt sich das Material aus.
74.73. Academic style
Academic texts combine nominal technical terms with clear verbs. Good academic style is not simply maximally nominal.
Examples:
Die Analyse zeigt eine deutliche Veränderung.
75.74. Legal and administrative texts
Nominal style is especially common here because conditions, procedures, and legal consequences are named compactly.
Examples:
nach Eingang des Antrags
bei Nichteinhaltung der Frist
76.75. Journalistic texts
Journalistic texts often alternate between vivid verbal style and nominal labels.
Examples:
Die Preise steigen. Der Preisanstieg belastet ...
77.76. Business communication
Business texts usually need precision but also readability. Excessive bureaucratic style can feel impersonal.
Examples:
Bitte bestätigen Sie den Termin.
78.77. Presentations
In spoken presentations, nominal style should be used selectively. Long nominal chains are hard to process by ear.
Examples:
Verbal: Wir haben drei Szenarien verglichen.
79.78. Abstracts and executive summaries
In concise summaries, nominal style is useful because it compresses established content.
Examples:
Bewertung der Risiken und Ableitung von Maßnahmen
80.79. Editing: first diagnosis
When editing, look for long noun chains, multiple genitives, and light-verb constructions.
Examples:
Durchführung der Überprüfung der Einhaltung ...
81.80. Editing: check the agent
Ask: Is it clear who is acting? If not, is that ambiguity intentional?
Examples:
Wer entscheidet? Wer prüft? Wer trägt Verantwortung?
82.81. Editing: check the relation
With nominal prepositional phrases, make sure the intended relation really is cause, condition, time, purpose, or means.
Examples:
aufgrund ≠ bei ≠ durch ≠ trotz
83.82. Editing: check the verb
A weak light verb can sometimes be replaced by a more precise full verb.
Examples:
eine Analyse durchführen → analysieren
84.83. Editing: check density
If a sentence is hard to segment on first reading, verbalization may help.
Examples:
Ein langer Nominalblock kann in zwei Sätze aufgelöst werden.
85.84. Editing: check register
The stylistic choice should fit the audience: specialists, administration, customers, presentations, or the general public.
Examples:
Dasselbe Thema braucht je nach Zielgruppe eine andere Dichte.
86.85. Transformation is not an end in itself
The ability to switch between styles serves text control, not mechanical replacement of verbs with nouns.
Examples:
Nicht jede Verbform muss nominalisiert werden.
87.86. Information status also matters
New complex information is often better unfolded verbally; known information can later be compressed nominally.
Examples:
Erst erklären, dann nominal wiederaufnehmen.
88.87. Cohesion through alternation
An elegant C1 text can introduce a process verbally and then resume it nominally.
Examples:
Die Regierung reformiert das System. Diese Reform ...
89.88. Control responsibility deliberately
Choosing whether to name the agent is stylistically and semantically important.
Examples:
Das Ministerium änderte die Regel. ↔ Die Änderung der Regel ...
90.89. Control abstraction deliberately
Nominal style is useful when processes are to be treated as objects of analysis.
Examples:
die Stabilisierung des Marktes
91.90. Control readability deliberately
Verbal style is often better when a reader needs to follow a complex relation step by step.
Examples:
Wenn A passiert, verändert sich B, wodurch C entsteht.
92.91. Control register deliberately
Nominal style can sound more formal, but professional style comes from fit, not maximum nominalization.
Examples:
formal ≠ maximal nominal
93.92. C1 decision algorithm
For stylistic decisions, examine function, audience, and information structure in several steps.
1. Was ist neu, was ist bereits bekannt?
2. Muss klar sein, wer handelt?
3. Soll ein Prozess erzählt oder als Begriff behandelt werden?
4. Brauche ich Zeit, Modalität oder Ursache explizit?
5. Wie dicht darf der Text für diese Zielgruppe sein?
6. Passt das Register: gesprochen, neutral, fachlich, administrativ?
7. Entsteht durch Nominalisierung Mehrdeutigkeit oder eine Genitivkette?
8. Kann ein präzises Verb den Satz klarer machen?
94.Summary
The basic contrast:
Verbalstil
→ processes as actions / events
→ agent, tense, and modality often more explicit
→ often more dynamic and easier to process
Nominalstil
→ processes as concepts / states of affairs
→ higher information density
→ often more formal, abstract, and institutional
Typical reformulations:
weil die Kosten steigen
→ aufgrund steigender Kosten
nachdem die Prüfung abgeschlossen war
→ nach Abschluss der Prüfung
wenn die Nachfrage steigt
→ bei steigender Nachfrage
um die Qualität zu verbessern
→ zur Verbesserung der Qualität
indem man die Prozesse automatisiert
→ durch die Automatisierung der Prozesse
Important C1 questions:
Is the agent still clear?
Are tense and modality preserved?
Is the logical relation unambiguous?
Has the sentence become unnecessarily dense?
Has a genitive or attribute chain developed?
Does the degree of formality fit the genre?
A particularly strong stylistic pattern is often:
introduce verbally
→ resume nominally
Die Nachfrage ist stark gestiegen.
Dieser Anstieg hat mehrere Folgen.
C1 does not mean “more nominal style.” It means being able to control verbal and nominal style according to function, register, and information structure.