TITLE:
A Corpus-Based Analysis of Nominalization in English Abstracts of Sci-Tech Papers by Chinese Authors and Native English Authors
AUTHORS:
Yifan Su, Yujie Qiu
KEYWORDS:
Comparative Study, Corpus Linguistics, English Abstract Writing, Nominalization
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.10 No.10,
September
28,
2023
ABSTRACT: Nominalization is a typical feature of abstracts of academic writing as it can maintain an objective tone and create textual cohesion. For Chinese authors aiming to publish their work in academic journals, understanding how to effectively use nominalization in abstracts is essential. This paper, based on the theoretical framework of Halliday’s Grammatical Metaphor, investigates the nominalization uses in English abstracts of sci-tech articles written by Chinese authors and by native English authors, hoping to provide insights for Chinese scholars to improve their ability to read and write abstracts in this field. After making a contrastive statistical analysis of the use and frequency of nominalization between the two groups, the results show that there exist significant differences both in the general use of lexical and clausal nominalizations. Therefore, we come to the conclusion that Chinese authors may not apply nominalizations as proficiently as native English authors do, which can hinder their ability to express their ideas clearly.