曾有人说过，老外眼中句子分为3个档次，最差的是主动句，较好的是被动句、倒装句等，最好的是nominalization(名词化)的句子，因为这样的句子最学术最适合写论文。如果在
简单说，名词化即是动词或形容词被用作名词的现象。比如动词转成名词：discovery→discovery， move→movement， refuse→refusal;再比如形容词转成名词：careless→carelessness， difficult→difficulty， intense→intensity。
在以下四种情况里我们可以合理将句子名词化表达：
1. 谓语动词的宾语部分
原句：I do not know either what she meant or what he intends.
名词化：I do not know either her meaning or his intentions.
2. 结合被动形式
原句：If people decide without enough persuasive information，...
名词化：If a decision is made without enough persuasive information，...
3. 取代诸如从句中“the fact that”的用法
原句：The fact that I denied what he accused me of impressed the jury.
名词化：My denial of his accusations impressed the jury.
更好的名词化：
a. When I denied his accusations， I impressed the jury.
b. In denying his accusations， I impressed the jury.
4. 名词化部分用在there is/are的后面
原句：We demand that the government stop taxing entertainment.
名词化：There is a demand for an end to taxation on entertainment.
原句：The floods considerably eroded the land.
名词化：There was considerable erosion of the land from the floods.
而以下的这些名词化表达则显得画蛇添足，并无必要：
1. 名词化部分跟在动词后面
原句：The police conducted an investigation into the matter.
改后：The police investigated the matter.
2. 名词化部分作为主语
原句：Our discussion is concerned with a tax cut.
改后：We discussed a tax cut.
3. 连续进行名词化
原句：
a. First， she reviewed the evolution of the dorsal fin.
b. There was a first a review of the evolution of the dorsal fin.
改后：First， she reviewed how the dorsal fin evolved.
4. 连接部分名词化
原句：Their cessation of hostilities was because of their personnel losses.
改后：They ceased hostilities because they lost personnel.
原句：The instability of the motor housing did not preclude the completion of the field trials.
改后：Even though the motor housing was unstable， the research staff completed the field trials.
各位TOEFLer在托福写作备考中，可以结合具体文章需要，进行名词化表达的尝试，合理巧妙地使用可以有效提升我们的托福写作水平。