動詞名詞化就是把動詞變成名詞的形式。把不必要的動詞名詞化的字刪除，這樣的作法在文法上並沒有錯，同時也可以以簡單又快速地幫論文瘦身，讓您的論文更加精簡。
華樂思的編修師幾乎每天都會碰到的一個常見例子是許多作者愛用measurements這個字的名詞型態，卻忽略使用動詞型態的 measure，我們來看看以下這幾個例子。
原句：Measurements of background signals were made.
編修後：Background signals were measured.
如果您提出是誰在做這個動作並且把被動語態改為主動語態，還可以更進一步修改這個句子：「We measured background signals.」但有個風險是，有些期刊的評審反對在學術論文中使用第一人稱的I或we。
原句：Iodine isotope ratio measurements were conducted by acceleration mass spectrometry.
編修後：Iodine isotope ratios were measured by acceleration mass spectrometry.
原句：Electrical resistivity measurements and magnetization measurements were carried out.
編修後：Electrical resistivity and magnetization were measured.
學術寫作中常被名詞化的動詞可不是只有to measure而已。下面是一些其他的例子：
名詞化的動詞：Exposure of the catalysts to NO was carried out at 50 L (1 L = 10–6 Torr).
原動詞：The catalysts were exposed to NO at 50 L (1 L = 10–6 Torr).
名詞化的動詞：Product analysis was carried out by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry.
原動詞：Products were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry.
名詞化的動詞：Drying of the diluted suspensions was carried out at 80 °C.
原動詞：The diluted suspensions were dried at 80 °C.
名詞化的動詞：The geometry optimizations in the ground states were carried out by the DFT method.
原動詞：The ground-state geometries were optimized by the DFT method.
名詞化的動詞：Product identification was carried out by X-ray diffraction analysis.
原動詞：Products were identified by X-ray diffraction analysis.
有沒有注意到所有的例句都有were carried out或were made或were conducted？您可以用文書處理軟體找到這些詞彙作出必要的修改，您會發現它們無所不在。
下面是另外幾個常常可以視為接下來會發生動詞名詞化的指標：
Is/are/was/were different
這些詞往往代表接下來的名詞＋形容詞組合，而這些也可以用一個比較簡短的動詞＋副詞的組合替換，比如下面的例子：
名詞：The behaviors [名詞] of the bacteriophages were different [形容詞].
動詞：The bacteriophages behaved [動詞] differently [副詞].形容詞：The redox properties of CeO2 are different from those of Pr6O11.
動詞：The redox properties of CeO2 differ from those of Pr6O11.
Effective for
同樣的，這個詞常常代表接下來的形容詞＋名詞組合可以用一個對應的動詞＋副詞的組合替換。
形容詞：The process was effective [形容詞] for the removal [名詞] of both viruses.副詞：The process effectively [副詞] removed [動詞] both viruses.
形容詞：The aluminum species was effective for charge neutralization.
副詞：The aluminum species effectively neutralized the charge.
Is/are/was/were observed
這幾個詞彙通常完全沒必要。
不佳：High electron-injection efficiency was observed in all films.
佳：Electron-injection efficiency was high in all films.
不佳：The formation of epoxide was observed at 323 K.
佳：Epoxide formed at 323 K.
不佳：No removal of either virus by the coagulant was observed.
佳：Neither virus was removed by the coagulant.
Showed/shows
各種形式的to show往往在後面接一個名詞或名詞短語，可以用對應的動詞或動詞短語替換掉。
原句：The calculation showed a systematic overestimation of the true value.
編修後：The calculation systematically overestimated the true value.原句：The cells showed no change in morphology.
編修後：The cell morphology did not change.原句：Some dye cations show strong absorption in this region.
編修後：Some dye cations absorb strongly in this region.
如我之前所說的，動詞名詞化在文法上並沒有錯，所以不需要特別忌諱。但如果您希望讓自己的文句簡潔有力，那還是盡量用動詞，減少把動詞名詞化。
