0 INTRODUCTION

6. FINDINGS
6.1.3. Distribution of nominalizations according to their syntactic function
As pointed out in Section 5.3.1, nominalizations can fulfil different syntactic functions,
namely, subject, object, predicative and complement of a preposition. Furthermore, they
may appear in absolute position, that is, not belonging to a superordinate structure, and
also as supplements and modifiers. As seen in Section 4.1, nominalizations, as instances of
grammatical metaphor, are quite useful in scientific writing. It is well-known that scientists
usually talk about the relation between processes in their writings; according to the
relevant literature, these processes are encoded in the clause as NPs, and usually, they are
situated one at the beginning and one at the end, the verb being the nexus which expresses
the relation between the two. A priori, judging from what has just been said, one might
expect nominalizations to appear mainly as subjects (cf. [175] and [176]), predicatives (cf.
[177] and [178]), and even as objects (cf. [179]), as in the instances below:
(175) the change and corruption of substance causeth not a disease,
but the destruction of the part, but a corrupt thing neither suffers a
disease nor health. (E3 1662 Sennert Sixth book of practical
physick Academic)
(176) But in these whych are hurt by qualitye, the curation of the
diseases be not only wrought by con~trary qualities, but also they
consyste of prouision altogether. (E1 1566 Jones Dial for all agves
Academic)
(177) Secondly it is to bee noted that there be two manners of
regeneration. One is very regeneration, which is very reformation
of the member in the selfe same substaunce, forme, qualytie: (...)
(E2 1579 Chauliac Qvydos qvestions Surgery)
(178) The worke of the stomake is dysgestyon/ for it hath y=e= lyuer on
the ryghte syde/ warnynge her selfe w=t= the lo~bys or lymmes/
(...) (E1 1525 Braunschweig Handy warke of surgeri Surgery)
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