Nominal and Verbal Style

Level 5

Vegna breytinga á skipulagi (because of changes to the organisation) is nominal style. Af því að skipulaginu var breytt (because the organisation was changed) says the same with a verb.

How It Works

From verb to noun.

  • loka (close) → lokun (closing)
  • breyta (change) → breyting (change)
  • nota (use) → notkun (use)
  • ákveða (decide) → ákvörðun (decision)
  • rannsaka (investigate) → rannsókn (investigation)

What happens to the object. The verb's object goes into the genitive, or after a preposition such as á or um:

  • loka skólanum → lokun skólans (the closing of the school)
  • nota farsíma → notkun farsíma (use of mobile phones)
  • breyta skipulaginu → breyting á skipulaginu (a change to the organisation)

The person who does it usually disappears, which is one reason offices like this style.

Typical nominal phrases. vegna + genitive noun (vegna breytinga), taka ákvörðun um (make a decision about), fara fram (take place), framkvæma rannsókn (carry out an investigation).

The advice for clear writing. The language advice service of the Árni Magnússon Institute calls heavy use of nouns nafnorðastíll or stofnanastíll (office style) and suggests a verb where it reads better:

  • Tekin var ákvörðun um að hækka verðið. → Ákveðið var að hækka verðið. (It was decided to raise the price.)
  • Framkvæmd var rannsókn á málinu. → Málið var rannsakað. (The case was investigated.)

Nouns still work well in short headings: Breytingar á opnunartíma (Changes to opening hours).

Examples (6)

  1. Vegna breytinga á skipulagi verður skrifstofan lokuð.

    Because of changes to the organisation, the office will be closed.

    Word by Word: Because-of changes on organisation will-be the-office closed.

    Nominal style: the noun breytinga is in the genitive after vegna.

  2. Skrifstofan verður lokuð af því að skipulaginu var breytt.

    The office will be closed because the organisation was changed.

    Word by Word: The-office will-be closed because the-organisation was changed.

    Verbal style: breyta takes a dative, so the passive keeps skipulaginu.

  3. Lokun skólans var ákveðin í gær.

    The closing of the school was decided yesterday.

    Word by Word: Closing the-school's was decided in yesterday.

  4. Ákveðið var í gær að loka skólanum.

    It was decided yesterday to close the school.

    Word by Word: Decided was in yesterday to close the-school.

  5. Notkun farsíma er bönnuð í tímum.

    The use of mobile phones is forbidden in class.

    Word by Word: Use mobile-phones' is forbidden in lessons.

  6. Það má ekki nota farsíma í tímum.

    You may not use mobile phones in class.

    Word by Word: It may not use mobile-phones in lessons.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the verb's case after the noun.

    Lokun skólanum var ákveðin í gær.
    Lokun skólans var ákveðin í gær.

    loka takes a dative (loka skólanum), but the noun lokun needs a genitive after it: lokun skólans.

  • Using the wrong case after vegna.

    Skólinn er lokaður vegna veðrið.
    Skólinn er lokaður vegna veðursins.

    vegna always takes the genitive: vegna veðursins.

How It Connects

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Nominal and Verbal StyleLevel 5

Learn This First

Nominal style builds on abstract nouns and genitive prepositions.