Sometimes a sentence feels heavier than it should.
Nothing is technically wrong.
The grammar works.
The meaning is clear.
But the sentence sounds formal, distant, or unnecessarily slow.
One common reason is the hidden verb.
A hidden verb is a verb that has been turned into a noun, often through a process called nominalization.
Instead of writing:
We decided.
a writer might write:
We made a decision.
Instead of:
They analyzed the data.
they write:
They conducted an analysis of the data.
The action is still there.
It has simply been buried.
What Is a Hidden Verb?
A hidden verb usually appears when an action word becomes a noun.
Common endings include:
-tion
-sion
-ment
-ance
-ence
-al
For example:
Decide → decision
Investigate → investigation
Analyze → analysis
Discuss → discussion
Improve → improvement
Perform → performance
Respond → response
Approve → approval
The noun itself is not bad.
The problem appears when the noun forces the sentence to add another weak verb around it.
That is how:
We investigated the problem
becomes:
We conducted an investigation into the problem.
The second version uses more words to say nearly the same thing.
Why Hidden Verbs Make Writing Feel Heavy
Verbs create movement.
Nouns tend to create objects and concepts.
When an action becomes a noun, the sentence often loses some of its energy.
Compare:
The committee approved the proposal.
with:
The committee gave approval to the proposal.
The first sentence moves.
The second describes the existence of an approval.
That difference may seem small, but repeated dozens of times across a report, article, email, or novel, hidden verbs can make prose feel bureaucratic.
Example: Make a Decision
Weak:
She made a decision to leave.
Stronger:
She decided to leave.
The stronger version is shorter and more direct.
The action is now carried by the main verb.
Example: Conduct an Investigation
Weak:
The detective conducted an investigation into the disappearance.
Stronger:
The detective investigated the disappearance.
Again, the meaning hardly changes.
But the sentence becomes cleaner.
Example: Give Consideration
Weak:
We will give consideration to your proposal.
Stronger:
We will consider your proposal.
This kind of hidden verb appears constantly in business writing.
Sometimes formality is intentional.
But often the simpler sentence is clearer.
Example: Perform an Analysis
Weak:
The team performed an analysis of the results.
Stronger:
The team analyzed the results.
The phrase “performed an analysis” requires a generic verb plus an abstract noun.
“Analyzed” does the work by itself.
Example: Reach a Conclusion
Weak:
The researchers reached the conclusion that the treatment was ineffective.
Stronger:
The researchers concluded that the treatment was ineffective.
The revised sentence has less verbal scaffolding.
Example: Make an Improvement
Weak:
We made an improvement to the system.
Stronger:
We improved the system.
The action becomes immediate.
Example: Provide an Explanation
Weak:
He provided an explanation for his absence.
Stronger:
He explained his absence.
“Provided” is not wrong.
But “explained” is more specific.
Example: Give a Description
Weak:
She gave a description of the suspect.
Stronger:
She described the suspect.
Whenever you see phrases like “gave a description,” “made a recommendation,” or “performed an evaluation,” check whether the noun can return to its verb form.
Example: Make a Recommendation
Weak:
The consultant made a recommendation that we delay the launch.
Stronger:
The consultant recommended delaying the launch.
The second version sounds more confident.
Example: Carry Out an Evaluation
Weak:
The company carried out an evaluation of the new process.
Stronger:
The company evaluated the new process.
This is one of the most common patterns in formal writing.
A vague verb carries a noun that contains the real action.
Example: Give a Response
Weak:
She gave a response to the question.
Stronger:
She responded to the question.
The noun “response” hides the verb “respond.”
Example: Make an Announcement
Weak:
The mayor made an announcement about the new policy.
Stronger:
The mayor announced the new policy.
The revision removes unnecessary distance.
Example: Have a Discussion
Weak:
We had a discussion about the budget.
Stronger:
We discussed the budget.
The phrase “had a discussion” is common in speech, but in tighter prose, “discussed” often works better.
Example: Perform a Review
Weak:
The editor performed a review of the manuscript.
Stronger:
The editor reviewed the manuscript.
Shorter does not automatically mean better.
But here it is also more precise.
Example: Make an Attempt
Weak:
He made an attempt to open the window.
Stronger:
He attempted to open the window.
Or even:
He tried to open the window.
Sometimes the strongest revision is not the original verb, but a simpler one.
Example: Give an Indication
Weak:
Her expression gave an indication that she was worried.
Stronger:
Her expression indicated that she was worried.
Even better, depending on context:
Her hands would not stop shaking.
Now the sentence moves beyond nominalization and into concrete detail.
Hidden Verbs Often Travel With Weak Verbs
Watch for phrases built around verbs such as:
Make.
Give.
Have.
Take.
Conduct.
Perform.
Provide.
Carry out.
Undertake.
Reach.
These verbs are not weak in themselves.
But when they appear before abstract nouns, they may be supporting a hidden verb.
For example:
Make a decision.
Give approval.
Have a discussion.
Take action.
Conduct an investigation.
Perform an analysis.
Provide assistance.
Carry out an evaluation.
Reach an agreement.
The noun often contains the real action.
Hidden Verbs Are Common in Business Writing
Formal writing tends to accumulate nominalizations.
For example:
The implementation of the new system will result in an improvement in efficiency.
That sentence sounds official.
But:
Implementing the new system will improve efficiency.
is easier to read.
Or even:
The new system will improve efficiency.
Each revision removes abstraction.
They Also Appear in Academic Writing
Academic prose sometimes needs abstract nouns because ideas themselves are being discussed.
That is perfectly legitimate.
For example:
The development of language remains central to the study.
Here, “development” may genuinely be the subject.
But compare:
The researchers conducted an examination of the participants' responses.
with:
The researchers examined the participants' responses.
The second version is usually cleaner.
Nominalization is a tool.
The problem is automatic overuse.
Hidden Verbs Can Weaken Fiction Too
Consider:
She made an observation of the man near the window.
That sounds strangely clinical.
Better:
She observed the man near the window.
Better still, perhaps:
The man near the window kept checking the door.
Now the prose becomes specific.
Fiction usually benefits from visible action.
But Not Every Nominalization Should Be Removed
Sometimes the noun is exactly what the sentence needs.
Consider:
Her decision changed everything.
“Decision” is not a problem here.
The sentence is talking about the decision as a thing.
Or:
The investigation lasted six months.
Again, “investigation” is genuinely the subject.
The question is not:
Is this word derived from a verb?
The question is:
Is the noun useful here, or is it hiding an action that would be stronger as a verb?
Hidden Verbs Can Change Tone
Sometimes writers deliberately choose nominalizations because they want distance.
Compare:
The company fired 200 employees.
with:
The termination of 200 positions was announced.
The second sentence feels more impersonal.
That may be intentional.
Organizations often use nominalization to reduce the visibility of who performed an action.
Notice how “the termination” hides the actor.
Who terminated the positions?
The sentence does not say.
That makes hidden verbs interesting not only stylistically, but rhetorically.
Nominalization Can Hide Responsibility
Compare:
We made a mistake.
with:
A mistake was made.
The second version removes the actor.
Now compare:
Management decided to close the factory.
with:
A decision was made to close the factory.
Again, responsibility becomes less visible.
This is why nominalizations are common in bureaucratic, political, and corporate language.
Turning an action into a noun can make the action feel as though it simply happened.
Strong Verbs Reveal Agency
Verbs make it easier to see who is doing what.
For example:
Weak:
There was a destruction of the documents.
Stronger:
Someone destroyed the documents.
Now a new question appears.
Who?
The stronger sentence restores agency.
That can matter enormously in both nonfiction and fiction.
A Simple Hidden Verb Test
When editing, look for abstract nouns ending in:
-tion
-sion
-ment
-ance
-ence
-al
Then ask:
Is there a verb hiding inside this noun?
For example:
“completion” → complete
“discussion” → discuss
“assessment” → assess
“approval” → approve
“performance” → perform
“development” → develop
Then try rewriting the sentence with that verb.
If the sentence becomes clearer and more direct, keep the revision.
Before and After Examples
Before: We conducted an examination of the evidence.
After: We examined the evidence.
Before: She made an objection to the proposal.
After: She objected to the proposal.
Before: The committee reached an agreement.
After: The committee agreed.
Before: He gave an apology.
After: He apologized.
Before: They provided assistance to the victims.
After: They assisted the victims.
Before: The team carried out a comparison of the two designs.
After: The team compared the two designs.
Before: The teacher gave an explanation of the rule.
After: The teacher explained the rule.
Before: We made a reduction in spending.
After: We reduced spending.
Before: The company made an expansion into Asia.
After: The company expanded into Asia.
Before: She gave recognition to his contribution.
After: She recognized his contribution.
The Goal Is Not Always Fewer Words
This distinction matters.
Editing hidden verbs is not simply a word-count exercise.
Sometimes the shorter sentence is stronger because it restores action.
Compare:
He gave her a look of suspicion.
with:
He suspected her.
These do not mean exactly the same thing.
The first describes visible behavior.
The second describes internal belief.
So the revision must preserve meaning.
Do not mechanically convert every noun into a verb.
Choose the version that says what you actually mean.
Use Hidden Verbs When You Want Abstraction
There are situations where nominalization is useful.
When discussing concepts:
The destruction of memory is central to the novel.
When referring to an event already established:
The investigation changed her career.
When deliberately creating formal distance:
The agreement will remain in effect until June.
The noun has a job.
Keep it.
The Problem Is Accumulation
One nominalization rarely ruins a sentence.
Five in the same paragraph can.
Consider:
The implementation of the recommendation resulted in the improvement of communication and the reduction of confusion.
The sentence is packed with abstract nouns.
Try:
Implementing the recommendation improved communication and reduced confusion.
Same basic idea.
More movement.
Less fog.
A Quick Editing Exercise
Take one page of your writing.
Circle nouns ending in:
-tion, -sion, -ment, -ance, -ence, and -al.
Then look at the verb immediately before each one.
If you find combinations like:
made a...
gave a...
conducted a...
performed a...
provided a...
carried out a...
ask whether the noun can become the main verb.
Do not change all of them.
Change the ones that make the sentence clearer.
Hidden Verbs Are Really About Energy
The reason this technique matters is simple.
Verbs move sentences.
They show action.
They reveal agency.
They make relationships between subjects and events easier to see.
Nominalizations can be useful, but when too many actions are converted into things, the prose begins to feel still.
Instead of:
The character made a realization about the truth.
try:
The character realized the truth.
The thought arrives faster.
The sentence breathes.
And sometimes that is all good editing needs.
