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from another word class. Narrowly speaking, nominalization refers to productive process of word formation through which words of all word classes can be used as nouns.
In Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics (2002), nominalization is the grammatical process of forming nouns from other parts of speech.
Meanwhile, many renowned linguists have their own understanding about nominalization.
In the opinion of Aarts (1982) nominalization is a process of turning a non-nominal element into a noun group. It has two aspects of sense in definition.
1)               In a narrow sense, nominalization refers to the nouns derived from verbs or adjectives, including gerund, or the finite clause turning into a nominalization. For example: They rejected my complain→their rejection of my complain
2)               In a broad sense, nominalization refers to all the elements that can act as noun or noun group. It includes nominal clauses, infinitives, gerunds, etc. For example:(nominalization in italics)
(1) Everyone could see that he did not want to commit himself on the controversy.
(2) That the driver could not control the car was obvious.
(3) The stranger offered to show me the way.
According to Quirk et al (1985) nominalization is a process of turning a verb or an adjective into a noun. And according to Halliday (1985) nominalization refers to any element or group that can function as nouns, or noun groups in a clause, including clauses, nominalized adjectives or verbs, etc.
In a word, nominalization can be considered as a process, in which non-nominal elements are turned into nominal groups. At the same time, nominalizations are also the elements that act as nouns.
3.2 The Functions of Nominalization
   3.2.1 Objectivity
   In the process of nominalization actions are changed into entities. This can also result in the simplification or even the omission of the actor and goal. Due to the conversion the expression sounds more objective. To put it in another way, nominalizations understate the statements by using the process in which a more vigorous and direct verb is transformed into the less vigorous and direct noun form. In the following three situations below the writer may adopt nominalizations.
1)      The writer wants to deemphasize the actors or agents. Generally speaking, the subject would draw the attention of the readers. By making use of the nominalization the topic or the theme is put in the predominant place so that it can catch the readers’ attention immediately.
2)      The writer does not know who the actor is. Sometimes, the actor of the action is unknown to the writer. With its edge nominalization can help the writer solve the problem, constructing the sentence completely without referring to the actor.
3)      The action or the event is more important than the actor. If the writer wants to put emphasis on the act and make the actor less important, applying nominalization can fulfill the expectation of the writer effectively. A nominalization can permit the omission of the subject and the object of a verb, therefore, the writer can write an issue without mentioning who