Requirement
Copy must use the plain action verb instead of burying it in a noun paired with a "to be" verb (is, are, was, were, will be). When a noun ending signals a hidden verb, pull the verb out and use it directly.
Common noun endings and their plain verbs:
| Look for | For example | Use the verb |
|---|---|---|
| -al | denial | deny |
| -ance | maintenance | maintain, keep |
| -ence | concurrence | concur, agree |
| -ment | assignment | assign |
| -sion | transmission | transmit, send |
| -tion | recommendation | recommend |
| -ure | failure | fail |
This applies to prose — instructional text, help copy, error messages, empty states, descriptions. Labels and fragments are not in scope.
See also: CNT-3 (active voice and second person) — that control catches general passive voice; this control targets the specific pattern of nominalisation.
Rationale
Nominalisation hides the actor and the action. "Is a requirement" buries the verb "require"; "are in maintenance" buries "maintain". Pulling the verb out shortens the sentence, removes the "to be" auxiliary, and makes the actor and action explicit. A sentence can be grammatically active and still contain a buried verb — "We made a recommendation" is active but weaker than "We recommended". CNT-3's active-voice clause does not catch this pattern, so a waiver on sentence length or person could silently cover a verb-burial finding without this separate control.
Passes when
- "You must submit the form before the deadline." (not "Submission is a requirement before the deadline.")
- "The system failed to save." (not "There was a failure to save.")
- "Assign the task to a colleague." (not "Be in assignment of the task.")
- "We recommend using sentence case." (not "Our recommendation is to use sentence case.")
Fails when
- A "to be" verb carries a nominalised action: "is a requirement", "are in maintenance", "was in transmission", "will be in receipt of".
- An action is buried in a noun when the plain verb is available: "give a recommendation" instead of "recommend", "make an assignment" instead of "assign".
- A noun ending (-tion, -ment, -ure, etc.) appears next to a "to be" verb in prose where the verb could replace the construction.
How to verify
Judgment only — there is no deterministic half. The evaluator scans prose for "to be" verbs (is, are, was, were, will be, be) followed by or paired with a noun whose ending appears in the table above. For each, check whether pulling the verb out produces a shorter, more direct sentence.
Evaluator guidance
Quote the offending phrase in every finding and give the plain-verb rewrite.
Flag:
- A "to be" verb + nominalised noun where the underlying verb exists and fits the context: "is a requirement" → "require", "are in agreement" → "agree", "was in failure" → "failed".
- An action buried in a noun even without a "to be" verb, when the verb is shorter and clearer: "make a recommendation" → "recommend", "provide an explanation" → "explain".
Do not flag:
- Proper nouns that happen to end in a matching suffix: "Education", "Station", "Transmission" (product or programme names). These are identities, not nominalised verbs.
- Quoted policy or programme text that must appear verbatim and carries an inline
dx-waive CNT-8 reason="...". - Cases where the noun form is the natural, established term and pulling the verb out would sound unnatural or change the meaning (rare — document the exception with a waiver).
- Labels and fragments: "Save", "Task assignment", "Due date" are not prose sentences and are not in scope.
Waiver
rationale (L2) — inline dx-waive CNT-8 reason="..." at the deviation site.
Verbatim policy or programme text is the canonical waiver case.