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Argumentation through Nominal Structures

B2

Discourse

1. Function

In advanced Turkish, arguments are frequently built through nominal structures that package causes, evaluations, and conclusions as objects of analysis.


This structural choice:


  • reduces personal presence

  • increases analytical distance

  • presents claims as evaluable entities rather than personal statements


2. Forms

Argumentative nominal structures are formed through:


  • verbal nominalization
    -mA / -DIK / -AcAK / -mAsI

  • noun compounds (indefinite and definite)

  • evaluation and strategic nouns


Common evaluation nouns used to carry arguments:


  • gereklilik (necessity)

  • gerekçe (justification)

  • sonuç (result)

  • etki (impact)

  • risk (risk)

  • kısıtlılık (limitation)

  • yetersizlik (inadequacy)

  • uygunluk (suitability)

  • tutarlılık (consistency)


Typical surface patterns:


  • [[…-mA]] + değerlendirme

  • [[…-DIK]] + sonuç / etki

  • [[…-AcAK]] + planlama / öngörü

  • [[…-mAsI]] + gereklilik / gerekçe


3. Morphology


A) Verbal Nominalization Types


  • -mA
    creates an abstract action noun
    → process treated as a concept


  • -DIK
    creates a fact-based nominal clause
    → evaluated event or state


  • -AcAK
    creates a projected nominal clause
    → future-oriented assessment


  • -mAsI (Necessity Pattern)
    encodes a requirement as a nominal object
    → a core tool for stating necessity without modal verbs


Examples of -mAsI blocks:


  • uygulanması

  • değerlendirilmesi

  • değiştirilmesi


B) Possessive Chains and Pronominal -n-

When a nominalized verb takes a case suffix, the pronominal -n- appears after the possessive marker.


Examples:


  • değerlendirilmesi-n-in

  • uygulanması-n-ın

  • değiştirilmesi-n-in


4. Structural Guide


A) Compression Logic: From Narrative to Analysis

Nominal argumentation freezes an action into a stable unit:
a verb-like event becomes a noun-like fact that can be classified, measured, compared, and evaluated.


Narrative tone (event sequencing):

Plan başarısız oldu. Zaman yoktu.


Analytical tone (frozen objects + evaluation):

[[Zaman kısıtlılığı]], [[planın [başarısızlığı-n-ın]]] temel nedenidir.


In the analytical version:


  • the “action” is no longer told as a story

  • the situation becomes an object inside a noun phrase


B) Argument Nesting with Double Brackets

Argumentation is often built through nested nominal blocks.


[[Zaman kısıtlılığı]], [[planın [başarısızlığı-n-ın]]] temel nedenidir.


Structural decoding:


  • [[Zaman kısıtlılığı]] → cause block

  • [[planın [başarısızlığı-n-ın]]] → evaluated outcome block


C) The Connector Link: Professional Linking Without Simple Conjunctions

Nominal blocks are frequently linked using postpositions that sound professional and institutional.


Examples of linking postpositions:


  • itibarıyla (as of / in terms of)

  • gereğince (in accordance with / as required by)


Patterns:

  • [[…]] itibarıyla [[…]]

  • [[…]] gereğince [[…]]


These links keep the structure nominal and analytical, without relying on simple conjunctions.


5. Usage

Nominal argumentation is used to:


  • justify decisions

  • frame causes and consequences

  • express evaluation and necessity

  • sound neutral, analytical, and authoritative


It is dominant in:


  • formal assessments

  • policy and strategy texts

  • institutional communication

  • academic and professional writing

Examples


A) Cause Framing

[[Kaynakların sınırlı olması]], sürecin yavaşlaması-n-a yol açmıştır.
— The limitation of resources led to the slowing of the process.


B) Evaluation

[[Projenin planlanması]] yeterince kapsamlı yapılmamıştır.
— The planning of the project was not carried out comprehensively.


C) Justification with Necessity

[[Bu yöntemin uygulanması]]-n-ın gerekli olduğu değerlendirilmiştir.
— It has been assessed that the implementation of this method is necessary.


D) Result Framing

[[Politikanın değiştirilmesi]]-n-in beklenen sonuçları vermediği görülmüştür.
— It has been observed that the change of the policy did not produce the expected results.


E) Professional Linking (Postpositions)

[[Mevcut veriler]] itibarıyla, [[yeniden değerlendirme yapılması]]-n-ın uygun olduğu düşünülmektedir.
— In terms of the current data, it is considered appropriate that a reassessment be conducted.


[[İlgili prosedür]] gereğince, [[sürecin revize edilmesi]]-n-in gerekli olduğu belirtilmiştir.
— In accordance with the relevant procedure, it has been stated that the process needs to be revised.

Notes

  • Nominal structures turn arguments into analyzable objects, not personal statements.

  • The pronominal -n- is structurally mandatory after possessive markers before case suffixes.

  • Agency suppression is strengthened by pairing nominal blocks with passive/impersonal verbs (değerlendirildi, görüldü, belirtildi).

  • Agency displacement: nominal density shifts responsibility from the agent to the process, allowing the text to foreground systems, constraints, and outcomes rather than individual actors.

  • Professional postpositions (itibarıyla, gereğince) help link nominal blocks while maintaining an institutional tone.

Argumentation through Nominal Structures – FAQ (B2)


Q: Why are nominal structures used to build arguments in advanced Turkish?
A: They turn actions and situations into analyzable objects. This reduces personal presence and presents claims as neutral, evaluable facts.


Q: Which nominalization types are most common in argumentative structures?
A: –mA creates abstract process nouns, –DIK presents evaluated facts, –AcAK frames projected assessments, and –mAsI encodes necessity. These forms allow arguments to be classified, compared, and justified.


Q: How do nominal structures support an objective, institutional tone?
A: They suppress the agent and shift focus to causes, results, and evaluations. When combined with passive or impersonal verbs, responsibility is displaced from individuals to processes.

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