E WO KAKU KOTO GA SUKI DESU - I LIKE DRAWING PICTURES

Nominalizing
Turning verbs into nouns
よむこと が すき
I like reading

NEKO GA IRU KOTO NI BIKKURI SHIMASHITA - I WAS SURPRISED AT CATS BEING THERE

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WE CAN EXPRESS IDEAS SUCH AS 'I LIKE READING', RIDING ROLLER COASTERS IS FUN', 'BUYING CLOTHES IS AN EXPENSIVE HOBBY', etc, BY ADDING こと OR の AFTER A PLAIN FORM VERB.

• By adding こと or の after the plain form of the verb, we actually turn the verb into a noun.
  ​('Nominalize' means 'to make something into a noun')
• When we do this in English, we add -ing to a verb, as in 'I like reading'. In this case, reading becomes the thing (noun) that I like. In English we call this the gerund form of the verb.
  (This is completely different from the -ing ending of 'I am reading' - that's just the verb ending in the present continuous tense - confusing!)
• こと means 'fact' or 'thing'. In some cases, verb + こと can translate as 'the fact that ～'. 
  e.g. ねこがいること - 'the fact that there are cats'
• の is simply just a pronoun that can be used instead of こと if you prefer.
• Like much grammar, this is more easily understood by seeing examples that by explanation, so here are some examples:

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SIMPLE EXAMPLES

よむことが すきです。／よむのがすきです。

• (​I) like reading.

べんきょうすることが　たのしいです。

• ​Studying is fun!

はやくおきることが　にがてです。

• ​(I'm) not good at getting up early. (にがて = not good at)

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MORE COMPLEX EXAMPLES

カフェにねこがいることに　びっくりしました。

• I was surprised at there being cats in a cafe.

THIS EXAMPLE SENTENCE IS MADE UP OF TWO IDEAS:
1. カフェに　ねこがいる　－　There are cats in the cafe.
2. びっくりしました　－　I was surprised.

みんながびっくりしたのは、ねこがいることと　コーヒーがたかいことです。

• The thing that surprised everyone is the fact that there are cats, and that the coffee is expensive.

*In this example, the adjective, たかい, has been nominalized - think of it as the 'expensiveness' of the coffee.

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PRACTISE USING NOMINALISERS の・こと ON QUIZLET