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Breakdown, outcome, and other nominalised phrasal verbs.
Why you specifically
The rule
Many phrasal verbs have noun forms that are written as single words or hyphenated compounds. These nouns often name a result, event, or process: breakdown, outcome, follow-up, fallout, backup, cutback, takeover, setback, and similar forms. In academic and IELTS writing, they are useful because they sound concise and formal. Be careful with spelling: some are one word, some need a hyphen, and the noun form is not always the same as the verb phrase.
The trap
The break down of the machine delayed the meeting.
The breakdown of the machine delayed the meeting.
Breakdown is the noun form, so it can follow 'the' and work as the subject of the sentence.
The experiment had a good outcome.
The outcome of the experiment was surprising.
Outcome is a noun, so it fits after 'the' and before 'of the experiment'.
The police carried out a follow up investigation.
The police carried out a follow-up investigation.
Follow-up is a noun used before another noun, so it can modify 'investigation'.
We had to deal with the fall out from the scandal.
We had to deal with the fallout from the scandal.
Fallout is a noun, so it can follow 'the' and be modified by 'from the scandal'.
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