Shell nouns play a significant role in written discourse, especially serving an interpersonal function. Alex Fang and Min Dong have been working on shall nouns as an interactive device in academic discourse focused on COVID-19.
Fang, A.C. & Dong, M. (2021). Characterising COVID-19 Discourse through Shell Noun Co-selection. Presented at The 6th National Summit Forum on Discourse Research, Beijing Normal University, 19–20 December 2020.
