Suffixes - part 1
Suffixes part 1
Watch the video above and/or read the info below.
We can make a noun that describes people or things:
Watch the video above and/or read the info below.
| Suffix | Grammar / tense | original word | Word with suffix |
| -s | plural | computer | computers |
| -en | plural (irregular) | (singular) child woman man | (plural) children women men |
| -s | 3rd person present simple | write work | He writes She writes It works |
| -ed | past tense /past participle(regular) | walk learn | walked learned |
| -en | past participle |
fall eat write |
fallen eaten written |
| -ing | continuous/progressive | study | studying |
| -er | comparative adjective | small | smaller |
| -est | superlative adjective | small | smallest |
| -ly | adverbs | careful slow | carefully slowly |
2. Making verbs.
Some suffixes change the meaning (but the new meaning is related to the old meaning)
| Suffix | example original word | making verbs |
|
-ise or -ize |
terror private real modern |
terrorise terrorize privatise / privatize realise / realize modernise / modernize |
| -en | wide loose sharp | widen loosen sharpen |
| -ate | hyphen participant | hyphenate participate |
| -ify | simple pure just | simplify purify justify |
| suffix | verb or noun | job or description |
| -er | teach ride bank sprinkle copy | teacher rider banker sprinkler copier |
| -or | act solicit conduct | actor soliticitor conductor |
| -ist | cycle psychiatry art | cyclist psychiatrist artist |
| -cian | electric beauty music | electrician beautician musician |
| -ee | employ attend train | employee attendee trainee |
| -ant | assist attend account | assistant attendant accountant |
We can make a noun or verb into an adjective
| suffix | verb or noun | adjective |
| -al | accident monument tradition | accidental monumental traditional |
| -ary | imagine | imaginary |
| -able | tax read | taxable readable |
| -ly | brother love friend | brotherly lovely friendly |
| -y | ease sun noise | easy sunny noisy |
| ful | beauty forget | beautiful forgetful |
| -ish | blue self | bluish selfish |
| -less | use father help | useless fatherless helpless |
| -ous | fame nerve marvel | famous nervous marvellous (AmEng marvelous) |
We can make verbs and adjectives into nouns.
| suffix | verb or adjective | nouns |
| -ation |
organise/organize imagine |
organisation/organization imagination |
| -ment |
develop arrange achieve |
development arrangement achievement |
| -ness | happy kind mad | happiness kindness madness |
| -age | bag waste marry | baggage wastage marriage |