In part 1 we're looking at suffixes that change the grammar and also suffixes that make verbs.
Watch the video above and/or read the info below.
1. Some suffixes do not change the meaning of the word just the grammar:
| 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 |
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 |
terrorise terrorize |
| -en | wide loose sharp |
widen loosen sharpen |
| -ate | hyphen participant |
hyphenate participate |
| -ify | simple pure just |
simplify purify justify |
We can make a noun that describes people or things:
| 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 |
organisation/organization imagination |
| -ment |
develop |
development arrangement achievement |
| -ness | happy kind mad |
happiness kindness madness |
| -age | bag waste marry |
baggage wastage marriage |
There are loads more words you can add to these tables so when you see the letter pattern write them out and make your own building words dictionary.
Do the quiz below
Use the -ise (not-ize) ending if needed
