1. Changing the Word's Part of Speech:
* Noun Suffixes: Turn words into nouns.
* -ness: happy (adjective) -> happiness (noun)
* -er: teach (verb) -> teacher (noun)
* -tion: act (verb) -> action (noun)
* Verb Suffixes: Turn words into verbs.
* -ize: modern (adjective) -> modernize (verb)
* -ify: simple (adjective) -> simplify (verb)
* -en: weak (adjective) -> weaken (verb)
* Adjective Suffixes: Turn words into adjectives.
* -ful: hope (noun) -> hopeful (adjective)
* -less: hope (noun) -> hopeless (adjective)
* -able: break (verb) -> breakable (adjective)
2. Adding Specific Meanings:
* Size or Quantity:
* -let: book (noun) -> booklet (small book)
* -ling: duck (noun) -> duckling (young duck)
* Location or Position:
* -ward: home (noun) -> homeward (towards home)
* -wise: clock (noun) -> clockwise (in the direction of a clock's hands)
* Degree or Intensity:
* -ish: red (adjective) -> reddish (slightly red)
* -ly: quick (adjective) -> quickly (in a quick manner)
* Other Specific Meanings:
* -ment: improve (verb) -> improvement (the act of improving)
* -ance/-ence: resist (verb) -> resistance (the act of resisting)
Examples:
* Happy: (adjective) describes a feeling
* Happiness: (noun) is the state of being happy
* Hopeful: (adjective) describes someone with hope
* Hopeless: (adjective) describes someone without hope
* Modernize: (verb) to make something more modern
* Modernization: (noun) the act of making something more modern
Understanding suffixes helps you:
* Expand your vocabulary: You can easily create new words by adding suffixes to familiar ones.
* Improve your reading comprehension: You'll be able to decipher the meanings of unfamiliar words by recognizing their suffixes.
* Write more effectively: You'll be able to choose the right words to express your ideas precisely.