Here's a breakdown:
* Changes meaning: Suffixes can create new words with related but different meanings. For example:
* "happy" becomes "happily" (adverb of manner)
* "care" becomes "careful" (adjective)
* Changes grammatical function: Suffixes can alter the grammatical role of a word. For example:
* "run" becomes "runner" (noun)
* "slow" becomes "slowly" (adverb)
Some common suffixes and their functions:
* -er, -or, -ist: Form nouns that indicate people or things that perform an action (e.g., "teacher," "actor," "artist")
* -ness: Forms nouns that indicate a state or quality (e.g., "happiness," "sadness," "kindness")
* -ful, -less: Forms adjectives that indicate the presence or absence of a quality (e.g., "beautiful," "careless")
* -ly: Forms adverbs of manner (e.g., "quickly," "slowly," "happily")
* -ing: Forms present participles, used as verbs or adjectives (e.g., "running," "singing," "interesting")
* -ed: Forms past participles, used as verbs or adjectives (e.g., "walked," "painted," "baked")
Examples:
* "-ly" added to "quick" changes it to "quickly" (adverb of manner)
* "-er" added to "teach" changes it to "teacher" (noun)
* "-ing" added to "sing" changes it to "singing" (present participle)
Understanding suffixes can help you expand your vocabulary and understand the nuances of the English language.