In this lesson we have two videos: 1. Common suffixes, and some rules (a warm-up for the Spelling Rules Module!). 2. Suffixes and how they can change pronunciation.
Download your PDF Suffixes & Grammar Information Sheet here
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.
| 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 |
When you break a word down into syllables it helps you see the part of the word you need work on. (if you haven’t read the Building words – intro read it. it’s got an explanation about syllables.)
Look at the following words and how we break them down.
Check the suffixes – the endings of words in the following: (see the letter patterns in the suffixes)
–tion, –ment, -ly, -ture, -ing
Learning suffix endings can help your visual memory for what looks right.
–ture ad/ven/ture, fu/ture, tem/pe/ra /ture
–ly faith/ful/ly, grate/ful/ly,
–ment com-part-ment, a/part/ment
–tion de te ri or a tion, dec/or/a/tion, mul/ti/pli/ca/tion
–sion ex/ten/sion, ap/pre/hen/sion
–ing pre/dict/ ing, sig/ni/fy/ing