GV

Suffixes

Word endings that change word class: -tion, -ness, -able, -ly, -ment

intermediate

When to Use Suffixes

  • •-tion/-sion: verb → noun. educate → education, decide → decision.
  • •-ness: adjective → noun. happy → happiness, sad → sadness.
  • •-able/-ible: verb → adjective. enjoy → enjoyable, access → accessible.
  • •-ly: adjective → adverb. quick → quickly, happy → happily.
  • •-ment: verb → noun. develop → development, agree → agreement.

How to Form Suffixes

Affirmative (+)

Base word + suffix (may require spelling changes)

Negative (-)

Same structure

Question (?)

Same structure

💡 Spelling changes: drop -e before vowel suffix; change -y to -i before suffix.

Examples of Suffixes

✓happiness

✗happyness

Change y to i before -ness.

✓easily

✗easyly

Change y to i before -ly.

✓lovable

✗loveable

Drop -e before -able (though loveable is also accepted).

Common Mistakes with Suffixes

💡 Practice Tips for Suffixes

  • • -tion/-sion: makes nouns (information, decision).
  • • -ness: makes nouns from adjectives (kindness, darkness).
  • • -able/-ible: makes adjectives (readable, visible).
  • • -ly: makes adverbs (slowly, carefully).
Quick Quiz
  1. 1.Add -ness to 'happy':  
  2. 2.Add -ly to 'true':  
  3. Question 3: Add -ily to 'easy': blank
    3.Add -ily to 'easy':
  4. Question 4: Add -ment to 'argue': blank
    4.Add -ment to 'argue':
  5. Question 5: Add -ful to 'beauty': blank
    5.Add -ful to 'beauty':
  6. Question 6: Turn the verb into a noun with -tion: 'educate' → blank
    6.Turn the verb into a noun with -tion: 'educate' →
  7. Question 7: Turn the verb into an adjective with -able: 'enjoy' → blank
    7.Turn the verb into an adjective with -able: 'enjoy' →
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