What are Suffixes?📚
Suffixes are small bits we add to the end of words to change their meaning or how they’re used in a sentence. They are like little word helpers that can tell us more about a word.
Why Learn Suffixes?🧠
Learning suffixes is helpful because they can make it easier to understand and use words. They can show if a word is a noun (person, place, thing), a verb (action word), an adjective (describing word), and more. They also help us figure out the past tense, future tense, or even the size of something. It’s like a secret code for words.
Strategies to Follow:
- Start Small: Begin with common suffixes like -ed (shows past action) or -ing (shows ongoing action).
- Learn by Categories: Group words with similar suffixes together. For example, words that end in -ly often describe how something is done, like “quickly” or “softly.”
- Practice: Try writing sentences using words with different suffixes. It’s like a word game!
- Use Flashcards: Write the root word on one side and the word with the suffix on the other. Quiz yourself.
- Read A Lot: Reading books or articles helps you see how suffixes are used naturally.
Tricks to Remember:
- Mnemonic Devices: Create funny sentences or stories using words with suffixes. It makes them memorable.
- Color Coding: Highlight or underline suffixes in different colors to make them stand out.
- Songs and Rhymes: Some people remember suffixes better when they turn them into songs or rhymes.
- Practice Regularly: Like any skill, practice regularly to reinforce what you’ve learned.
Table 1
| Suffix | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -able | Capable of or able to be | Reliable, comfortable, enjoyable |
| -ly | In a manner of or characterized by | Quickly, softly, happily |
| -ment | Action or process | Improvement, development, achievement |
| -ness | State or quality | Happiness, kindness, darkness |
| -ful | Full of or characterized by | Wonderful, playful, thankful |
| -less | Without or lacking | Hopeless, homeless, careless |
| -er/-or | One who does something or a person | Teacher, actor, writer |
| -ing | Present participle or gerund form | Running, swimming, cooking |
| -ed | Past tense or past participle form | Walked, baked, played |
| -ize/-ise | To make or become | Organize, realize, advertise |
Table 2
| Suffix | Meaning | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| -tion/-sion | Action or process of | Education, discussion, decision |
| -able/-ible | Capable of being or having the quality of | Portable, visible, flexible |
| -er/-est | Comparative and superlative forms | Faster, tallest, smarter |
| -y | Characterized by or inclined to | Happy, funny, stormy |
| -ish | Somewhat or like | Smallish, reddish, childish |
| -en | To cause to become | Darken, weaken, lengthen |
| -ship | State or quality of being | Friendship, leadership, partnership |
| -ism | Belief or system of principles | Capitalism, feminism, racism |
WATU 2
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