Word building
We use word building when in a sentence or text we have to change the form of a word from a noun to an adjective, or from a
verb to a noun.
For example:
The singer was very nervous. (sing)
In this sentence, the verb (sing) changes into the person noun (singer).
Rules:
Root Words: These are the basic forms of words.
The new word could be a verb, a noun, an adjective, or an adverb.
The beginning and the end of the word could change.
Prefixes: These are affixes added to the beginning of a word to modify its meaning.
- "un-" (undo)
- "re-" (redo)
- "dis-" (dislike)
- “inter-” (international)
- “under-” (undernourished)
- “mis-” (mistake)
- “ex-” (extermination)
- “trans-” (transformation)
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Suffixes: These are affixes added to the end of a word to change its grammatical function or meaning.
- Nouns often end: -ment, -ion, -hood, -ance, -ess, -age, -y, -dom, -ness, -ant, -ity, -ship.
- People nouns often end: -er, -or, -ist, -ian.
- Adjectives often end: -able, -ible, -ive, -al, -ful, -ic, -ed, -ous, -less, -ing.
- Some verbs end: -ise, -ate, -en.
- Adverbs often end: -ly.
Other Word buildings:
Compounding: Words can be formed by combining two or more separate words. For example, "notebook" (note +
book), "sunflower" (sun + flower).
Reduplication: This is a process where all or part of a word is repeated to create a new word with a modified meaning.
For example, "boo-boo" (a minor injury), "bye-bye" (farewell).
Blending: Words can be formed by combining parts of two words, usually their beginnings or ends. For example,
"brunch" (breakfast + lunch), "smog" (smoke + fog).
Acronyms: Words can be formed from the initial letters or syllables of a phrase. For example, "NASA" (National
Aeronautics and Space Administration), "radar" (radio detection and ranging).
Activities:
1. I have a very good __________________ with both my parents (RELATION)
2. Pulling my front tooth didn’t hurt. – It was completely __________________ (PAIN).
3. I can tell from your __________________ that you’re not really happy (EXPRESS)
4. We offer free __________________ for purchases over € 100 (DELIVER).
5. James hasn’t had a lot of __________________ lately, so I hope he’ll do well with his new company (SUCCEED)
6. It is __________________ colder today that it was yesterday (CERTAIN).
7. My best friend has a great __________________ . (PERSON).
8. You need a lot of __________________ to write a good story (IMAGINE)
9. The lesson was __________________ . I almost fell asleep. (BORE)
10. Don’t be so __________________ . This is the second vase you have broken this month (CARE).
11. My brother is a great __________________. He told a beautiful speech at my wedding (SPEAK)
12. The children were very __________________ when the teacher came in (NOISE).
13. The film was a bit __________________ . I didn’t really understand what happened (CONFUSE)
14. He has to wear these gloves for __________________ reasons (SAFE)
15. Sally was __________________ for two years before she found a new job (EMPLOY)
16. In India, there are a lot of __________________ in the streets (BEG).
17. I had no __________________ in finding the right street . (DIFFICULT)
18. He talked about __________________ and peace in our world (FREE)
19. __________________ , I was invited to watch the new film (LUCKY)
20. The __________________ of our rainforests is a serious problem (DESTROY)
21. Animals in a zoo don’t live in their __________________ environment (NATURE)
22. Thank you for being so __________________ yesterday (HELP)
23. Don’t you think it’s too __________________ for you to go sailing in such weather (DANGER)
24. This is my last __________________ . – Don’t walk across the lawn ! (WARN)
25. If you want to complain about the product, please go to the __________________ (MANAGE).
26. John is six years old. He’s very __________________ and full of life (ACT)
27. My mother spent her __________________ in France (CHILD)
28. I have made a few __________________ to your article (CORRECT).
