WORD FORMATION
Suffix/-es – a letter or letters added to the end of a word to form a new word
1. NOUNS
-er – used for the person who does an activity, eg. writer, worker, consumer, teacher.
Sometimes, the –er suffix is written as –or, eg. doctor, sailor, supervisor
-er /-or are also used for things that do a particular job, eg. pencil sharpener, computer, projector
-er and – ee can contrast with each other, -er meaning ‘person who does something’ and –ee meaning
‘person who receives or experiences the action’, eg. employer/ employee, sender/addresse
– ist – used for professions – typist, pianist
ABSTRACT NOUNS (representing an idea, experience, or quality)
-ism – used for beliefs and ideologies, eg. liberalism, Buddhism, journalism
-tion/-sion/-ion are used to form nouns from verbs, eg. to complicate >complication,
to pollute >pollution, to admit >admission, to recognize > recognition, to act > action
-ness – used to form nouns from adjectives (Note what happens to adjectives that end in –y!) :
good >goodness, lazy >laziness, conscious >consciousness, happy >happiness, sad >sadness
-ment (abstract nouns) – excitement, enjoyment, amazement, achievement, improvement
-ity ( abstract nouns) – curiosity, sensitivity, hostility, maturity, absurdity, anonymity
-hood (abstract nouns, especially family terms) childhood, motherhood, adulthood
-ship (abstract nouns, especially status) friendship, partnership, membership, citizenship, ownership
-dom – boredom, kingdom, freedom, stardom, wisdom, martyrdom
-th – breadth, depth, length, strength, width, wealth
2. ADJECTIVES
-able/-ible combined with verbs often means ‘can be done’, eg. washable (can be washed), or
breakable (can be broken), drinkable, readable, forgivable, edible
-ive – passive, active
-al – brutal, legal,
-ous – delicious, furious
-ful – hopeful, useful
-less – useless, homeless
3. VERBS
-ize (Am.E.)/ -ise (Br.E.) form verbs from adjectives, eg. modernize (make modern), industrialize,
popularize, commercialize
-ify – beautify, purify, terrify
EXERCISES
1. Give the abstract nouns of :
wise clean stupid false
true jealous to discover illiterate
boy to believe real vain
long independent conservative brutal
patient suspicious confident poor
to know elegant partner to oblige
strong cheap perfect secure
shy hero anxious coward
young to hate brother to conspire
proud rich to grow splendid
2. Make adjectives from:
wood reason spirit
friend sceptic logic hate
critic gold sheep vigour
accident coward shame conceit
child love dependence height
joy sorrow presence snob
fear anger care idea
music delight vanity salt
trouble self silence
grace sun deceit
woman passion juice
3. Give an adjective and noun related to each verb, and make sure that you know the meaning
of each word, eg. receive (verb) – receptive (adjective) - reception, receipt (nouns)
compete analyse
deceive simplify
vary defend
compare conclude
explore apologize
explain appear
irritate distinguish
imitate remember
observe interpret
depend emphasize
attend continue
fail inform
sympathize persist
repeat explode
4. Form the correct words out of their roots given in the brackets:
1. Does it make any ............ (DIFFER) to them if we pay by cheque ?
2. The two boys should receive a more proper punishment, their ............(BEHAVE) at the
inauguration ceremony was really outrageous.
3. Jason is the most ...........(TRUTH) person I know; he never tells lies.
4. It was a great ............(LOSE) to our section when Mr Douglas, the most experienced programmer,
had to stay in hospital for two months.
5. Don’t bother to water the flowers in the garden. There is no ............(NECESSARY) to do it
right after the rain.
6. The fireworks show was most ................(SPECTACLE). No wonder, then, it attracted so many
people.
7. ‘What’s the ......... (LONG) of this rope?’ ‘It’s six metres long.’
8. Mark’s been terribly busy this week. It’s ............(DOUBT) whether he’ll want to attend our
performance tomorrow.
9. Who would have thought that the project would turn out to be a complete ...........(FAIL) ?
10. The low ...............(ATTEND) at the concert was a result of the organizers’ carelessness about
giving it a more extensive publicity.
11. The whole new situation is more than...............(ADVANTAGE) to all the investors. Definitely,
it’s a chance not to miss.
12. A sudden...... (GROW) in food prices will certainly bring about violent protesters from the
population.
13. It’s ...........(USE) trying to reach the village on foot. The only possible way of getting there is by
helicopter.
14. The .............(PLEASE) of spending holidays in the countryside consists in breathing fresh air and
being in harmony with nature.
15. Some people claim that the microprocessor is the greatest..............(INVENT) of the 20 th century.
16. This year winter is rather mild in ...............(COMPARE) with the last one when temperatures fell
below thirty degrees.
17. If you want to improve your English I’d recommend your buying a book on grammar............
(USE).
18. Big loans on very................(FAVOUR) conditions are offered by the bank to those who make a
large-scale investment.
19. Due to a heavy storm the ................(DEPART) of the train was delayed.
20. A lot of ...........(COMPLAIN) have been written to the town council by the inhabitants of the area
where the nuclear power station is to be built.
