Suffixes: Word Endings

Suffixes are always added to the end of a word. We use them all the time to change a word’s meaning. Suffix categories are different than prefix categories. The four categories are: noun suffixes, adjective suffixes, verb suffixes, and adverb suffixes.

Noun Suffixes

Noun suffixes create a noun from a different part of speech. Generally speaking, nouns fall into these categories: person, place, or thing. Teach is a verb. Add the suffix /er/ and you have a person, a teacher. Bake is a verb. Add the suffix /ery/ and now you have a place, a bakery. Create is a verb. Add the suffix /tion/ and creation is a thing that someone made.

Here are a few more examples: Assemble is a verb. Every morning campers assemble at the flagpole. Assembly is a noun. My favorite part of the assembly was when the teachers made fools of themselves. Revise is a verb. I have to revise my paper before tomorrow. Revision is a noun. The publisher wants my revision by the end of the month.

Adjective Suffixes

Adjectives are words that describe something. Adjective suffixes create a descriptive word from another part of speech. In the example above we changed the verb teach to the noun teacher. By adding the suffix /able/ you can change teach to the adjective teachable. The professor used the mispronunciation as a teachable moment. Teachable describes the moment. Similarly, we can add the suffix /ive/ to the verb create to make the adjective creative. His creative method was appreciated by his students. Creative describes his teaching method changing the verb, create, to the adjective, creative.

Verb and Adverb Suffixes

Verb suffixes include endings like /ed/, /ing/, and /s/ which have to do with grammatical functions such as past tense, present participle and plurals. Other verb suffixes include /en/, /ify/, /ize/, and /ate/. Some examples are: strengthen, beautify, realize, and decorate.

The most common adverb suffix is /ly/. Swiftly and carefully are two adverbs that describe the action of verbs. George ran swiftly. Alex walked carefully across the tightrope. Often you can choose a strong verb instead of using a verb adverb duo. For the examples above you could say: George raced. Alex teetered across the tightrope.

One more note on adverbs. Tom Swiftys are phrases in which the adverb creates a pun. Here are some examples: “I’m no good at playing darts,” Tom said aimlessly. “The thermostat is set too high,” Tom said heatedly. These can be a lot of fun, but use them sparingly. A little goes a long way.