Prefixes and suffixes - An introduction by Viv Quarry.

(www.vivquarry.com)

Words with a different grammatical form or meaning can be derived from a base word using prefixes and suffixes. By understanding how these prefixes and suffixes work, it is often easier to deal with unknown vocabulary. You can sometimes see what part of speech a word is (verb, noun, adjective etc.), or additional information that a prefix may give.

1. Changes in grammatical form.

The noun 'power' can be used as an adjective by adding the suffix ~ful (powerful). The adverbial form is made by adding the suffix ~ly to the adjective (powerfully).

The verb 'to improve' becomes a noun by adding the suffix ~ment (improvement). The same root word can also become a verb (improvise)

The noun 'nation' changes into an adjective with the suffix ~al (national), and by adding another suffix

~ize the word changes from an adjective to a verb (nationalize)

The adjective 'special' can change to a verb (specialize) or a noun (speciality).

2. Changes in meaning.

Prefixes and suffixes can also change the meaning of a word.

The meaning of 'possible' is reversed with the addition of the prefix im~ (impossible).

To 'overeat' means to eat too much and if food is undercooked, it is not cooked enough.

Some suffixes commonly denote an occupation.

Eg. The verb 'to teach' is transformed into the occupation with the suffix ~er (teacher).

Both grammatical changes and changes in meaning can be applied to the same base word.

Eg. The noun 'interest' can be made an adjective and given opposite meaning by adding a prefix

and a suffix (uninteresting).

3. Changes in pronunciation.

When prefixes and suffixes are added to root words, the word stress sometimes changes.

Eg. Noun & verb: 'photograph'. Adjective: 'photographic'. Opposite: 'unphotographic'.

Person: 'photographer'.

In English the word stress is often on the third syllable from the end.

Overleaf is a list of the most common suffixes and prefixes and the grammatical and meaning changes that they apply to root words.

Prefixes and suffixes - by Viv Quarry.

~ment    	~er

~ness	~age

~sion	~sis

~ty	~ity

~al	  ~ant

~ance	~ssion

~hood   	~ship

~dom      	~th

~ght	~cess

~ful

~ful	~ive

~ic	~al

~able    	~ed

~ible	~ing

~ous	~ish

~y	~ly

~like	~some

~worthy

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