A suffix is an element placed at the end of a word to modify its meaning. Suffixes include: -ible, -able, -ful, -less. Example: useful, useless, meaningful, meaningless. Some suffixes make nouns plural, and some suffixes change the tense of verbs.
ladder + s = ladders
climb + ed = climbed
Other suffixes change the meaning and the part of speech of the word to which they are added.
When teachers assign homework, students have assignments.
What suffix changed assign, a verb, into a noun?
The chart below lists suffixes that change the meaning and sometimes the part of speech of a word.
Suffix with Meanings & Examples
| Suffix | Meaning & Part of Speech | Example |
|---|---|---|
| -en | become or cause to be; made of (verb, adjective) | soften |
| -ish | related to, having the qualities of (adjective) | childish |
| -ism -ist | act of, devotion to (noun) one who does, makes, or practices (noun) | heroism pianist |
| –ment -ness | act of; state of (noun) state of; quality of (noun) | amusement happiness |
Adjective Suffix Exercise: -ful and -less
A. Complete each sentence by choosing a word from the box and adding -ful or -less to make an adjective.
| speech | motion |
| colour | harm |
| friend | help |
| point | heart |
| thank | thought |
- A newborn baby is completely _________.
- Gregory chose a bright, _________ wallpaper for his bedroom.
- It was _________ of her to send me flowers when I was ill.
- Bill has no feeling for anyone; people say he is _________.
- Adult medicine can be _________ to children.
- Let’s be _________ for the good things in our lives.
- The small sailing boat was _________ on the calm sea.
- It was _________ trying to find our way in a strange town without a map.
- People sometimes say they feel lonely, but being completely _________ is very rare.
- When I was told I had won the lottery, I was _________ with delight.
Noun Suffix Exercise : -ant, -er, -ist, -or
B. Make each word in brackets into a noun to fill the gap, by adding the correct suffix. Be careful – you may need to make spelling changes too.
- My aunt is a _________ of a multinational company. (direct)
- I’d like to speak to the project _________, please. (supervise)
- Miguel used to work as a _________ and _________. (paint, decorate)
- I’d love to be an _________ in a television studio. (assist)
- He has a high-powered job as an _________ It wouldn’t appeal to me. (account)
- Hussein is an _________ and is very interested in ways to protect the environment. (ecology)
- Luke is a _________ in a pop group and his brother is a _________. (drum, football)
- Angela is training to become a _________ helping people with relationship difficulties. (psychology)
- I asked the telephone _________ to check the number for me. (operate)
- Her job as a _________ involves translating instruction booklets from English into other languages. (translate)