English Grammar - Suffixes and Prefixes class 9th

 

English Grammar - Suffixes and Prefixes

Rana Arsalan

SUFFIXES

We sometimes add a pair or group of alphabets or letters at the end of a word to add something to the meaning of a word or change function. These letters or group of letters are called suffixes. We can use suffixes to make many new words, including nouns, adjectives, verb and adverb etc.
Examples:
  • agree + ment = agreement (change verb to noun)
  • postpone + ment = postponement (change verb to noun)
  • willing + ness = willingness (change adjective to noun)
  • frank + ness = frankness (change adjective to noun)
  • arrive + al = arrival (change verb to noun)
  • profession + al = professional (change noun to adjective)

Suffixes Rules

Change The Spelling Of The Word
In some cases, the suffix causes a spelling change to the original (root or base) word. The last alphabet or letter of the word may be dropped or changed, when the suffix is added. Such as:
Example:
  • Words ending with letter -e:
    -e may be dropped, when suffix is added begins with vowel, such as:
    (i) use + able → usable
    (ii) adore + able → adorable

  • Words ending with letter -y:
    -y changes to an when suffix is added, such as:
    (i) beauty + -ful → beautiful
    (ii) duty + -ful → dutiful
    (iii) heavy + -ness → heaviness
    (iv) ready + -ness → readiness
    (v) ugly + -ness → ugliness

  • Words ending with letter -le:
    -le changes to il when suffix is added, such as:
    (i) able + -ity → ability
    (ii) possible + -ity → possibility

  • Words ending with letter -t:
    -t changes to ss when suffix is added, such as:
    (i) permit + -ion → permission
    (ii) omit + -ion → omission

Change The Meaning Of The Word
Suffixes sometimes change the meaning of the words, such as:
Suffix -er is added:
  • With adjective, it shows comparative meaning of "more" as:
    (i) kind + -er → Kinder
    (ii) long + -er → longer
    (iii) fond + -er → fonder

  • With verb, the word can be turned into noun, as:
    (i) read + -er → reader
    (ii) dance + -er → dancer
    (iii) build + -er → builder

Suffix -est added:
  • With adjective, it shows superlative meaning of "the most" as:
    (i) kind + -est → Kindest
    (ii) long + -est → longest
    (iii) fond + -est → fondest

List Of Common Suffixes With Meaning and Examples

Noun suffixes

SUFFIXMEANINGEXAMPLES
-acy state or quality privacy, fallacy, delicacy
-age action or process baggage, village, postage, drainage, marriage,
-al pertaining to arrival, burial, deferral, regional, functional, musical, accidental
-ance /-ence state or quality of reliance, defence, insistence, maintenance, eminence, assurance
-dom place or state of being boredom, freedom, kingdom
-ee- employee, payee, trainee
-eer engaged in something, associated with something auctioneer, volunteer, engineer, profiteer
-er someone who performs an action driver, writer, director, helper, teacher, preacher, dancer
-hood- brotherhood, childhood, neighbourhood
-ion the action or process of celebration, opinion, decision, revision
-ism doctrine, belief capitalism, Marxism, socialism (philosophies), communism
-ist one who capitalist, Marxist, socialist (followers of philosophies), chemist
-ity /-ty the state or condition of, quality of brutality, equality, cruelty, probability, abnormality, civility, inactivity, validity
-ment the action or result of, condition of amazement, disappointment, parliament, movement, retirement, abandonment, establishment, argument, enchantment, achievement, excitement
-ness a state or quality happiness, kindness, usefulness, fondness, awareness, darkness, sickness
-or a person who is something distributor, investigator, translator, conductor
-ry- entry, ministry, robbery
-shipposition held friendship, membership, workmanship, worship, ownership, courtship, internship, citizenship
-sion /-tion /-xion state of being expression, population, complexion, depression, confusion, tension, compulsion, affection, promotion
-th state or quality strength, labyrinth, depth, warmth


Adjective Suffixes

SUFFIXMEANINGEXAMPLES
-able / -ible capable of being, can be done drinkable, portable, flexible, preventable, adaptable, predictable, credible, reversible, terrible
-al pertaining to brutal, formal, postal, natural, criminal, seasonal
-ant inclined to or tending to vigilant, defiant, brilliant, reliant
-ary of or relating to budgetary, planetary, military, honorary
-en become broken, golden, wooden, enlighten, awaken, strengthen
-er action or process, making an adjective comparative bigger, stronger, faster, fuller, longer
-ese- Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese
-esque reminiscent of picturesque, statuesque, burlesque
-est superlative (degree) strongest, tiniest, tallest
-ful full of or notable of forgetful, helpful, useful, grateful, beautiful, wonderful, thankful, doubtful
-i- Iraqi, Pakistani, Yemeni
-ic relating to or pertaining to classic, Islamic, poetic, iconic, organic, heroic, domestic
ical / cal having the form or pertaining to Psychological, Hypocritical, Methodical, Musical
-ious / -ous having qualities of or characterized by cautious, famous, nervous, gracious, humorous, fabulous, pious, jealous, ridiculous, religious, nutritious
-ish having the quality of British, childish, Spanish
-ive quality or nature of active, passive, productive, creative, expensive, expressive, informative, attentive
-ian- Canadian, Malaysian, Peruvian
-less without something homeless, hopeless, useless, faultless, fearless, restless, meaningless, mindless, endless, friendless, tireless
-ly related to / quality daily, monthly, yearly, clearly, hourly
-y made up of or characterized by cloudy, rainy, windy, brainy, fruity, tasty, hasty, smelly, glory, messy, victory


Verb Suffixes

SUFFIXMEANINGEXAMPLES
-ate become regulate, eradicate, enunciate, repudiate, complicate, dominate, irritate
-ed past-tense verb laughed, climbed, called, missed
-en become soften, fasten, lengthen, strengthen, harden, shorten
-ify / -fy make or become terrify, satisfy, rectify, exemplify, beautify, clarify, identify
-ing verb form/present participle of an action or denoting an action, a material, or a gerund laughing, swimming, acting, showing, driving, writing
-ize / -ise to cause or to become memorialize, authorize, commercialize, advertise, civilize, humanize, socialize, economize, realize, industrialize
 (-ise is most common in British English; -ize is most common in American English)


Adverb suffixes

SUFFIXMEANINGEXAMPLES
-ily forming an adverb happily, lazily
-ly in what manner something is being done, a characteristic of bravely, simply, honestly, gladly, calmly, easily, quickly
-ward in a certain direction backward, wayward, awkward, afterward, toward(s), downwards, upwards
-wise in relation to clockwise, edgewise, lengthwise, likewise, otherwise

PREFIXES

We sometimes add a pair or group of alphabets or letters at the beginning of a word to add something to the meaning of a word. These are called prefixes.
OR
A prefix is a group of letters placed before the root of a word.

For example: the word “unhappy” consists of the prefix “un-” [which means “not”] combined with the root (or stem) word “happy”; the word “unhappy” means “not happy.”


A short list of prefixes:

Negative Prefixes

Some prefixes translate the original meaning of the new word into its opposite meaning.

SUFFIXMEANINGEXAMPLES
anti- Against, opposing antibiotics, antithesis, antifreeze, antisocial
contra-- contradict, contraindicated, contrarian
de- from, down, away, reverse, opposite, off decode, decrease, decompose, defrost, deactivate, degrade,
dis- not, opposite, reverse, away disagree, disappear, disconnect, disapprove, dislike, dishonest, disagree, disappear
il- not illegal, illogical
im- not, without impossible, impermeable, improper, imbalance
in- not, without inaction, invisible, injustice, incomplete, inaccurate, inability, incorrect, indefinite
ir- Notirregular, irreversible
non- not, without nonfiction, nonsense, non-exist
un- against, not, opposite undo, unequal, unusual, unfinished, unskilled, unfriendly, unsatisfied, unkind, unresponsive, unruly, unknown
---


Other Common Prefixes

There are many prefixes that don’t negate the original meaning of the root word, but rather alter it in unique ways, such as expressing relationships of place, time or manner.

SUFFIXMEANINGEXAMPLES
ante- before antebellum, antediluvian, antechamber, antedate
auto- self Automatic, autograph, automobile
circum- around circumnavigate, circumscribe, circumvent, circumstances, circumcircle
co- with coexist, co-worker, cooperation, cosign
com- / con-- commiserate, contact
em- Cause to, put into Embrace, emphasis, embed
en- Cause to, put into Encode, encounter, encase, endow, envelope, enclose, engulf
epi- upon, close to, after Epicenter, epidermis, epiglottis
ex- former ex-president, exterminate, exterior, extension
exo- out of, away from, lacking exhale, explosion, exoskeleton
extra- more than extracurricular, extraterrestrial,  extraordinary
fore- Before Forecast, foresight, forehead, foremost
homo- Same Homogeneous, homo-nuclear, homosexual, homo-plastic
hyper- Over, above hyperactive, hyperspace, hypertension, hypersensitive
im- into import
in- into Insert, infield, infiltrate, inside
infra- beneath, below Infrastructure, infrared, infra-specific
inter- Between international, intermediate, interlock, intersect
intera- Between interact, interactive, intranet
macro- large macroeconomics, macro-molecules, macrobiotics
mega- Largemegaphone, megaton
micro- Small microorganism, microphone, microscope, microwave, microbiology
mid- Middle Midday, midway, midnight, mid-season, midterm, midsummer
mis- bad, wrong mislead, misplace, misunderstand, misfire, misappropriate, misuse, mistake, misconduct
mono- Singular, onemonogamous, monotone, monogram, monopoly, monolingual, monotone
omni- All, every Omnivore, omnidirectional, omniscient, omnipotent
over- too much overdue, overlook, overcook, overdone, overwork
para- Beside Parachute, paragraph, paradox
poly- manyPolygon, polymers,
pre- before prefix, prehistory, predict, preschool, prevent, preview, preliminary
post-  after Postmortem, Posterior, postpone, postoperative, postscript
pro- for, forward, before proactive, profess, program, Project, proceed, promote, progress, propose
re- again, back react, reappear, regain, return, rebuild, reconsider, re-evaluate, rewrite
semi- Half Semifinal, semicircle, semiconductor, semester
sub- Under Submarine, substandard, subsidiary, subeditor, subtitle, submerge
super- Above Superman, superstar, supernatural, super-food
sym- / syn-- symmetry, symptoms, synchronize, synapse
tele-- Television, telephone, telepathy
therm- heat thermometer, thermostat, thermodynamic
trans- Across, beyond Transmit, transaction, translation, transfer, transport, transform
tri- threetricycle, triangle, tripod
under- below Undersea, understand, underwater, underline, underweight
uni- One Unicellular, unicorn, universal, unicycle, unilateral
up-- Upbeat, upload, upward, upgrade

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