ENGLISH
Grammar: Word forms
Grammar | Word Forms
Word Forms
What are Word Forms?
The addition of prefixes and suffixes to words can change their category and function. Some suffixes are
used only for nouns, and some are used for verbs. Suffixes can also impart different meanings to words.
For example, ‘trainer’ and ‘training’ have the common stem ‘train’, but the suffixes ‘-er’ and ‘-ing’ impart
different meanings.
Word Categories
Noun Verb Adjective Adverb
nation nationalise national nationally
humanely/
human humanise human
humanly
beauty beautify beautiful beautifully
Suffixes of Nouns
Suffix Usage Examples
-al state refusal, betrayal, perusal
-ance, -ence, -ancy, -ency quality or state militancy, performance
-tion condition condition, relation
-ice condition malice, novice, justice
-er/-or doer painter, trainer, actor
-graph record telegraph, phonograph, polygraph
-ism belief Hinduism, communism, fascism
-ist doer pacifist, pianist, altruist
-ian someone who does Gandhian, guardian, politician
-ing name of an activity reading, gardening, sleeping
-ity state continuity, annuity
-logy study geology, neurology
-ship state of friendship, kinship, sportsmanship
-sion, -tion process of expansion, determination, connection
-ory place dormitory, reformatory, laboratory
-orium, -arium place sanitarium, aquarium, crematorium
-ure state composure, exposure, leisure
-ment state abandonment, refinement, entertainment
-ness state happiness, completeness, fullness
01
Grammar | Word Forms
Suffixes of Verbs
Suffix Usage Example
-ing action in continuation hearing, yearning, making
-ate Latin origin verbs recreate, abate, mediate
-ed simple past or participle form killed, toyed, booked
-en verbs formed from adjectives broken, frozen, sunken
-fy do magnify, specify, rectify
-s, -es simple present tense form criticises, runs, laughs
-er actions which have repetitive blabber, snicker, mutter
quality
-nt to do prevent, augment, content attend,
intend, pretend
-ise to make/do revolutionise, apologise, despise
-ish become or do flourish, banish, demolish
-able to make enable, disable
Suffixes of Adjectives
Suffix Meaning Usage
-able, -ible having the quality of flexible, available, eatable
-al related to ventral, global, musical
-ant doing dependent, buoyant, resilient
-ic having the quality terrific, generic, specific
-esque like, having the quality statuesque, picturesque
-er,-est Comparative and qualities fatter, tallest
superlative
-ose full of verbose, grandiose
-ful full of beautiful, boastful, grateful
-ing participle form of adjective interesting, frustrating, sleeping
-istic having the quality realistic, artistic, surrealistic
-ive having the nature of pensive, aggressive, massive
-ous, -ious full of gaseous, spacious, gracious
Suffixes of Adverbs
Suffix Meaning Usage
-ably with a quality comfortably, admirably, disagreeably
-ibly with a quality audibly, horribly, negligibly
-s shows time or place backwards, always, forwards
-wise shows manner or position clockwise, otherwise, lengthwise
02
Grammar | Word Forms
Hints
• While changing a word into a noun, add ‘by’ before it for a hint.
Word Noun Form
hostile (adjective) hostility
kindly (adverb) by kindness
joking (verb) joke
• While changing a word into a verb, add ‘to’ before it for a hint.
Word Verb Form
confusion (noun) confuse
regulating (participle) to regulate
beautifully (adverb) beautify
• While changing a word into an adjective, add ‘being’ before it for a hint.
Word Adjective Form
creation (noun) creative
excellently (adverb) being excellent
freeze (verb) frozen
• While changing a word into an adverb, add ‘quite’ before it for a hint or add the suffix ‘-ly’ to it.
Word Adverb Form
management (noun) manageably
justify (verb) quite justifiably
political (adjective) politically
Examples:
1. Word: Tempt (Verb)
Part of Speech Noun Adjective Adverb
temptation tempting temptingly
Suffix -ion -ing (participle) -ly
2. Word: Fail (Verb)
Part of Speech Noun Adjective Adverb
failure failing failingly
Suffix -ure -ing (participle) -ly
03
Grammar | Word Forms
3. Word: Sad (Adjective)
Part of Speech Noun Verb Adverb
sadness sadden sadly
Suffix -ness -en -ly
4. Word: Confusingly (Adverb)
Part of Speech Noun Verb Adjective
confusion confuse confusing
Suffix -sion -se -ing (participle)
5. Word: Complete (Verb)
Part of Speech Noun Adjective Adverb
completion complete completely
Suffix -ion - -ly
6. Word: Kindness (Noun)
Part of Speech Verb Adjective Adverb
- kind kindly
Suffix - - -ly
7. Word: Intentional (Adjective)
Part of Speech Noun Verb Adverb
intention intend intentionally
Suffix -ion - -ly
8. Word: Preventively (Adverb)
Part of Speech Noun Verb Adjective
prevention prevent preventive
Suffix -ion - -ive
9. Word: Suggestion (Noun)
Part of Speech Verb Adjective Adverb
suggest suggestive suggestively
Suffix - -ive -ly
04
Grammar | Word Forms
10. Word: Admire (Verb)
Part of Speech Noun Adjective Adverb
admiration admirable admirably
Suffix -ion -able -ly
11. Word: Variable (Adjective)
Part of Speech Noun Verb Adverb
variability vary variably
Suffix -ity - -ly
12. Word: Urgently (Adverb)
Part of Speech Noun Verb Adjective
urgency urge urgent
Suffix -ency - -ent
13. Word: Energy (Noun)
Part of Speech Verb Adjective Adverb
energise energetic energetically
Suffix -ise -ic -ly
14. Word: Entertain (Verb)
Part of Speech Noun Adjective Adverb
entertainment entertaining entertainingly
Suffix -ment -ing -ly
15. Word: Total (Adjective)
Part of Speech Noun Verb Adverb
totality total totally
Suffix -ity - -ly
16. Word: Gradually (Adverb)
Part of Speech Noun Verb Adjective
grade grade gradual
Suffix - - -al
05