WORD FORMATION I

PREFIXES

anti- (=against) anti-war, anti-social, anti-biotic
auto- (=by oneself) autograph, auto-pilot, autobiography
bi- (=two, twice) bicycle, bi-monthly, biannual, bilingual, biplane
dis- (=opposite) disloyal, disobedient, disappear, disagree, dislike
ex- (=former) exwife, exstudent, expresident, exflatmate
ex- (=out of) extract, exhale, excommunicate, express
in- (=opposite) inconvenient, inedible, invisible, intolerant, incorrect
inter- (=between) intermediate, intersection
im- (=opposite) impatient, immortal, immature
il- (=opposite) illegal, illegible, illiterate
ir- (=opposite) irreplaceable, irreversible, irrelevant
mal- (=badly) malfunction, malnutrition, maltreat
micro- (=small) microwave, microscopic, micro-computer
mis- (=badly) misunderstand, mistranslate, misinform
mono- (=one/single) monorail, monotonous, monologue, monogamous
multi- (=many) multilingual, multi-national, multi-racial
over- (=too much) overeat, oversleep, overtired, overdo
post- (=after) postwar, postgraduate, post-revolutionary
pre- (=before) prejudge, preview, prejudice
pro- (=in favour of) pro-government, pro-revolutionary, pro-nuclear
pseudo- (=false) pseudo-scientific, pseudo-nym, pseudo-intellectual
re- (=again) retype, reread, replace, rewind
semi- (=half) semicircular, semi-final, semi-detached
sub- (=under) subway, submarine, subdivision, sub-editor
super- (=above) superman, supernatural
trans- (=across) transatlantic, transaction, transexual
un- (=opposite) uncomfortable, undo, undress, unload, unlock, untidy
under- (=not enough) underworked, underused, undercooked
uni- (=one) unilateral, unisex, unicycle


PREFIXES which show an opposite state or process


dis- disagree, dishonest, dislike,
in- incompentent, inefficiency,
im- (before p/m) impossible, impatient,.
il- (before l) illegible, illegal, illiterate,
ir- (before r) irresistible, irregular, irrelevant,
mal- malfunction, malnutrition, maltreat,
un- unbelievable, undressed, unlocked,
SUFFIXES


A. Verbs suffixes

-ise (ize): used to make verbs from adjectives

modern --- modernise commercial --- commercialise
general --- generalise industrial --- industrialise

-(i)fy: used to make verbs from adjectives or verbs

note --- notify class --- classify pure --- purify
terror --- terrify clear --- clarify specific --- specify


B. Noun suffixes

-ance/ence: used to make nouns from verbs or adjectives

annoy --- annoyance assist --- assistance obedient --- obedience
refer --- reference prefer --- preference tolerant --- tolerance

-dom: used to make abstract nouns from adjectives or nouns

bore --- boredom king --- kingdom martyr --- martyrdom
star --- stardom wise --- wisdom free --- freedom

-er/-ee: person who does something (-er) or person who receives something (-ee)

employ --- employer / employee send --- sender
address --- addresser / addressee *lie --- liar (exception)


-er/-or: things or people who do a particular job, professions

work --- worker inspect --- inspector act --- actor
play --- player garden --- gardener project --- projector

-hood: used for abstract nouns, especially family terms

child --- childhood mother --- motherhood brother --- brotherhood
adult --- adulthood neighbour --- neighbourhood

-ian: people who do a particular job, professions

music --- musician politics --- politician electricity --- electrician

-ist: used for people who play musical instruments

violin --- violinist piano --- pianist cello --- cellist
-ist/-ism: used for peoples politics, beliefs and ideologies

anarchy --- anarchist physics --- physicist comunist / comunism
terror --- terrorist Marx --- Marxism socialist / socialism

-ity: used to make nouns from adjectives

flexible --- flexibility hostil --- hostility anonym --- anonymity
absurd --- absurdity real --- reality generous --- generosity
curious --- curiousity pure --- purity productive --- productivity


-ment: used to make nouns from verbs

enjoy --- enjoyment replace --- replacement argue --- argument
invest --- investment retire --- retirement achieve --- achievement
agree --- agreement excite --- excitement pay --- payment

-ness: used to make abstract nouns from adjectives

good --- goodness happy --- happiness careful --- carefulness
weak --- weakness bitter --- bitterness tender --- tenderness
ugly ugliness sad --- sadness

-ship: used for abstract nouns, especially status

friend --- friendship author --- authorship member --- membership
partner --- partnership fellow --- fellowship relation --- relationship

-th: used to make abstract nouns from adjectives

long --- length strong --- strength wide --- width
deep --- depth broad --- breadth warm --- warmth


-(t)ion: used to make nouns from verbs

admit --- admission combine --- combination act --- action
collect --- collection imagine --- imagination reduce --- reduction
alter --- alteration produce --- production complicate --- complication


-y: used to make nouns from verbs or from adjectives

injure --- injury perjure --- perjury royal --- royalty
honest --- honesty fluent --- fluency beautiful --- beauty




C. Adjective suffixes


-able/-ible: with verbs, it means can be done

drink --- drinkable wash --- washable read --- readable
count --- countable eat --- edible recognize --- recognizable

-al: used to make adjectives from nouns or verbs

practice --- practical option --- optional magic --- magical
sphere --- spherical arrive --- arrival refuse --- refusal
-ful: it makes adjectives from nouns or verbs and means a great quantity of

help --- helpful use --- useful cheer --- cheerful
hope --- hopeful care --- careful wonder --- wonderful

-ish: used to make adjectives from nouns and means with the quality of

red --- reddish green --- greenish child --- childish

-ive: used to make adjectives from verbs

pass --- passive destruct --- destructive attract --- attractive
act --- active produce --- productive progress --- progressive

-less: used to make adjectives from nouns or verbs and means without

hope --- hopeless use --- useless harm --- harmless
help --- helpless care --- careless cloud --- cloudless

-ous: used to make adjectives from nouns

danger --- dangerous fury --- furious

-y: used to make adjectives from nouns

luck --- lucky trick --- tricky



D. Irregular forms


live --- life die --- death succeed --- success
see --- sight hot --- heat young --- youth
fly --- flight true --- truth angry --- anger



WORD FORMATION II


1.- Expressions of size: adjectives & nouns

broad ------ breadth deep ------ depth high ------ height
long -------- length wide ------ width

2.- Adjectives & adverbs (normally formed by the addition of ly )

slow ------ slowly happy ------ happily rude ------ rudely
pure ------ purely strong ------ strongly angry ------ angrily
hard ------ hard fast ------ fast

3.- Adjectives ending in -y , adverbs in -ily , and nouns in -ness

happy ------ happily ------ happiness ordinary ---- ordinarily ---- ordinariness
pretty ------ prettily ------ prettiness fussy ------ fussily ----- fussiness (inquieto)
lazy ------ lazily -------- laziness naughty ----- naughtily ---- naughtiness (malo)

4.- Adjectives in -ful , adverbs in -ly , and nouns in -ness

careful --- carefully --- carefulness cheerful --- cheerfully --- cheerfulness
helpful --- helpfully --- helpfulness dreadful --- dreadfully --- dreadfulness (temor)

5.- Verbs with adjectives -ive , adverbs in -ively , and nouns in -ion

attend -------- attentive -------- attentively ---------- attention
attract ------- attractive -------- attractively --------- attraction
destroy ------ destructive ------- destructively ------- destruction
permit ------- permissive -------- permissively -------- permission
persuade ------ persuassive ------ persuassively ------- persuassion
progress ------ progressive ------ progressively -------- progression

6.- Adjectives in -ible/-able , nouns in -ibility/ability

accessible ------- accessibility able -------------- ability
credible -------- credibility capable ------------- capability
impossible ------- impossibility adaptable ----------- adaptability
sensible ---------- sensibility durable ------------ durability
responsible ------- responsibility respectable ---------- respectability

7.- Verbs in -fy , nouns in -ation

clarify ------ clarification classify ------ classification
falsify ------ falsification notify -------- notification
satisfy ------ satisfaction specify ------- specification



8.- Verbs in -ate , nouns in -ation

agitate ------ agitation alternate ------ alternation
animate ------ animation duplicate ------- duplication
elaborate ---- elaboration estimate ------- estimation
moderate ---- moderation separate ------ separation

9.- Verbs in -ise , nouns in -isation

authorise ------- authorisation colonise ------ colonisation
generalise ------ generalisation legalise ------- legalisation
modernise ------- modernisation organise ------ organisation

10.- Adjectives with adverbs in -ly and nouns in -ty

beautiful ----- beautifully ------ beauty rare ------- rarely ------- rarity
pure --------- purely ---------- purity real -------- really ------ reality


11.- Verbs forming nouns in -ance/ence

assist ---------- assistance adhere -------- adherence
deliver --------- deliverance depend ------- dependence
perform -------- performance refer --------- reference
resist ------------ resistance persist ------- persistence
disappear ------- disappearance prefer -------- preference

12.- Verbs forming nouns in -ment

agree ------ agreement argue ------- argument enjoy ------- enjoyment
pay ----------- payment resent ------ resentment treat ------- treatment
retire ------ retirement achieve ------ achievement replace ----- replacement

13.- Nouns forming adjectives in -al

practice ------- practical comedy ----- comical formality ------- formal
option ---------- optional magic ------ magical sphere --------- spherical

14.- Verbs in -mit , nouns in -ission

emit -------- emission permit -------- permission submit --------- submission
omit -------- omission remit -------- remission transmit -------- transmission

15.- Nouns associated with people or their qualities end in -hood , -ship, -ism

boyhood authorship hypnotism
childhood fellowship optimism
neighbourhood friendship realism
EXERCISES

1.- Use the suffixes -er/-or/-ee/-ist to give the names of the following:

a. A person who plays jazz on the piano = a jazz pianist
b. The thing that wipes rain off your car windscreen=
c. Person who plays classical violin=
d. Person who takes professional photographs=
e. Person who acts in amateur theatre=
f. Person to whom a cheque is paid=
g. Machine for washing dishes=
h. Person who donates their kidneys upon their death=
i. Person to whom a letter is addressed=


2.- Rewrite each sentence by changing the underlined words

a. Most of his crimes can be forgiven
Most of his crimes can be
b. The Club refuses to admit anyone not wearing a tie
The Club refuses
c. Her only fault is that she is lazy
Her only fault is her
d. This firm has produced a lot in recent years
This firm has been very
e. I found the book very easy and pleasant to read
I found the book very


3.- Write the abstract nouns of the following adjectives

affectionate > amused > attentive >
original > graceful > excited >
hopeful > equal > happy >
popular > kind > stupid >
resentful > wise > secure >


4.- Complete the following table

abstract noun adjective verb adverb

contentment contented to content contentedly
argument
emptiness
intensity
satisfaction
sentiment
strength


5. Write the opposite of these words using a correct prefix


___ happy ____ patient ____ polite ___ legal
___ correct ____ regular ____ visible ___ possible
___ legible ____ friendly ____ employed ___ like
___ pack ____ lock ____ agree ___ honest



6. Replace the underlined words by others with the same meaning


a. He doesnt have a job, does he? No, he is
b. Its against the law, isnt it? Yes, it is
c. He took off his clothes! Yes, he
d. This handwriting is impossible to read Yes, it is
e. She can never wait for five minutes, can she? No, she is so
f. The BBC tries to avoid pronouncing foreign words incorrectly
g. Hes in favour of the American approach
h. Most people say they work too hard but are paid too little
i. He dated his cheque with a date that was later than the real date
j. Shes still on good terms with the man who used to be her husband
k. He made so many mistakes in the letter that he had to write it again



7. Write down the name of the person who does these things


act employ football farm
murder phychology translate economics
direct dance manage sing



8. Complete the table


verb noun adjective noun

educate stupid
improve dark
govern weak
hesitate similar
arrange punctual
elect popular


9. Complete the verbs in these sentences




10. Combine the suffixes on the right with the verbs or adjectives on the left and
then complete the text






11. Write down an adjective formed from these nouns or verbs








12. Fill the gaps with suitable adjectives from exercise 11






13. ZERO AFFIXATION
Rewrite these sentences using the underlined nouns as verbs



14. Now rewrite these sentences using the underlined verbs as nouns