WhatareWordFormations?

Therearemanywordbeginnings(prefixes)andwordendings(suffixes)thatcanbeaddedtoawordtochangeits
meaningoritswordclass.Themostcommononesareshownhere,followedbyexamplesonhowtheyareusedinthe
processofwordformation.MorecanbefoundintheLongmanDictionaryofContemporaryEnglish.

VerbFormation:Theendingsizeandify canbeaddedtonounsandadjectivestoformverbs
American +ize=Americanize
Legal +ize=legalize
Modern +ize=modernize

Theywanttomakethefactorymoremodern.
Theywanttomodernizethefactory.
Beauty +ify=beautify
Liquid +ify=liquidify
Pure +ify=purify

Thesetabletsmakethewaterpure.Theypurifythewater.

AdverbFormation:Theendinglycanbeaddedtomostadjectivestoformadverbs
Easy +ly=easily TheEnglishtestwaseasy.Heeasilyfinishedthetest.
Stupid +ly=stupidly Hisbehaviourwasstupid.Hebehavedstupidly

NounFormation:Theendingser,ment,andation canbeaddedtomanyverbstoformnouns
Drive +er=driver
Fasten +er=faster
Open +er=opener

Johndrivesabus.
Heisabusdriver.
Amaze +ment =amazement
Develop+ment=development
Retire +ment=retirement

Childrendevelopveryquickly.
Theirdevelopmentisveryquick.
Admire+ation =admiration
Organize+ation=organization
Examine+ation=examination

Thedoctorexaminedme.
Thedoctorgavemeanexamination.
Theendingsity/tyandnesscanbeaddedtomanyadjectivestoformnouns
Cruel +ty=cruelty
Stupid +ity=stupidity
Dontbesocruel.Ihatecruelty
Dark +ness =darkness
Happy +ness=happiness
Itwasverydark.Thedarknessmadeithardtosee.

AdjectiveFormation:Theendingsy,ic,ical,ful, andless canbeaddedtomanynounstoformadjectives

Theendingablecanbeaddedtomanyverbstoformadjectives
Dirt +y=dirty
Smell +y=smelly
Thatwasanawfulsmell.
Itwasverysmelly.
Atom +ic =atomic
Poetry +ic=poetic
Thatwasabookofpoetry.
Itwasapoeticbook.
Pain+ful=painful
Hope+ful=hopeful
Hisbrokenlegcausedpain.
Itwasverypainful.
Wash +able=washable
Love +able=lovable
Youcanwashthiscoat.
Itswashable
Pain +less =painless
Care +less=careless
Theoperationdidntcausepain.
Itwaspainless.

Opposites:Prefixescanbeaddedtothefrontofmanywordstoproduceanoppositemeaning
NOTE:Somewordsproduceddonothaveexactoppositewords,buthavesimilarmeanings.
un+happy=unhappy
un+fortunate=unfortunate
un+lock=unlock
Imnotveryhappy.
InfactImveryunhappy.
in +efficient= inefficient
im +possible= impossible
il +literate= illiterate
Itsjustnotpossibletodothat,its
impossible.
de+centralize=decentralize
de+ascend= descend
de+inflate= deflate
Instead of inflating the tire, he
deflatedit.
dis +agree= disagree
dis +approve= disapprove
dis +honest= dishonest
Idontagreewitheverythingyou
said.Idisagreewiththelastpart.

non +sense= nonsense

non +payment= nonpayment
non +resident= nonresident

Thethingsyousayarenotmakinganysense
Whatyouaresayingisnonsense.

ThishandoutwascompiledbyVincentChung,ELSstudentstaff(April2009)
Source:LongmanDictionaryofContemporaryEnglish(2003.).LongmanPearsonEducation

WordFormation