Common suffixes
-able, -ible
1) added to verbs to form adjectives that mean able to receive the action of the stated verb:
washable
repairable
recyclable
visible
2) a quality
fashionable, changeable
Note some spelling changes:
y ->i + -able
to rely – reliable
-(i)al
accident – accidental
form – formal
centre – central
dictator – dictatorial
office- official
part- partial
commerce – commercial,
finance – financial
-(c,t)ial
benefit – beneficial
-ant/-ent
added to verbs to make adjectives with the meaning performing or causing the stated action:
to observe – observant
to differ – different
-ary/-ory
added to nouns and verbs
to obligate – obligatory
diet – dietary
-ate
! pronounced as [ət]
having the stated quality to a high degree (full of)
moderate
adequate
passionate
-ed
added to verbs and nouns in the meaning having the characteristics of (similar to Participle 2)
to educate – educated
beard – bearded
-en
material
gold – golden
-ern
parts of the world
northern, southern, western, eastern
-ful
having the stated quality to a high degree (full of), or causing it
successful
-ic
historic
enthusiastic
economic
classic
-ical
economical
classical
-ing
added to verbs (similar to Participle 1)
to interest – interesting
to bore – boring
-ish
1) a quality (+ like smb)
childish
womanish
2) to some degree; fairly:
greenish
-ive (-ative, -itive, -tive)
added to verbs to form adjectives meaning showing the ability to perform the activity represented by the verb:
passive
transitive
attractive
Note some spelling changes:
To describe – descriptive
-less
Added to nouns to form adjectives meaning “without (the thing mentioned)”
hair – hairless
help – helpless
cure – cureless
count – countless
-ly (not just adverbs!)
1) a quality
lovely
friendly
lively
sickly (‘often ill’/’not looking healthy and strong’, https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/)
2) frequency
day – daily
week – weekly
-ous
a quality or a condition:
fame – famous
danger – dangerous
Note some spelling changes:
glory – glorious
victory – victorious
ambition – ambitious
–y
having the stated quality to a high degree (full of)
water – watery
dirt – dirty
often about weather conditions:
rain – rainy
Note some spelling changes:
sun – sunny
fog – foggy
hunger – hungry
Note:
Suffixes added to nouns: -able, -al, -ary/-ory, -ate, -ed, -en, -ern, -ful, -ic, -ical, -ish, -less, -ly, -ous, -y.
Suffixes added to verbs: -able/-ible, -ant/-ent, -ary/-ory (+to nouns), -ed (+to nouns), -ing, -ive (-ative, -itive, -tive)
Suffixes of nationality
-an/ian
Canada – Canadian
-ese
China – Chinese
Japan – Japanese
-ish
Sweden – Swedish
-i
Iraq – Iraqi
Pakistan – Pakistani
Non-standard nationality words
France – French
Greece – Greek
the Netherlands – Dutch
Switzerland – Swiss
Less common suffixes
-esque
in the style of
statuesque
picturesque
-free
not containing the thing mentioned/ without
alcohol-free
sugar-free
-like
similar to; typical of
childlike
starlike
-proof
resistant to, not damaged by a particular thing
waterproof
childproof
fireproof
-worthy
deserving or suitable for the thing mentioned
trustworthy
newsworthy
praise-worthy
scorn-worthy
worship-worth
Exercises
1. Make adjectives
a) from the following nouns (-able, -al, -ary/-ory, -ate, -ed, -en, -ern, -ful, -ic, -ical, -ish, -ly, -ous, -y)
Colour, humour, sun, addition, mountain, end, meaning, fool, poison, cloud, comfort, help, day, wood, truth, snow, nature, pain, risk, power, talent, south, wonder, tact, fun, heart, mood, fashion, care, hope, frost, shame, doubt, stripe, music, speed, adventure, athlete, grace, coward, psychology, lone, ambition, artist, globe, charm
+ master, beast, superstition, disease, monster.
b) from the following verbs (-able/-ible, -ant/-ent, -ary/-ory, -ed, -ing, -ive (-ative, -itive, -tive))
To convert, to construct, to depend, to accept, to expect, to act, to imagine, to excite, to observe, to appreciate, to create, to insist, to produce, to desire, to avail, to believe, to enjoy, to adore, to compete
+ to defy
c) with suffixes -able/-ible
E.g. drink – drinkable: drinkable water
To translate, to move, to break, to recognize, to read.
c) with suffix -less
shame, self, thought, help, harm, pain, hope, care, doubt, heart.
2. Make adjectives from the following nouns and verbs (miscellaneous)
To deny, diet, second, to hurry, cheer, detail, disaster, use, snow, tradition.
2. Make nationality adjectives
India, Poland, Russia, Vietnam, Georgia, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Pakistan, Israel, Scotland, Brazil, the USA, Ireland, Spain, Argentina, Australia
Non-standard nationalities
France, Greece, the Netherlands
Additional*
- A translatable text, movable/moveable property/furniture, breakable material, a recognizable face/voice/song
- Colourful/colourless (US: colorful/colorless), humorous, sunny, additional, mountainous, endless, meaningful/meaningless, foolish, poisonous, cloudy, comfortable, helpful/helpless, beastly, daily, wooden, truthful, snowy, natural, painful, risky, powerful, superstitious, talented, diseased, southern, wonderful, tactful/tactless, funny, hearty* /heartless, moody, fashionable, careful/careless, hopeful/hopeless, frosty, shameful/shameless, doubtful/doubtless, striped, musical, speedy, global, masterful**, advernturous, athletic, graceful/gracious, cowardly, psycological, lonely, ambitious
- convertible, constructive, dependent/dependable, acceptable, expectant/expectable, active, imaginative/imaginary, exciting observable/observant, appreciable, creative, insistent, productive, desirable, available, believable, defiant, enjoyable, adorable
- deniable, dietary, secondary, hurried, cheery/cheerful/cheerless, detailed, disastrous, useful, snowy
- Indian, Polish, Russian, Vietnamese, Georgian, Norwegian, Swedish, Portuguese, Pakistani, Israeli, Scottish, Brazilian, American, Irish, Spanish, Argentinian, Australian; French, Greek
*hearty – enthusiastic, energetic, and often loudly expressed (laughter, welcome)
**masterful
- able to control people or situations in a way that shows confidence as a leader
- showing great skill or understanding (a masterful performance)
Homework
1. Make adjectives
a) from the following nouns (-able, –(i)al, -ant/-ent, -ed, -en, -ful, -ic, -ical, -ish, -ly, -ous, -y)
storm, person, noise, doubt, tradition, convenience, magic, brilliance, comfort, power, friend, love, knowledge, marvel, shadow, fright, office, sport, commerce, glory, centre, economy.
b) from the following verbs (-able/-ible, -ant/-ent, -ed, -ing, -ive (-ative, -itive, -tive), -ous)
to differ, to educate, to excite, to conserve, to invent, to compete, to amaze, to express, to agree, to please.
2. Make adjectives (from both nouns and verbs).
Mystery, to vary, mystery, adventure, science, limit, to count, to advise, wind, wonder, beauty, mountain, to dispute, digit, environment, to populate, nature.
3. Make nouns with -less and translate them.
Meaning, flaw, defense, speech, limit, end, use, colour.