Word Formation

1.

2. As you could see, you can form new words with different meanings by adding a prefix or a sufix.

Prefixes don’t change
the word class!
unfair;
uncommon;
untrue...
illegal;
illegitimate;
illogical...
incorrect;
informal;
inconvenient...
irrational;
irrelevant;
irresponsible...
impossible;
immature;
imperfect...
disadvantage;
dislike;
dishonest...
misunderstanding;
mistrust;
misbehave...
non-smoker;
non-violent;
non-profit...

3. To memorize! RULES

When you want to change a word that starts with P or M, you add the prefix “im”:
improper; immodest; impartial; impersonal; impolite; impractical, immigrant…
Adjectives starting with L, you add the prefix “il”:
illiterate; illegible; illicit; illegality; illegal; illogical…
Adjectives beginning with R , you add the prefix “ir”:
irrational; irresistible; irregular; irreverent; irresponsible…
If you have any doubts, go to the dictionary!
He’s your friend!

4.

Suffixes usually change
the word class of the base word!
Noun formation
-ation
-al
survive - survival;
arrive - arrival;
try - trial...
combine - combination;
accuse - accusation;
image - imagination...
-ance/
-ence
-er
work - worker;
sing - singer;
win - winner...
perform - performance;
insure - insurance;
entry – entrance;
differ – difference;
prefer - preference...
-ment
employ - employment;
move - movement;
arrange – arrangement...
-age
carry - carriage;
use - usage;
pack - package...

5.

Noun formation
-ity
national - nationality;
feminine - femininity;
curious - curiosity...
-ness
dark - darkness;
fit - fitness;
weak - weakness...
-ant/ ent
study - student;
serve - servant;
assist - assistant...
-dom
king - kingdom;
free - freedom;
wise - wisdom...
-ship
relation - relationship;
friend - friendship;
champion - championship...
-ist
novel – novelist;
art - artist;
piano - pianist...
-hood
neighbour - neighbourhood;
man - manhood;
parent - parenthood...
- ess
actor – actress;
prince - princess;
waiter - waitress...
-th/ -t
true - truth;
grow- growth;
weigh – weight...

6.

Adjective formation
-ful
-ish
tall - tallish;
dark - darkish;
green - greenish...
care - careful;
beauty - beautiful;
delight - delightful...
-less
-able/ ible
accept - acceptable;
agree - agreeable;
access - accessible...
use - useless;
shame - shameless;
hair - hairless...
-al
electric – electrical;
nation - national;
emotion - emotional...
-y
sleep - sleepy;
rain - rainy;
fun - funny...
-ous
fame – famous;
fury - furious;
poison - poisonous...
-ive
create – creative;
attract - attractive;
act - active...

7.

Verb formation
-en
deep - deepen;
wide - widen;
short - shorten...
-ise/ -ize
apology - apologise;
tranquil - tranquilise;
sympathy - sympathise...
-ify
identity - identify;
solid - solidify;
example - exemplify...
-ate
regular - regulate;
circular - circulate;
domestic - domesticate...

8.

9.

Form nouns from the verbs:
to arrive to govern to arm to agree to recover to inform to proposeto pay –
arrival
government
army
agreement
recovery
information
proposal
payment

10.

Form nouns from the adjectives:
kind quiet happy active stupid human -
kindness
quietness
happiness
activity
stupidity
humanism

11.

Form adjectives from the nouns:
the fool the child the fun the friend the month the dangerthe fame -
foolish
childish
funny
friendly
monthly
dangerous
famous