WordFormation

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

VerbFormation:Theendingsizeandify canbeaddedtonounsandadjectivestoformverbs
American +ize=Americanize Beauty +ify=beautify
Legal +ize=legalize Liquid +ify=liquidify
Modern +ize=modernize Pure +ify=purify

Theywanttomakethefactorymoremodern. Thesetabletsmakethewaterpure.Theypurifythewater.
Theywanttomodernizethefactory.

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

NounFormation:Theendingser,ment,andation canbeaddedtomanyverbstoformnouns
Drive +er=driver Amaze +ment =amazement Admire+ation =admiration
Fasten +er=faster Develop+ment=development Organize+ation=organization
Open +er=opener Retire +ment=retirement Examine+ation=examination

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

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

Opposites:Prefixescanbeaddedtothefrontofmanywordstoproduceanoppositemeaning
NOTE:Somewordsproduceddonothaveexactoppositewords,buthavesimilarmeanings.
un+happy=unhappy in +efficient= inefficient de+centralize=decentralize
un+fortunate=unfortunate im +possible= impossible de+ascend= descend
un+lock=unlock il +literate= illiterate de+inflate= deflate
Imnotveryhappy. Itsjustnotpossibletodothat,its Instead of inflating the tire, he
InfactImveryunhappy. impossible. deflatedit.
dis +agree= disagree non +sense= nonsense
dis +approve= disapprove non +payment= nonpayment
dis +honest= dishonest non +resident= nonresident
Idontagreewitheverythingyou
said.Idisagreewiththelastpart. Thethingsyousayarenotmakinganysense
Whatyouaresayingisnonsense.
ThishandoutwascompiledbyVincentChung,ELSstudentstaff(April2009)
Source:LongmanDictionaryofContemporaryEnglish(2003.).LongmanPearsonEducation