Suffixes in Verbs: Definition and Examples

Suffixes in Verbs

The root word is the element that carries the main component of meaning in a word and provides the basis from which a new word is derived by adding affixes.

In other words, the root is the form of a word after all affixes are removed

Suffixes are words that are added at the end of root words to derive a new word.

1. The suffixes “s”, “es” are used to derive plural forms:

Example:

Picture – Pictures

Book – Books

Table – Tables

2. The suffix “ed” changes a word from present tense to past tense, and the suffix “ing” generally converts a word into the present continuous tense.

Example:

Talk – Talked

Swim – Swimming

3. Suffixes “ate”, “en”, “ify”, “ize” usually mean ‘to become’.

Example:

Complex – Complicate

Tight – Tighten

Straight – Straighten

Beauty – Beautify

Strategy – Strategize

4. Suffixes like “acy” “ly”, “ance”, “ity”, “ty”, “tion” generally mean the quality or

Example:

Honest- Honesty

Act- Activity

Dominate – Dominance

Active  – Activity

5. The suffix “logy” means the study of or in the field of:

Example:

Biology

Ornithology

Ecology

Let’s Once Again Review the Definition of Suffixes.

Suffixes are words that are added at the end to the root word to form a new word,

Unlike prefixes, suffixes change the meaning of the word. Different suffixes may be required depending on whether it is a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb. For example,  by adding the suffix

– ‘er’ to the verb ‘read’ it can become the noun ‘reader’.

The verb read can also be turned into the adjective ‘readable’ by adding the suffix- ‘able’.

READ

READER (Suffix ‘er’)

READABLE     (Suffix ‘able’)

When a suffix is added, it does not make the word opposite or negative as a prefix does. Suffix changes the class of the root word like a verb is changed into an adjective by adding a suffix.

Now let’s check whether the meaning of a word alters after adding a suffix.

a. The Suffix -ness

The nurse was kind. (Adjective)

The nurse showed great kindness. (Noun)

b. The suffix -ness

If she is careless, her work will be full of

mistakes. (Adjective)

Carelessness in her work means it will be full

of mistakes. (Noun)

c. The suffix ship

Jane was a good friend of Michael.

Jane had a strong friendship with Michael.

d. The suffix ship

Peter has a work partner in class.

Peter has a working partnership with another person in the class.

With the above examples, it is clear that the meaning of words does not change by adding suffixes.

Many suffixes -er when added to any word will denote the action or work done by the person.

Example – Publisher, teacher, etc.

Suffix ‘er’ is also added adjectives or adverbs to help compare two things.

Example-

Fast becomes faster, late becomes later, etc.

If the suffix is added, the spelling of the base word can change.

For example, the base words that end with y or e – happy becomes happier, costly becomes costlier. With the suffix ‘er’, manage becomes manager, make becomes making with the suffix ‘ing’.

Following is a list of suffixes, their meaning and examples