BGC SenegalEnhance your vocabulary and knowledge of English by focusing on suffixes! A suffix is a letter or group of letters placed at the end of a word to alter or add to its meaning. By familiarizing yourself with the most common suffixes, you can easily enhance your language ability in academic or professional settings. Start with the suffix “-ful,” which means full of or characterized by. For example, feel + -ful = peaceful. Then move onto “-less,” which means without. For example, care + -less = careless. Discover the power of “”-ment. “”For example, employ + -ment = employment. Practice combining these suffixes with root words to enrich your English language skills! Improve Your Vocabulary With Suffixes
One of the most effective ways to enhance and expand your English vocabulary is by learning and understanding suffixes. Suffixes are the tiny word parts that are added at the end of a base word to change its meaning or function. By studying and recognizing common suffixes, you can easily decipher the meaning of new words and increase your overall language proficiency.
Let’s explore some of the most commonly used suffixes and how they can help you improve your vocabulary:
1. -able/-ible: These suffixes are added to verbs to form adjectives meaning “capable of” or “able to be.” For example, “sociable” means able to communicate easily with others. By mastering this suffix, you can create and understand words such as “flexible,” “reversible,” or “adorable.”
2. -er/-or: When added to a verb, these suffixes create nouns that refer to a person or thing performing a particular action. For instance, “teacher” refers to someone who teaches, and ”actor” refers to someone who acts. By knowing this suffix, you can form words like “baker,” “driver,” or “gardener.”
3. -ment: This suffix is added to some verbs, effectively transforming them into nouns. It denotes the result or product of an action. For example, “judgment” refers to the result of making a decision, and “movement” refers to the act or process of changing position. By understanding this suffix, you can comprehend words like “development,” “enjoyment,” or “achievement.”
4. -tion: When added to a verb, this suffix converts it into a noun denoting an action or a state. For instance, “celebration” refers to the act of celebrating, and “information” refers to the knowledge obtained from someone or something. By familiarizing yourself with this suffix, you can easily grasp words like “correction,” “invitation,” or “resolution.”
5. -less: By adding this suffix to a noun or adjective, you can form an adjective meaning “without” or “lacking.” For example, “careless” means lacking care or attention, and “fearless” means without fear. With this suffix, you can expand your vocabulary with words like “hopeless,” “endless,” or “limitless.”
6. -ly: Adding this suffix to an adjective forms an adverb describing how something is done or the manner in which it occurs. For instance, “quickly” means in a quick manner, and “happily” means in a happy way. By grasping this suffix, you can easily understand words such as “slowly,” “completely,” or ”generously.”
By studying and practicing the use of these and other commonly used suffixes, you will strengthen your vocabulary and develop a deeper understanding of English. Remember to pay attention to context and usage when encountering new words, as suffixes may change the overall meaning. So, immerse yourself in reading, writing, and listening activities that incorporate these suffixes to enrich your language skills and become a more confident English speaker!
With a better understanding of suffixes and the incredible power it offers in giving you more options for expressing yourself, now is the perfect time to invest some of your free time in enhancing your vocabulary. Good luck!