BGC Senegal

Do you find yourself relying on the same set of words to express yourself? Boost your writing and conversation skills by mastering English suffixes. With knowledge and practice of common suffixes, you can greatly enhance your English vocabulary and unleash powerful messages more precisely.

Start by combining root words and suffixes. A basic example of this is the suffix, -ly. Add this to the word “quick” and you instantly have “quickly.” This suffix changes an adjective to an adverb. Now try it for yourself! Try combining “happy” and -ness to make “happiness.”

Here is a brief list of common suffixes and their functions. Remember, with each suffix comes a slightly different meaning to the word.

-ful: changes a root word into a quality, such as “beautiful”
-ous: changes a root word into an adjective of quality, such as “ambitious”
-ment: changes a root word into a noun, such as “development”
-ly: changes an adjective to an adverb, such as “quickly”
-tion: changes a verb to a noun, such as “elimination”

Now that you’ve become familiar with common suffixes, it’s time to practice. Take a moment to think of an interesting root word and Learning how to use suffixes can be a great way to improve your vocabulary. Suffixes are the endings of words that can alter a word’s meaning, or even create a completely new word. By understanding how to add suffixes to words, you can learn how to express yourself more clearly and accurately.

To begin improving your vocabulary with suffixes, start by familiarizing yourself with the different types of suffixes. Some of the most common suffixes include: -er, -ed, -ing, -able, -ful, -ness, -ist, -ment, -ly, -ism, -tion, and -ity. Generally speaking, suffixes indicate a change in tense, purpose, or capability.

Next, practice identifying and using suffixes in a variety of contexts. Look for different words with the same base word, but a different suffix. For example, the base word “teach” can have the suffix “er” added to it to become “teacher”, or “ed” added to it to become “taught.” Knowing that different suffixes convey different meanings can help you to more accurately express yourself.

Knowledge of suffixes can also help you to understand new and unfamiliar words too. For example, if you didn’t know the word “responsible”, you might be able to accurately identify its meaning by analyzing the suffix “-able”. This suffix typically means that something is capable of being done, so “responsible” would then mean something like “able or capable of responding.”

Finally, make a note of any new words you learn. Keep track of which base word the new word is derived from, and what suffix was added. After a while, you’ll develop a better understanding of how to create new words using suffixes.

By taking the time to learn about suffixes, you’ll not only improve your vocabulary, but also have a better understanding of how words are formed and used in different contexts. Once you understand the power of suffixes and how they can help you to express yourself more clearly, you’ll find yourself using them more and more in your everyday conversations.

By exploring the depths of suffixes, you can conquer a vital element of building a powerful vocabulary. Unlock new worlds of communication to thrive in personal and professional relationships. Mastering suffixes can expand your repertoire and provide a valuable gateway to understanding and expressing ideas in more precise, richer language.