Forming nouns with suffixes

Forming nouns with suffixes
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EngelsMiddelbare schoolhavo, vwoLeerjaar 4

This lesson contains 28 slides, with interactive quizzes and text slides.

time-iconLesson duration is: 40 min

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Forming nouns with suffixes

Slide 1 - Slide

Lesson goals
You know how to use suffixes to create nouns from verbs, adjectives and adverbs. 

Slide 2 - Slide

verbs + suffix: -ion / -sion/ -tion
-ion / -sion / -tion

Function: Forms nouns from verbs, indicating an action, process, or result.

Examples:

Action (from "act"): The process of doing something.
Decision (from "decide"): The act of deciding.
Creation (from "create"): The process or result of creating.
Invasion (from "invade"): The act of invading.

Note: -ion often follows verbs ending in -t or -s; -tion and -sion are variants based on how the verb ends.

Slide 3 - Slide

verbs + suffix: -ment
-ment

Function: Forms nouns that refer to the action or result of a verb, or the state resulting from an action.
Examples:

Enjoyment (from "enjoy"): The state of enjoying something.
Achievement (from "achieve"): The result of achieving something.
Commitment (from "commit"): The state or action of committing.
Punishment (from "punish"): The act or result of punishing.

Slide 4 - Slide

verbs + suffix: -or / -er
-or / -er

Function: Forms nouns from verbs, indicating a person or thing that performs an action.

Examples:
Actor (from "act"): A person who acts.
Instructor (from "instruct"): A person who instructs.
Worker (from "work"): A person who works.
Driver (from "drive"): A person who drives.

Note: -or and -er are similar, but -or is often used for Latin-based words, while -er is more common for Germanic-origin words.

Slide 5 - Slide

adjectives / verbs + suffix: -ence / -ance
-ence / -ance

Function: Forms abstract nouns that often describe a state, quality, or condition. These nouns often come from adjectives or verbs.

Examples:

Existence (from "exist"): The state of existing.
Persistence (from "persist"): The quality of being persistent.
Attendance (from "attend"): The act of attending or being present.
Resistance (from "resist"): The act of resisting.

Note: Whether -ence or -ance is used often depends on the root word, and it can be tricky to predict which suffix will be applied.

Slide 6 - Slide

adjectives / verbs + suffix: -th
-th

Function: Forms abstract nouns, often from adjectives or verbs, indicating a state or quality.

Examples:
Strength (from "strong"): The quality of being strong.
Depth (from "deep"): The state or measurement of being deep.
Width (from "wide"): The state or measurement of being wide.
Growth (from "grow"): The process of growing.

Note: This is an older suffix that is less productive in modern English, often replaced by -ness in newer words.

Slide 7 - Slide

adjectives + suffix: -ness
 -ness

Function: Forms nouns from adjectives, indicating a state, quality, or condition. It’s one of the most common suffixes to create abstract nouns.

Examples:
Happiness (from "happy"): The state of being happy.
Sadness (from "sad"): The quality or state of being sad.
Darkness (from "dark"): The condition of being dark.
Weakness (from "weak"): The quality of being weak.

Note: -ness is versatile and widely used for forming nouns from a broad range of adjectives.

Slide 8 - Slide

adjectives + suffix: -ity
-ity

Function: Forms abstract nouns from adjectives, indicating a state, quality, or condition.

Examples:
Electricity (from "electric"): The state or property of being electric.
Curiosity (from "curious"): The quality of being curious.
Creativity (from "creative"): The ability to create.

Slide 9 - Slide

adjectives + suffix: -y
-y

Function: Forms abstract nouns, often from adjectives, indicating a state or condition. It can also be used to form diminutives.

Examples:
Jealousy (from "jealous"): The state of being jealous.
Difficulty (from "difficult"): The state of being difficult.
Discovery (from "discover"): The act of discovering.
Victory (from "victor"): The act or state of winning.

Note: This suffix often refers to the condition or result of something, and sometimes adds a diminutive or informal tone when applied to nouns (e.g., puppy).

Slide 10 - Slide

nouns + suffix: -ship
-ship

Function: Forms abstract nouns that denote a state, condition, skill, or relationship.

Examples:
Friendship (from "friend"): The state of being friends.
Leadership (from "leader"): The position or skill of leading.
Citizenship (from "citizen"): The status of being a citizen.
Scholarship (from "scholar"): The state or condition of being a scholar.

Note: -ship often implies a sense of status, skill, or relationship between people.

Slide 11 - Slide

Over to you

Slide 12 - Slide

These puppies grow* very fast. Their ___
is amazing.

Slide 13 - Open question

When you agree* with each other, you can say you’re in ______

Slide 14 - Open question

Someone who acts* for a living is called an ______

Slide 15 - Open question

They have emptied* their old house of all their belongings, which left a huge sense of _____
behind.

Slide 16 - Open question

Tom isn’t usually very patient*. So, his _______
today surprised me.

Slide 17 - Open question

They realised* that it wasn’t their fault. That _____
made them feel much better.

Slide 18 - Open question

You’re fortunate that you are creative*. This job will require _____

Slide 19 - Open question

Some people claim that dinosaurs never existed*. They deny their _____

Slide 20 - Open question

It’s pretty easy to relate* to each other if you have something in common. That will make it easier to form a(n) _____

Slide 21 - Open question

It is warm* in here. You can feel the _____
of the oven.

Slide 22 - Open question

Some people claim that aliens are real*. They say that these creatures are a(n) _____

Slide 23 - Open question

A person who creates* something, is called a(n) _____

Slide 24 - Open question

When you correspond* with someone, the letters that you send are called _____

Slide 25 - Open question

Some people get confused* easily. They tend to suffer from _____

Slide 26 - Open question

Layla tends to resent* people who have wronged her at some point. She has a lot of _____
towards others.

Slide 27 - Open question

Summary

Slide 28 - Slide