word formation - vfu · pdf filenoun suffixes (2) •-ship = state or condition...

WORD FORMATION

Mgr. Kateřina Podveská

Vocabulary building

• Text paraphrasing

• Academic English environment

• Facilitates text comprehension

• Ppt slides and their interpretation

Noun suffixes (1)

• -tion/-sion = action (demonstration, expansion,

admission, exploration, authorization)

• -ment = action or its result (punishment, argument,

development, enlargement, unemployment)

• -al = action or its result (denial, refusal, trial, renewal,

proposal)

• -ance/-ence = action or result (dependence, attendance,

acceptance, interference)

Noun suffixes (2)

• -ship = state or condition (friendship, citizenship,

leadership, authorship, membership)

• -cy = state or condition (bankruptcy, constancy, decency,

accuracy, normalcy)

• -ry/-ery = action, condition, occupation (slavery, foolery,

dentistry, cookery, chemistry)

• -ility/-ity/-ty = state or condition (ability, simplicity,

cruelty, readability, visibility, stability)

Noun suffixes (3)

• -er = profession, purposeful device, origin of persons

(banker, bookseller, container, locker, Londoner)

• -ee = sb affected by sth/sb (employee, chatee,

interviewee, evacuee)

• -ant/-ent = sb who carries out (servant, inhabitant,

informant, solvent)

• -ing = result (building, clothing, painting)

Verb suffixes (1)

• -ify = to make, to cause (simplify, prettify, classify,

exemplify, justify)

• -ize/-ise = to make, to treat in the way of (civilize,

organize, Americanize, legalize, nationalize, popularize)

• -en = to make, to make become (shorten, blacken, darken,

harden, weaken, widen, sadden, deafen, deepen)

• -ate = to add or provide with (urinate, ventilate,

dehydrate, duplicate, differentiate)

Adjective suffixes (1)

• -able/-ible = sth that is/can be (drinkable, available,

breakable, portable, reliable, responsible, audible)

• -al = of the nature/origin of (natural, tidal, accidental,

musical, criminal, educational, editorial, continental)

• -en = materials (wooden, woolen, golden/gold)

• -ese/-an/-ian/-ish = origin (Japanese, Portuguese, British,

Turkish, German, Russian)


• -ful = full of, of the nature of (doubtful, powerful, careful,

useful, helpful, spoonful, handful, tactful)

• -ic = of the nature of (comic, domestic, aristocratic,

dramatic, phonetic, systematic, energetic)

• -ical = of the nature of (economical, biological, comical,

historical)

• -ing = sth experienced like (amazing, amusing, shocking)


• -less = devoid of (homeless, endless, careless, spotless,

thoughtless, jobless, nameless)

• -ly = periodic occurrence (daily, monthly, yearly,

quarterly)

• -like = behaving like (childlike, gentlemanlike, godlike)

• -ward = in the direction of (homeward, eastward, onward,

backward, forward)

• -y = of the nature of (funny, rusty, bony, nervy, catchy,

sticky, headachy, classy)

Negative prefixes (1)

• a- = not, lacking in, not affected by (amoral, atheist,

asymmetry, asexual, apolitical)

• dis- = not, absolute opposite (disloyal, distrust, disabled,

dislike, disagree, disadvantage)

• non- = lacking in (non-fiction, non-political, non-neutral)

Negative prefixes (2)

• un- = opposite (unhappy, unfair, unreal, unexpected,

unproductive)

before words of French origin:

in- (insane, injustice, intolerance, inconvenient)

il- = before l- (illegal, illogical)

im- = before p- (imperfect, impatient, improbable,

immature)

ir- = before r- (irregular, irresponsible, irreplaceable,

irrelevat)

Beware the differences

• Economic – deals with economy

• Economical – less wasteful

• Economically is the adverb form of both words

• Historical – took place in history, it is from the past

• Historic – has significance in the history (event, person)

• Historically is the adverb form of both words

Beware the differences (2)

• Alternate = /ɔːlˈtɜː(r)nət/ adj. following by turns, one

after the other, a substitute or second, every other in a

series

• Alternately is the adverb form

• Alternate /ˈɔːltə(r)neɪt/ = verb related to the adjective = to

go back and forth

• Alternative = adj. /ɔːlˈtɜː(r)nətɪv/, noun /ɔːlˈtɜː(r)nətɪv/,

refers to be able to be used instead of sth, the other choice

• Alternatively is the adverb form


• Bad = adjective, describes nouns or pronouns, often used

with verbs like look, feel, sound, or to be.

• Incorrect: She felt badly about missing the date.

• Correct: She felt bad about missing the date.

• Badly = adverb, describes verbs and should be used with

all verbs other than linking verbs. It usually answers the

question "How?"

• Incorrect: Mudville played bad last night.

• Correct: Mudville played badly last night.


• Continual = repeated again and again

• Continuous = uninterrupted

• I was continually interrupted by the telephone.

• It rained continuously for forty-eight hours.


• Different from X Different than?

• Different from is standard English – proper use

• Different than is nonstandard – improper use


• Special = adj. = particular, designed for a particular purpose

• Specially = adv. = particularly, for a particular purpose

• Especial = adj. = exceptional, noteworthy, particular

• Especially = adv. = exceptionally, in a noteworthy manner,

or particularly

• In the sense of particular or particularly - synonyms

• Stressing the exceptional quality = especial/especially

• Stressing the distinctive purpose of something =

special/specially

• This program has specially designed macros for word

processors. X He did especially well in All-Star Game.


• Farther = length or distance = comparative form of far

when referring to distance

• Further = to a greater degree, additional, additionally. It

refers to time or amount = comparative form of far when

meaning much

• London is farther north than Juneau. (distance)

• This plan requires further study. (additional study, refers to

amount)

• According to my timetable, we should be further along.

(time)


• Good = adj. = describes nouns or pronouns, used also

with verbs like look, feel, sound, taste, or be to describe

the subject

• Incorrect: The coffee tasted well this morning.

• Correct: The coffee tasted good this morning.

• Correct: The pitcher is looking good today.

• Well = adv. = describes verbs (sometimes adjectives),

used with most other verbs

• Well as an adj. means healthy

• Correct: He pitches well.

• Incorrect: I do not feel very good.

• Correct: I do not feel very well. (healthy)


• Number or Amount?

• Use the word amount with quantities that cannot be

counted and number with quantities that could be counted

one-by-one.

• He had a small amount of ammunition left.

• He had a small number of bullets left.


• Perspective = noun = point of view, especially the ability

to see the whole of something (in art - the ability to draw

three dimensional objects using two dimensional ones)

• The prefix per- means completely

• Prospective = adj. = future or potential

• The prefix pro- means forward

• Prospect = noun form

• The Latin root of both words, -spect-, means to see. So

perspective literally means seeing completely and

prospective means seeing ahead.


• Quote = verb = to repeat the words of a writer or speaker

• Quotation = noun = words quoted, the act of quoting

• Quotation marks = punctuation marks used to highlight a

written quotation

• Correct: He quoted Shakespeare frequently.

• Incorrect: We listened to a long quote from the government

report.

• Correct: We listened to a long quotation from the

government report.

• Incorrect: You need to put this part in quotes.

• Correct: You need to put this part in quotation marks.


• Raise = to make higher, to build, to nurture and cause to

grow. It is normally transitive, that is, the action is done

to something or someone else. It is a regular verb.

• Rise = to get up, become elevated. It is never transitive.

The past tense is rose; the past participle, risen.

• They raised the barn in two days.

• He was raised by his grandparents.

• The sun rises and sets every day.


• Real = adjective, modifies only nouns or pronouns

• Really = adverb, modifies verbs, adjectives, or other

adverbs

• Correct: He stayed at hotels with real class.

(Class is a noun. The adjective modifies it.)

• Incorrect: He stayed at a real classy hotel.

(Classy is an adjective. It should be modified by an adverb.)

• Correct: He stayed at a really classy hotel.

(The adjective classy is modified by the adverb.)


• Sure = adjective, modifies nouns or pronouns

• Surely = adverb, modifies verbs, adjectives, or adverbs

• Correct: It is a sure thing.

(Thing is a noun. An adjective modifies it.)

• Incorrect: It is sure hot outside.

(Hot is an adjective. It should be modified by an adverb.)

• Correct: It is surely hot outside.

(Hot is an adjective. An adverb modifies it.)


• Borrow = from someone

• Lend = to someone

• Can I borrow your bike, please?

• I can lend you my bike if you want.

• Bring = to carry to a nearer place from a more distant one

• Take = to carry to a more distant place from a nearer one

• Bring that file over here.

• Take this package to the post office.


• Learn = to educate oneself

• Teach = to educate others

• I am a student and I am learning about adjectives.

• She is teaching us how to use adjectives.

• Try And or Try To?

• Try and followed by a verb is nonstandard = improper use

• Always use try to

• Incorrect: Try and do it again.

• Correct: Try to do it again.

Thank you for your attention

word formation - vfu · pdf filenoun suffixes (2) •-ship = state or condition...

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