Language point. Word Formation. Suffixes

Language point. Word Formation. Suffixes
It was said in a previous language point that many English words are formed by adding elements
to a base or root. It was also said that the reader of technical and scientific writings is confronted
very often with words made up of several elements and it would be very advantageous for him or
her to know the meaning of those elements in order to understand the message with greater ease
since having to resort to a dictionary too often is cumbersome and disturbing and sometimes the
words formed with these elements may not be found in a dictionary.
This language point will be dedicated to suffixes, those elements added to the base, root or stem
but 'after' it, in opposition to prefixes which appear 'before' it.
Two types of suffixes have been distinguished. On the one hand there are the 'inflection' suffixes,
for example the suffixes used to mark plurality, to mark the third person singular of present tense in
regular verbs etc ( He likes apples). We have already dedicated one language point to them paying
special attention to their pronunciation
On the other hand there are the 'derivation' suffixes, suffixes used to form new words, new
lexical items. As was said in the previous language point what distinguishes 'inflection' suffixes
from 'derivation' suffixes is that while the former do not change the category to which the base
belong, i.e. a verb continues being a verb after the addition of one of these suffixes, the latter
suffixes make a new lexical item whose category differs from that of the stem. For example in
I like computers. He likes computers
both like and likes are verbal forms. The addition of the suffix does not change the category of the
word. However in: A personal computer cannot compute as fast as a workstation
computer is a noun, compute is a verb and personal is an adjective. The addition of the -er suffix to
the base compute, a verb, makes the new form become a noun. Likewise personal becomes an
adjective thanks to the addition of the suffix -al, to the base person, which in this case is a noun.
As the last two examples show 'derivation' suffixes can be applied to different word classes or
parts of speech. Sometimes there is a multiple or chain derivation, as in
compute, computation, computational.
'Derivation' suffixes are of most interest to the reader of technical writings since they will offer
clues for the interpretation of both the meaning and the structure of the sentence or phrase.
'Derivation' suffixes can be grouped into different types according to the lexical items they
generate. The most important are a) noun-forming suffixes; b) verb-forming suffixes; c) adjectiveforming
suffixes. There is also an adverb-forming suffix -ly which is unique though very
productive. The following tables show the most important suffixes for each category.
Noun-forming suffixes
Suffix
example
-ance
reliance, performance
-ence
residence, dependence
-er, -or
actor, computer compiler, adaptor
-ist, -yst
analyst, pianist,
-((a)t)ion
action, destination, conclusion, conversion
-ness
kindness, blindness
-ment
measurement, treatment
-ity
brevity, electricity, variety
-ian
electrician, pedestrian
-ism
mechanism, realism
-ship
relationship, friendship
-ive
initiative, objective
-acy
literacy, poignancy

Adjective-forming suffixes
suffix
example
-able
comfortable, loadable, available
-ible
possible, compatible, feasible
-(ic)al
magnetic, electric, electrical
-(i)ous
previous, dangerous
-ful
careful, helpful
-less
careless, helpless,
-ish
redish, Polish, English
-ate
articulate, confederate
-ary
elementary, binary, secondary
-ive
generative, productive, objective
-y worthy, fuzzy
Verb-forming suffixes
suffix
-ate
-en
-fy
-ize
-ish
example
calculate, create, activate
worsen, harden
simplify, unify, deify
realize, computerize
accomplish, finish, polish
Note that some suffixes are found in more than one group. For instance articulate which can be
both adjective and verb. However its pronunciation will be different, the adjective form is
pronounced [-it] while the verb form is pronounced [-eit].
Note also that there are many words which have endings identical with suffixes that are not
suffixes. Suffixes are just helpful hints to a better understanding of texts.
There are two suffixes, -ing and -ed, that need special treatment. These two suffixes are found in
both inflectional and derivational suffixes, and their verbal character is most often present. Both
suffixes are adjective-forming suffixes and the -ing suffix is also used in the formation of nouns.
For example programming is a noun in 1 but an adjective in 2
1.- Successful programming requires that a task be broken down into methodical steps
2.- There are several programming languages in use nowadays.
Note that apart from form, and word-formation is about form, there is function. Form many
times helps us in determining function but this is not always the case. What matters is function.
Many times we find a noun form which functions as an adjunct, which is the characteristic function
of adjectives. For example in
Computer peripherals are getting better.
computer is formally a noun, however here it functions as an adjunct, it takes the function of
adjectives.

Task 1
Underline the 'derivation' suffixes found in the sentences below. Find out what parts of speech
the words with the underlined suffixes belong to.
1.- The 1980s witnessed the introduction and widespread use of personal computers at all levels
of schooling
2.- The number of computers used in U.S. elementary and secondary schools increased
3.- Some critics see computer education as merely the latest in a series of unsuccessful attempts
to revolutionize education through the use of audio- and visually-oriented nonprint media.
4.- For example, motion pictures, broadcast television, filmstrips, audio recorders, and
videotapes were all initially heralded for their instructional potential, but each of these
ultimately became minor classroom tools alongside conventional methods.
5.- A majority of students now use computers and COMPUTER SOFTWARE sometime during
the school year--either to learn about computers or as a tool for learning other subjects
6.- Computer educators feel the number of computers in the schools is still not high enough to
affect classroom learning as much as books and classroom conversation do.
7.- Supporters believe, however, that computers are a much more powerful learning medium than
the others that preceded it
8.- They cite the essential interactive nature of using computers programmed to provoke decision
making and manipulations of visual environments
9.- Learning tasks can become more individualized, enabling each student to receive immediate
feedback.
10.- Some experts say that having students work collaboratively on computers leads to greater
initiative and more autonomous learning
11.- COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN (CAD) systems have replaced drafting boards in thousands
of engineering and architectural firms
12.- Cartographers, seismologists, geologists, astronomers, and chemists are also heavy users of
graphic-oriented computer systems..
Task 2
Do the same as in task 1 with the following paragraph. Find out also other compound wordforms.
The other major computer-based activity is computer-assisted instruction, or CAI. CAI programs are
specifically written for teaching individual students in school settings. They present students with a
question and compare the student's answer with the single correct answer. Typically, the program
responds to a correct answer with praise and to wrong answers with an explanation and another, similar
problem. Sometimes CAI programs are embedded in a gamelike context, and most provide audio and
video embellishments. Some programs collect patterns of students' responses and provide reports to
teachers. Most CAI programs cover limited material, but some large-scale, multiyear reading and
mathematics curricula have been developed.
Studies of the effects of CAI on how well children learn basic skills have generally been supportive of
CAI, although critics question the quality of much of the research. They claim that CAI's effects may be
mainly limited to the early grades, to more routine skills, to students from disadvantaged backgrounds,
and, most impressively so far, among learning disabled students. Yet many computer education
enthusiasts believe that computers can be used in more innovative ways; they see CAI as a substitute for
paper and pencil drills and thus, as a weak use of computers.
Yet there are good reasons for the dominance of CAI. Its activities are relatively easy to program; it is
compatible with traditional methods of instruction; and it requires relatively little effort to organize
computer use.