RIC-20235 Primary Grammar and Word Study Year 3 – Understanding and choosing words

Understanding and
choosing words
Suffixes
Focus
Suffixes: ness, ment, less and ful
Definition
• A suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the
end of a base word to change its meaning and form
a new word.
Explanation
• The suffixes used in this exercise do not usually
change the spelling of the base word and are a good
starting point for learning about suffixes.
• The suffix less usually changes a noun to an
adjective and means ‘free from’ or ‘without’. When
less is added to some verbs, such as ‘count’ and
‘harm’, it means the action ‘can’t be done’.
• The suffix ful means something is ‘full of’ or
‘characterised by something’.
• The suffix ness means ‘a state or quality of being’. It
often converts adjectives to nouns.
• The suffix ment means ‘an action or process’.
• When ness, ful and less are added to words ending
in y, the y is often changed to i.
Example:
merciless, cleanliness, clumsiness, bodiless, dutiful,
beautiful, pitiful, fanciful
Exceptions include ‘joyful’ and ‘playful’.
• Knowing the meanings of common suffixes can
help students work out the meaning of unfamiliar
words. A sound knowledge of suffixes can also help
students spell correctly and develop their vocabulary.
An understanding of suffixes can, furthermore, help
students identify which part of speech (noun, verb,
adjective, adverb) a word belongs to.
Worksheet information
• Discuss suffixes with the students. Explain they are
word parts at the end of some words and that when
these word parts are added to a word, they change
the meaning of the word, creating a new word. Also,
we are better able to understand or spell new words
if we can recognise and understand the meaning of
suffixes.
• Read the suffix definitions with the students. They
then draw a line from the base words on the left to
the suffixes on the right to form a new word.
• Students then use the definitions provided in the
boxes at the top of the worksheet to write definitions
for the words they made in Question 2. Students
may need dictionaries to check the words they have
made are ‘real’ words.
Ideas for further practice
• Call out one of the suffixes. Students try to write as
many words that end with that suffix during a set
time period.
• Write a list of words containing the focus suffixes
on the board. Make a small number of cards with
these words. One at a time, students take a card and
mime the word. The other students try to guess the
word the student is acting out.
• Ask students to list some current songs with any of
the above suffixes in the lyrics.
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Answers
2. ageless, useful/useless, careful/careless, madness,
payment, hopeless/hopeful, movement.
3. Teacher check. Answers will vary but definitions
should include some of the words used in the
suffix descriptions at the top of the worksheet.
Primary grammar and word study 48
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