Word formation: suffixes – C1 English Vocabulary

Word formation: suffixes

Exercise 1

Complete the sentences with the correct noun form of the words in brackets.

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1 The campaign has increased public of online privacy risks. (aware)

2 Strict financial is necessary to prevent another banking crisis. (regulate)

3 Greater in working-hours would benefit employees with caring responsibilities. (flexible)

4 The long-term of confidential records must comply with data-protection law. (store)

5 The two universities formed a research to share expertise and funding. (partner)

6 The board's to release the full report intensified public criticism. (refuse)

7 Investigators questioned the of the figures submitted by the company. (accurate)

8 The project cannot proceed without substantial private . (invest)

9 Her technical made her the obvious choice to lead the investigation. (competent)

10 His youthful gradually gave way to a more pragmatic outlook. (ideal)

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Word formation: suffixes

In this Advanced Vocabulary lesson, you will learn common suffixes used to form nouns and adjectives. A suffix is a letter or group of letters added to the end of a base word. It can change the word’s meaning, its word class or both.

The process of forming a noun from another word is known as nominalisation. Adding a suffix may also cause changes to the spelling or pronunciation of the base word.

Noun-forming suffixes

Meanings and examples

1 -acy: mainly adjective → noun, referring to a state or quality.

• The investigation raised doubts about the accuracy of the measurements.

2 -age: verb/noun → noun, referring to an activity, result, amount or collection.

• The archive does not have sufficient storage for all its records.

3 -al: verb → noun, referring to an action or result.

• The project cannot begin without the committee’s formal approval.

4 -ance/-ence: verb/adjective → noun, referring to an action, state or quality.

• The region’s dependence on imported fuel has increased considerably.

5 -ism: noun/adjective → noun, referring to a belief, system, attitude or practice.

• The campaign aims to challenge ageism in recruitment.

6 -ity: adjective → noun, referring to a state or quality.

• One advantage of the position is the flexibility it offers employees.

7 -ment: mainly verb → noun, referring to an action, process, result or state.

• The organisation invests heavily in the professional development of its staff.

8 -ness: adjective → noun, referring to a state or quality.

• The initiative was designed to increase public awareness of online fraud.

9 -ship: noun → noun, referring to a relationship, status, position or skill.

• The two universities have formed a research partnership.

10 -tion/-sion/-ation: verb → noun, referring to an action, process or result.

• The rapid expansion of the programme created several logistical problems.

Adjective-forming suffixes

Meanings and examples

11 -able/-ible: mainly verb → adjective, meaning that something can be done.

• The long-term consequences of the policy are not entirely predictable.

12 -conscious: noun → adjective, meaning aware of or concerned about something.

• The company has become increasingly cost-conscious as its profits have declined.

13 -esque: name/noun → adjective, meaning similar in appearance, character or style.

• The endless forms and contradictory instructions made the process seem Kafkaesque.

14 -free: noun → adjective, meaning without something.

• Demand for additive-free food has risen steadily.

15 -rich: noun → adjective, meaning containing a large amount of something.

• A fibre-rich diet can help maintain a healthy digestive system.

16 -led: noun/adjective → adjective, meaning controlled, organised or influenced by someone or something.

• A community-led initiative helped restore the neglected public gardens.

17 -minded: noun/adjective → adjective, describing an attitude or way of thinking.

• The conference gives researchers an opportunity to meet like-minded professionals.

18 -proof: noun → adjective, meaning designed to resist or prevent something.

• The company installed soundproof panels around the recording studio.

19 -ridden: noun → adjective, meaning badly affected by something unpleasant.

• The debt-ridden company was unable to attract new investors.

20 -worthy: noun → adjective, meaning deserving or suitable for something.

• Editors must decide which events are sufficiently newsworthy to report.

Spelling and usage

After completing the exercises in this lesson on Suffixes, you can use the unit’s Vocabulary Flashcards to revise and help you memorize the terms.