Word formation – general rules

There are many word beginnings

(prefixes) and word endings (suffixes)
that can be added to a word to change
its meaning or its word class. The most
common ones are shown here
Verb Formation

The endings ize and ify can be added to nouns and

adjectives to form verbs.
Noun + ize = Verb
American + ize = Americanize
Legal + ize = legalize
This will make the factory more modern. This will
modernize the factory.
Adjective + ize = Verb False + ify = Falsify
Humid + ify = humidify
These tablets make the water pure. They purify the
water.
Adverb Formation

The ending ly can be added to most adjectives to

form adverbs.
Adjective + ly = Adverb
Easy + ly = easily
His behaviour was stupid. He behaved stupidly .
Noun Formation

The endings er, ment, and ation can be added to

many verbs to form nouns.

Verb + er = Noun
Fasten + er = faster
Open + er = opener
John drives a bus. He is a bus driver.
Amaze + ment = amazement
Retire + ment = retirement

Children develop very quickly. Their

development is very quick.
Admire + ation = admiration
Organize + ation = organization

The doctor examined me. The doctor

gave me an examination.
The endings ity/ty and ness can be
added to many adjectives to form
nouns.
Stupid + ity = stupidity

Don’t be so cruel. I hate cruelty

Adjective Formation
The endings y, ic, ical, ful, and less can be added to
many nouns to form adjectives.
• The ending able can be added to many verbs to
form adjectives.
• Noun + y = Adjective
Dirt + y = dirty
That was an awful smell. It was very smelly.
Atom + ic = atomic
That was a book of poetry. It was a poetic book.
Hope + ful = hopeful
• His broken leg caused pain. It was very painful.
Care + less = careless
• The operation didn’t cause pain. It was
painless.

Verb + able = Adjective

• Love + able = lovable
You can wash this coat. It’s washable.
Opposites Prefixes added to the front of many words can
produce an opposite meaning.
• un + fortunate = unfortunate
I’m not very happy. In fact I’m very unhappy
• In + efficient = inefficient
• iIl + literate = illiterate
• Im + possible = impossible
• De + centralize = decentralize
Instead of inflating the tire, he deflated it.
• dis + honest = dishonest
I don’t agree with everything you said. I disagree with the
last part.
• non + payment = non-payment
You are not making any sense. What you are saying is
nonsense.
 Exercises
• 1 Give three examples of nouns beginning with the
negative prefix dis-.

• 2 What two different verb forms can be made from

the word light?

• 3 Make four different words from the root word

communicate.

• 4 Give three examples of adjectives ending in -ous.

• 5 Make four different words from the root
word success.

• 6 What negative prefix is used before all of

these words: kind, do, employment?

• 7 Give three examples of adjectives beginning

with the negative prefix im-.

• 8 Give three examples of nouns ending in -

dom.
• 1.Give three examples of nouns beginning
with the negative prefix mis-.

• 2. What two different noun forms can be

made from the word able?

• 3.Make four different words from the root

word approve.

• 4.Give three examples of adjectives ending in -

ive
• 5.Make four different words from the root
word predict.

• 6.Give three examples of adverbs spelt with a

double l at the end.

• 7.What negative prefix is used before all of

these words: ability, sensitive, tolerance?

• 8.Give three examples of nouns ending in -

ship.
• Try to write similar sentences

• Mr Successful succeeded in successfully

completing the task that had so far been very
unsuccessfully dealt with, which was a great
success.
• KEY: sample answers
• 1 disappointment, dissatisfaction, disloyalty
• 2 lighten, enlighten
• 3 communicative, uncommunicative, communicator, communication
• 4 famous, marvellous, autonomous
• 5 successful, unsuccessful, succeed, successor
• 6 un
• 7 impolite, improbable, impossible
• 8 freedom, stardom, boredom

• 1 misbehaviour, misinterpretation, mistrust

• 2 ability, disability
• 3 approval, disapproval, disapprove, disapprovingly
• 4 talkative, formative, creative
• 5 predictable, unpredictable, prediction, predictably
• 6 formally, faithfully, fully
• 7 in
• 8 friendship, relationship, sponsorship
 Useful links
• http://home.agh.edu.pl/~potrec/Exam%20B2/
Wordformation/WORD%20FORMATION.pdf

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRNEUPXl
ObY&t=38s

• http://corsi.unica.it/pas/files/2014/03/PAS-
FODDE-WORD-FORMATIONS-B1-B2.pdf