The document discusses word forms in English and how suffixes are used to change parts of speech, such as turning nouns into adjectives or verbs. It provides examples of common suffixes like "-ful" or "-ous" and their meanings. The document also notes that inconsistencies in suffix usage can make learning word forms difficult for English language learners.

1. TDC 1
Pedagogical Grammar
Word Forms

2. Word Forms
- It can be hard for ELLs to learn to understand / use
different word forms because word endings are not so
straighfoward.
- Examples: To change a noun into an adjective, ...
1) beauty + ful, 2) danger + ous 3) hero + ic 4) rain + y ...
- Ideally, an ELL’s first learning goal regarding word forms
would be to be able to recognize the part of speech of a
word by recognizing its suffix.
- Second, they should learn to produce the correct form of
a word by adding the correct suffix.

3. Word Forms
Typical ELL Errors
- Members of the book club automatically receive
preferentially prices.
- Siberia has a substantial number of nature resources.
- Second language readers’ very limited vocabulary
knowledge hinders their ability to make fully use of context
clues as well.
- Politics debates are part of the democratic process.
- Olympic clocks must be very accuracy to be useful.

4. Word Forms
- Suffixes can be used to create four of the eight parts of
speech:
1) verbs
2) adjectives
3) adverbs
4) nouns
Adjective Verb Adverb Noun
final finalize finally finalization

5. Word Forms – Verb Endings
Ending Meaning Example
-ate to cause, to become, to motivate,
supply with oxygenate
-en to make something have darken, lighten
a certain quality
- ify to cause or make into identify, solidify,
something unify
-ize to become generalize, finalize
- Spelling Changes
1) vowel dropped: clear + -ify = clarify
2) vowel added: different + -ate = differentiate

6. Word Forms – Adjective Endings
Ending Meaning Example
-able, having a particular qualityconfortable,
-ible reversible
-al of or related to something musical,
occasional
- an, relating to someone or American,
-ian something from a place; vegetarian
relating to someone who has
a certain knowledge or belief
-ant, having the quality of defiant,
-ent persistent
-ary belonging to planetary

7. Word Forms – Adjective Endings
Ending Meaning Example
-ate having, containing, or having compassionate
to do with something
-ative, having the quality of talkative,
-itive primitive
-ed past participle confused
-en past participle stolen, written
-en made of wooden
-ese of a country Chinese
-ful full of beautiful
-ic of or relating to a periodic
particular thing

8. Word Forms – Adjective Endings
Ending Meaning Example
-ing present participle confusing
-ish having qualities of, or tending to be childish
-ive having a particular quality expensive
-less without something useless
-like similar to childlike
-ly having qualities of manly
-ory relating to obligatory
-ous, having qualities of dangerous,
-ious delicious
-proof protected from waterproof
-y having the character/form of curly, funny

9. Word Forms – Adverb Endings
Ending Meaning Example
-ly in a particular way or at times easily,
occasionally
- Not all words that end in –ly are adverbs.
early adjective Gary is in his early twenties.
adverb Carlos has to wake up early.
daily adjective Our library subscribes to four daily
newspapers.
adverb Kumiko exercises daily.
oily adjective Irma doesn’t like oily foods.
lonely adjective Ronald was a very lonely child.
friendly adjective She is such a friendly person.

10. Word Forms – Noun Endings
Ending Meaning Example
-al the act of doing somethingrehersal, denial
-ence, action or process; qualityconfidence,
-ance, performance,
-cy lunacy
-ent, someone or something that president,
-ant does something resident
-er, -or, someone or something that teacher, elevator,
-ar, -r does something registrar, writer
-hood having a quality or state brotherhood,
childhood
-ity, -ty having a quality equality, specialty

11. Word Forms – Noun Endings
Ending Meaning Example
-tion, act or result of doing attention,
-ion something impression
-ism a belief or set of ideas capitalism
-ist a person who performs a typist, capitalist
specific action; a person with
certain beliefs
-ment a result of doing something; development,
a place of action department
-ness state or condition happiness
-ure an act or process failure, pressure
-ship a state or quality; an art or friendship,
skill sportsmanship

12. Word Forms
- The lack of consistency for the use of word endings in
English to indicate the part of speech of a word can be a
problem for ELLs.
- This difficulty is bigger because sometimes the same
word spelling is used for a different number of parts of
speech.
Adjective Verb Adverb Noun
photographic photograph photographically photograph
Photographical
English ----- ----- English

13. Word Forms
- Also, some words do not follow the pattern of
suffixes, making it even more difficult for ELLs to grasp
them.
Noun Verb Adjective Adverb
sadness to sadden a sad story sadly
decision to decide a decisive ending decisively
deciding
a talk to talk a talk show talkatively
talking a talkative person
a talking dog
an explanation to explain an explanatory note ----
a struggle to struggle a struggling actor ----

14. Word Forms
Noun Verb Adjective Adverb
a city ---- a city problem citywide
a nation ---- a national problem nationally
wood ---- wooden woodenly
woodenness
love to love a love story lovingly
lovability a loving cat lovably
a loved story
loveable
- Comparing the groups following the nouns city and nation,
what are the similarities and differences?
- What can we say about it? What can we conclude?

15. Word Forms
Portuguese Interference
In Portuguese, the suffix commonly used to change adjectives into
adverbs is –mente. ELLs sometimes confuse this suffix with the English
suffix indicating nouns –ment.
Brazilian ELLs tend to generalize the rule used to form adverbs.
Word Forms – Lesson Plan
Objective - Students will be able to understand how
some adjectives are formed in English. They will also be
able to use the forms studied in talking about friends.

16. Word Forms – Lesson Plan
- Students will first read the text “A Creative
Friendship” and answer some comprehension
questions.
- Comprehension Questions:
1) How old were Picasso and Matisse when they met?
2) How did they influence the work of each other?
3) Why was theri friendship special?
- Then, students will read the text again to find
adjectives in the text that end in -ous.
- Answers:
1) ambitious, famous, jealous
- Then, students will match the three adjectives
with their definitions.
- Task:
1) unhappy because someone...
2) someone a lot of people know about...
3) determined to do well...

17. Word Forms – Lesson Plan
- Students will now use the suffix –ous to make
adjectives from a number of words given.
- Words:
1) religion
2) humour
3) mystery
- Then, students will describe a friendship that is
important to them, trying to use the adjectives
ending in -ous.
- Questions:
1) How long have you been friends?
2) How did you meet?
3) How would you describe your friends? (Use
adjectives ending in –ous.)
4) Have your ever had disagreements?
5) What is the nices thing your friend has ever done to
you?

18. Homework
• Workbook, pages 181 (Exercise
3.13.3), 184 (Exercise 3.13.10), and
185 (Exercise 3.13.11)