worksheet on word formation of nouns - suffixes

1. Professora: Cristina Tomé 1
WORD FORMATION
SUFFIXES - FORMATION OF NOUNS
-ment punish  punishment
-ance resist  resistance
-ence occur  occurrence
-al approve  approval
-age pass  passage
-cy democrat  democracy
-ty certain certainty
-ity equal  equality
-ice just  justice
-ism social  socialism
-ion discuss  discussion
-tion concentrate  concentration
-ation relax  relaxation
-sion persuade  persuasion (verbs ending “-de”)
-ssion admit  admission (verbs ending “-d”, “-t”, “-de”)
-version convert  conversion (verbs ending in “-vert”)
-ition compete  competition
-ption deceive  deception
consume  consumption
-ness kind  kindness
-ship friend  friendship
-hood child  childhood
-dom king  kingdom
1. –ence
Make nouns ending in –ence from the following verbs. Make any necessary chances in spelling. Then put them in the correct
place in the sentences below.
prefer obey defend correspond pretend
a) He couldn’t go to university but continued his education through __________ courses.
b) This monument is in memory of the men and women who died in _________ of this country.
c) Police dogs are trained to a high standard of ___________.
d) Tea or coffee? Do you have any ___________?
e) She wasn’t really angry with me at all, it was just ____________.
2. –ance
Make nouns ending in –ance from the following verbs. Make any necessary chances in spelling. Then put them in the correct
place in the sentences below.
accept attend disturb resemble perform
a) It was the actor’s finest _____________.
b) The teacher kept a record of every student’s _____________.

2. Professora: Cristina Tomé 2
c) This signature bears no _____________ to mine! It’s a forgery.
d) When I received the offer of a job, I immediately wrote a letter of ______________.
e) The police were called to a ____________ at a private park last night.
3. –al
Make nouns ending in –al from the following verbs. Make any necessary chances in spelling. Then put them in the correct place
in the sentences below.
renew bury arrive approve dismiss
a) His unpunctuality and bad work soon led to his ____________ from the firm.
b) After the funeral service in the church, we went out to the cemetry for the _________.
c) Thousands of people were at the airport for the President’s __________.
d) ___________ for your season ticket for another six months will cost you €68.
e) To get married before you are eighteen, you will need your parents’ _____________.
4. –age
Make nouns ending in –age from the following verbs. Make any necessary chances in spelling. Then put them in the correct
place in the sentences below.
wreck store pass post marry
a) A family house always needs __________ space for old furniture and luggage.
b) With the __________ of time, her heartache grew less painful.
c) The ___________ between Alan and Josephine will take place in St Andrew’s Church.
d) Airmail ___________ to Australia for a large parcel is very expensive.
e) The _________ of the smashed car was left by the road as a warning to motorists.
5. –sion
Make nouns ending in –sion from the following verbs. Make any necessary chances in spelling. Then put them in the correct
place in the sentences below.
admit persuade expand divide explode
a) I hope friendly ____________ will make him change his mind. I don’t want to use force.
b) If they get divorced, they’ll have to decide on the _____________ of their money and property.
c) He dreamt of the ___________of his firm from a small factory to a large international business.
d) _____________ to the club is limited to members only.
e) There was a very loud __________ when the bomb went off.
6. –ment
Make nouns ending in –ment from the following verbs. Make any necessary chances in spelling. Then put them in the correct
place in the sentences below.
enlarge arrange improve encourage entertain
a) The ______________for Monday is that we’ll meet at 7 and take the train at 7.45.
b) I like this photo. I think I’ll have an ____________ made.
c) This is the city’s _____________ district, full of cinemas and theatres.
d) The teachers were pleased at the ______________ in his work.
e) His parents gave him a lot of ____________ in his studies.
7. -tion
Make nouns ending in –tion from the following verbs. Make any necessary chances in spelling. Then put them in the correct place
in the sentences below.
produce qualify pronounce compete solve

3. Professora: Cristina Tomé 3
a) There’s a lot of __________ among car manufacturers to sell more cars.
b) There are some differences in _____________ between British and American English.
c) Is a degree a necessary _____________ for this job?
d) ______________ of the new sports car has been affected by a fire at the factory.
e) They are trying to find a ___________ to the problem.
8.–ion
Make nouns ending in -ion from the following verbs. Make any necessary chances in spelling. Then put them in the correct place
in the sentences below.
suggest predict invent interrrupt select react elect
a) If I can work all day without any ____________, I can finish the job by this evening.
b) I can’t make any __________ about the ___________ result. I don’t know how the voting will go.
c) What was his ____________ to the news? Was he pleased or angry?
d) His ____________ of a new type of car engine brought him a lot of money.
e) He was delighted by his _____________ for the school football team.
f) What shall we do tomorrow? Swimming? Film? Museum? Has anyone got a better _____________?
9. –ence / -ance
Make nouns ending in –ence or –ance from the following adjectives and put them in their correct places in the sentences below.
silent important violent arrogant confident elegant
a) The police were there to prevent any possible _____________.
b) There was complete ____________ except for the sound of the birds.
c) He was very unsure of himself. He didn’t have much _____________.
d) She dressed with great __________ in clothes of the latest French fashion.
e) It doesn’t matter. It’s of no _____________.
f) He thinks he’s the only person who’s right. What _____________.
10. –ity / ness
Make nouns ending in –ity or –ness from the following adjectives and put them in their correct places in the sentences below.
similar dark popular bald punctual foolish
a) He’s worried about his increasing _____________. He might get a wig.
b) What __________ to leave a baby out in the hot sun.
c) The teacher insisted on ___________.
d) The international ____________ of the Beatles was amazing.
e) She could see nothing in the _____________.
f) There is some _____________ between German and Dutch.
11. –ion / ment
Make nouns ending in –ion or –ment from the following adjectives and put them in their correct places in the sentences below.
attract cautious tense excite content perfect
a) After the revolution people were nervous about going into the streets.There was an atmosphere of ______________.
b) She dances so beautifully she almost reaches _____________.
c) In his old age he lives a life of peace, comfort and _____________.
d) This animal is dangerous. It should be handled with the greatest _____________.
e) The children’s ____________ increased as Christmas Day drew near.
f) Tower Bridge in London is a major tourist _____________.