Word-Building Suffixes

This packet is designed for middle to high beginners or low intermediates, using mostly common vocabulary. (It introduces some of the more common words from the Academic Word List as well.) It explains basic suffix use step by step, providing practice with each new suffix type.

Contents (16 pages in addition to the cover and answer sheets):

· table of contents

· notes for the teacher including lesson suggestions

· Word Families (An explanation and demonstration of suffixes using ‘act’) and Parts of Speech in Sentences (2 pages.)

· A list of the 8 most common Noun-building suffixes with a practice table with examples and boxes to complete showing their relations to the verbs, adjectives, or other nouns they were made from

· 5 Noun-building suffixes for groups of people, with practice questions

· 4 Verb-building suffixes and practice questions (on above page)

·15 Adjective-building suffixes with 2 practice questions

·1 Adverb-building suffix (on above page)

· An answer sheet for those lists and practice exercises

A 3-page Word Building Practice worksheet

· Its answer sheets (2 pages)

· a comprehensive alphabetical two-page List of Common Suffixes, including part of speech, examples, and a right column for students to complete with another example, either with partners, as a class, or independently.

· a 2-page table for teachers with more examples for each suffix to use for games or in teaching (and to review the right column above with the class.)

· a brief suffix quiz (considerably easier than the practices, and reduced to 1 page.)

· Its answer sheet.

· Suffixes for Plurals and Tenses and Suffixes for Comparison-- optional extra page explaining those basic suffix types. Use if your students need it, or adapt its ideas to your own review.

You might introduce suffixes with the Word Families and Parts of Speech pages and a brainstorming activity. (Find out how much your students already know about suffixes-- they might be surprised!)

Going over the alphabetical suffix list is a chance to highlight the various uses of suffixes and the relations between them. Completing the boxes on the right side of the list is another chance for students to think of one or two words for each type of suffix they may already know. It's a good partner or group activity, especially if you have a multi-level class where some students have a lot less English vocabulary than others.

The noun-building (and to a lesser extent the verb and adjective practices) reinforce the word family relations between different suffixes (-ify, -ification, etc.)