English Language Arts
Grade 3
15 min
Determine the meaning of a word with -ly or -ness
Determine the meaning of a word with -ly or -ness
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify the suffixes -ly and -ness at the end of a word.
Define the meaning of the suffix -ly as 'in a certain way'.
Define the meaning of the suffix -ness as 'the state of being'.
Explain how adding -ly or -ness changes a base word's meaning and part of speech.
Determine the meaning of an unknown word by breaking it down into its base word and suffix.
Correctly use words ending in -ly and -ness in their own sentences.
Have you ever noticed how some words have special endings that change what they mean? 🤔 Let's become word detectives and solve the mystery of -ly and -ness!
In this lesson, we will learn about two special word endings called suffixes: -ly and -ness. Learning about these suffixes will help you understand bigg...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
SuffixA word part added to the end of a word that changes its meaning.In the word 'quickly', the suffix is '-ly'.
Base WordThe main part of a word that has its own meaning. It's the word you have before you add a suffix.In the word 'kindness', the base word is 'kind'.
AdjectiveA word that describes a person, place, or thing (a noun).The 'happy' dog wagged its tail. 'Happy' describes the dog.
AdverbA word that describes an action (a verb). It often tells *how* something is done.The dog wagged its tail 'happily'. 'Happily' tells how the dog wagged.
NounA word for a person, place, thing, or idea.Her 'happiness' was easy to see. 'Happiness' is an idea or feeling.
Suff...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The -ly Rule
Base Word (Adjective) + -ly = Adverb
Add -ly to an adjective to describe *how* an action is done. For example, to change 'quick' (an adjective) to describe how someone runs, you add -ly to make 'quickly'.
The -ness Rule
Base Word (Adjective) + -ness = Noun
Add -ness to an adjective to turn it into a noun that names a quality or feeling. For example, to talk about the idea of being 'happy', you add -ness to make 'happiness'.
The 'Y to I' Spelling Rule
If the base word ends in 'y', change the 'y' to an 'i' before adding -ly or -ness.
This is a spelling rule for words like 'happy' or 'silly'. 'Happy' becomes 'happily' and 'happiness&#...
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Challenging
Read the two sentences:
1. The *calmness* of the post office on a Sunday was peaceful.
2. The clerk *calmly* sorted the letters into the correct boxes.
How is the meaning of 'calm' different in the two sentences because of the suffixes?
A.In sentence 1, it's a feeling; in sentence 2, it's an action.
B.In sentence 1, it's a state of being; in sentence 2, it's the way an action is done.
C.In sentence 1, it's the way an action is done; in sentence 2, it's a state of being.
D.The meaning is exactly the same in both sentences.
Challenging
Imagine a new word, 'zippiness,' is used to describe a new mail delivery drone. Read the sentence: 'The *zippiness* of the new drone meant packages arrived in minutes.' Based on the suffix '-ness,' what does *zippiness* most likely mean?
A.drone that is zippy.
B.To move in a zippy way.
C.The quality of being fast and energetic (zippy).
D.The sound a drone makes.
Challenging
Read the sentence: 'The mail carrier showed great ______ when delivering the heavy package.' Which word would NOT fit correctly in the blank?
A.carefulness
B.slowness
C.strengthness
D.kindness
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