English Language Arts
Grade 4
15 min
Determine the meaning of a word with a suffix: review
Determine the meaning of a word with a suffix: review
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Identify the suffix in a given word.
Define the meaning of common suffixes such as -ful, -less, -able, -er, and -ness.
Explain how adding a suffix changes the meaning of a base word.
Deconstruct a word into its base word and suffix to determine its overall meaning.
Use context clues within a sentence to confirm the meaning of a word with a suffix.
Create new words by adding appropriate suffixes to given base words.
Ever wonder how a 'joyful' puppy is different from a 'joyless' one? 🤔 It's all about the special power of word endings!
In this lesson, we will review how to use suffixes, which are word parts added to the end of a word, to unlock the meaning of bigger, more complex words. Mastering this skill will make you a super re...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
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 'colorful', the base word is 'color'.
SuffixA letter or group of letters added to the end of a base word to change its meaning or its job in a sentence (its part of speech).The '-ful' in 'colorful' is the suffix.
Suffix: -fulMeans 'full of' or 'having the quality of'.'Hopeful' means full of hope.
Suffix: -lessMeans 'without'.'Endless' means without an end.
Suffix: -able / -ibleMeans 'can be done' or 'able to be'.'Washable' means able to be washed.
Suffix: -er / -orMeans 'a person who does something' or 'more'...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Word Meaning Formula
Base Word Meaning + Suffix Meaning = New Word Meaning
To figure out a new word, first define the base word. Then, add the meaning of the suffix. Combine them to understand the whole word.
The Spelling Change Rule
Sometimes, the base word's spelling changes before you add a suffix.
For base words ending in 'y', you often change the 'y' to an 'i' (e.g., happy + -ness = happiness). For words ending in a silent 'e', you often drop the 'e' before a suffix starting with a vowel (e.g., use + -able = usable).
The Word Job Changer
Adding a suffix can change a word's part of speech.
Adding '-ness' to an adjective like 'sad' turns it into a noun, 'sadness'. Adding...
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Challenging
The teacher said, 'Your work is acceptable, but I know you are capable of doing even better.' Both words use a suffix meaning 'able to be'. What does 'acceptable' mean in this specific context?
A.It can be accepted, but it's not the best.
B.It is the best work possible.
C.It cannot be accepted.
D.It is full of acceptance.
Challenging
A student wrote: 'The hero was courageful.' This is a mistake. To describe someone as 'full of courage', what is the correct word and why does the spelling of the base word change?
A.courageless, because you add '-less'
B.courageous, because the 'e' is dropped before adding '-ous'
C.courager, because the hero is a person who has courage
D.courageable, because the hero is able to have courage
Challenging
Consider the words 'teacher' and 'taller'. Both end in '-er'. Based on the tutorial, how does the suffix's job change between the two words?
A.It has the same job in both: 'a person who does something'.
B.In 'teacher' it means 'without', and in 'taller' it means 'full of'.
C.In 'teacher' it means 'a person who does something', and in 'taller' it means 'more'.
D.In 'teacher' it means 'more', and in 'taller' it means 'a person who does something'.
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