English Language Arts
Grade 4
15 min
Determine the meaning of a word with -able or -ment
Determine the meaning of a word with -able or -ment
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define the suffixes -able and -ment.
Identify the root word when a suffix is added.
Explain how the suffix -able changes a verb into an adjective meaning 'can be done'.
Explain how the suffix -ment changes a verb into a noun meaning 'the act or result of'.
Determine the meaning of an unknown word ending in -able or -ment using its root word and suffix.
Correctly use words with the suffixes -able and -ment in sentences.
Have you ever wished you could be a word magician? 🧙 What if you could change an action word into a describing word just by adding a special ending?
In this lesson, we will become word detectives and investigate two powerful suffixes: -able and -ment. Learning these word endings will help you unlock the meaning of hund...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
SuffixA word part added to the end of a root word that changes the word's meaning or its job in a sentence.In the word 'breakable', '-able' is the suffix.
Root WordThe main part of a word that has the most important meaning. It's the word you have left when you remove any prefixes or suffixes.In the word 'breakable', 'break' is the root word.
Suffix: -ableA suffix that means 'can be' or 'able to be'. It usually turns a verb into an adjective.lovable = able to be loved
Suffix: -mentA suffix that means 'the act of', 'the result of', or 'the state of being'. It usually turns a verb into a noun.excitement = the state of being excited
AdjectiveA word that describes a noun (...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The -able Rule: Creating Adjectives
Root Word (Verb) + -able = Adjective
When you add -able to a verb (an action word), you create an adjective (a describing word). The new word means 'can be [verb]ed' or 'able to be [verb]ed'.
The -ment Rule: Creating Nouns
Root Word (Verb) + -ment = Noun
When you add -ment to a verb, you create a noun (a thing or idea). The new word means 'the act of [verb]ing' or 'the result of the [verb]'.
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Challenging
A student thinks 'punishment' and 'punishable' mean the same thing. Which statement best explains their error based on the suffix rules?
A.The suffix -ment in 'punishment' creates a noun (the result of punishing), while -able in 'punishable' creates an adjective (describing an act that can be punished).
B.The suffix -ment means 'can be', so 'punishment' means 'can be punished'. The suffix -able means 'the act of', so 'punishable' is the act of punishing.
C.Both words are nouns, but 'punishment' is for people and 'punishable' is for actions.
D.The root word for 'punishment' is 'punish', but the root word for 'punishable' is 'punishab'.
Challenging
Read the two sentences: 1. 'Her achievement was celebrated.' 2. 'The goal was achievable.' How does the suffix change the job of the root word 'achieve' in each sentence?
A.In both sentences, the word is an adjective describing a goal.
B.In sentence 1, -ment makes a noun (a thing that was celebrated). In sentence 2, -able makes an adjective (describing the goal).
C.In sentence 1, -ment makes an adjective (describing her). In sentence 2, -able makes a noun (the thing that was the goal).
D.The suffix does not change the job of the root word; it only changes the spelling.
Challenging
A student writes: 'The comfortable of the new sofa was amazing.' Which of the following corrects the error and explains it using the suffix rules?
A.Correction: 'The comfortableness of the new sofa was amazing.' Explanation: -able words need another suffix to become nouns.
B.Correction: 'The comfort of the new sofa was amazing.' Explanation: The sentence needs a noun, but 'comfortable' is an adjective because the -able suffix describes things.
C.Correction: 'The comforting of the new sofa was amazing.' Explanation: The -able suffix means the sofa can give comfort, not that it has comfort.
D.The sentence is already correct because 'comfortable' can be a noun or an adjective.
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