English Language Arts
Grade 4
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
Define the term 'suffix' and identify -ly and -ness as common suffixes.
Explain that the suffix -ly often changes an adjective into an adverb, describing how an action is done.
Explain that the suffix -ness changes an adjective into a noun, describing a state or quality.
Break down words with -ly or -ness into their root word and suffix to determine their meaning.
Use words ending in -ly and -ness correctly in their own original sentences.
Differentiate between the functions of -ly (describing an action) and -ness (naming a quality) in a sentence.
Have you ever wondered how a 'slow' turtle moves 'slowly', or how a 'happy' person is full of 'happiness'? 🤔 Let's investigate these word-part clues!
In t...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
SuffixA letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning or its job in a sentence.In the word 'quickly', the suffix is '-ly'.
Root WordThe main part of a word that has the most important meaning. It's the word you have left after you remove any suffixes or prefixes.In the word 'kindness', the root word is 'kind'.
AdjectiveA word that describes a person, place, or thing (a noun).The *bright* sun. 'Bright' is an adjective describing the sun.
AdverbA word that describes an action (a verb). It often tells *how* the action is done.The sun shines *brightly*. 'Brightly' is an adverb describing how the sun shines.
NounA word that names a person, place, thing, or idea.The *brightness*...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The -ly Rule (The 'How' Suffix)
Adjective + -ly = Adverb
Add -ly to an adjective (a describing word) to turn it into an adverb that tells *how* an action is performed. For example, 'quick' becomes 'quickly', which means 'in a quick way'.
The -ness Rule (The 'Quality' Suffix)
Adjective + -ness = Noun
Add -ness to an adjective to turn it into a noun that means 'the state or quality of being' that adjective. For example, 'sad' becomes 'sadness', which means 'the state of being sad'.
The 'Y to I' Spelling Rule
If a root word ends in 'y', change the 'y' to an 'i' before adding -ly or -ness.
This is an important spelling change to remember. For...
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Challenging
What is the main difference in meaning between these two sentences?
1. The room was dark.
2. Darkness filled the room.
A.Sentence 1 uses an adjective to describe the room, while Sentence 2 uses a noun to name the thing that filled the room.
B.Sentence 1 means the room was a little dark, and Sentence 2 means it was very dark.
C.There is no difference in meaning; they mean the exact same thing.
D.Sentence 1 describes an action, while Sentence 2 describes a quality.
Challenging
Read the sentences below. Which sentence uses a word with -ly or -ness in the most powerful and descriptive way?
A.The music played loudly.
B.The room had a lot of messiness.
C.wave of weariness washed over the tired hikers.
D.She had a feeling of goodness.
Challenging
A word ends in 'y', like 'messy'. To describe the *quality* of being messy, you change 'y' to 'i' and add '-ness'. To describe *how* an action is done, you change 'y' to 'i' and add '-ly'. Which sentence correctly applies one of these rules?
A.He ate the pizza messily, getting sauce on his shirt.
B.The messily of his room was amazing.
C.She showed great messyness in her painting.
D.The cat played with the yarn in a messiness way.
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