Word formation (noun suffixes)

Word formation (noun suffixes)

Making nouns

Whenever you're facing word formation exercises, the first thing you must do is to check what kind of word you need.

Some nouns are formed from verbs, nouns or adjectives. Sometimes there is more than one suffix to form more than one noun which can refer to people or things, sometimes you need to make a change in the word, sometimes no addition or change is needed.

• invent (verb) --> inventor (person) / invention (thing)

• interview (verb) --> interview (thing) / interviewee (person) / interviewer (person)

• advise (verb) --> advice (thing) / advisor (person)

• produce (verb) --> production (thing) / producer (person) / produce (thing) / product (thing)

• It is also important to be careful when the needed word has to be in its singular, plural form or if is an uncountable one.

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• Pay attention to quantifiers and verb conjugation.

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Now go to your book on page 45 and answer exercise 1.

Suffixes which form nouns referring to people

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• verb / noun + -er / or / ar --> teacher, governor, liar

• verb / noun / adjective + ist --> typist, motorist, specialist

• verb + ant / ent --> assistant, correspondent

• noun + an / -ian --> American, Italian, historian

• verb + ee --> licensee, referee

Considerations

Remember that sometimes you have to make some changes to the words like changing -y for -i, keeping or dropping a final -e, changing part of the ending of a word by dropping one or more letters.

There are some words which can be form with both suffixes, -ee or -er but they do not always have both forms

interview --> interviewee / interviewer

license --> licensee