Suffixes

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What is a suffix?

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A suffix is a group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning or grammatical function.

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What does the suffix '-er' mean?

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The suffix '-er' is used to indicate a person who performs an action, such as 'teacher' (one who teaches) or 'painter' (one who paints).

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What does the suffix '-ful' mean?

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The suffix '-ful' means 'full of' or 'having the qualities of', as in 'joyful' (full of joy) or 'careful' (full of care).

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What does the suffix '-less' mean?

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The suffix '-less' means 'without', as in 'hopeless' (without hope) or 'careless' (without care).

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What does the suffix '-able' mean?

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The suffix '-able' means 'capable of' or 'worthy of', as in 'readable' (capable of being read) or 'paintable' (capable of being painted).

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What does the suffix '-ness' mean?

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The suffix '-ness' is used to form nouns indicating a state or quality, such as 'happiness' (the state of being happy) or 'darkness' (the state of being dark).

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What does the suffix '-ment' mean?

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The suffix '-ment' is used to form nouns indicating an action or resulting state, such as 'enjoyment' (the state of enjoying) or 'development' (the process of developing).

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What does the suffix '-ity' mean?

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The suffix '-ity' is used to form nouns indicating a state or condition, such as 'activity' (the state of being active) or 'curiosity' (the state of being curious).

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What does the suffix '-tion' mean?

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The suffix '-tion' is used to form nouns indicating an action or process, such as 'creation' (the act of creating) or 'celebration' (the act of celebrating).

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What does the suffix '-ic' mean?

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The suffix '-ic' is used to form adjectives meaning 'related to' or 'pertaining to', such as 'historic' (related to history) or 'poetic' (related to poetry).