Forming Nouns from Adjectives or Verbs by Adding a Suffix

Choose the word that correctly completes the sentence: The teacher stressed the _____ of turning in homework on time.

• importance

• important

• importantly

• importation

Answer explanation

The noun 'importance' is needed to name the quality of being important. 'Important' is an adjective, 'importantly' is an adverb, and 'importation' means bringing goods into a country.

Match each base word to the rule for forming its noun.

• Add the suffix -ity

• active

• Add the suffix -ion

• sad

• Add the suffix -ment

• move

• Add the suffix -ness

• educate

Answer explanation

Each base word correctly pairs with the suffix rule that transforms it into a noun: move -> movement, active -> activity, sad -> sadness, educate -> education.

Sort these nouns into the category of the suffix they are formed with: Nouns with -tion or Nouns with -ment.

Groups:

(a) Nouns with -tion

,

(b) Nouns with -ment

• creation

• excitement

• agreement

• information

• collection

• payment

Answer explanation

The words are sorted based on the suffix used to turn their base verb into a noun. 'Creation,' 'collection,' and 'information' use -tion. 'Agreement,' 'excitement,' and 'payment' use -ment.

Which noun is correctly formed from the verb compete?

• competition

• competement

• competance

• competeness

Answer explanation

'Competition' is the correct noun form of 'compete'. The other options use incorrect suffixes.

Complete the sentence: Her _____ to finish the race, even after she fell, was inspiring to everyone.

• determination

• determine

• determinedly

• determiness

Answer explanation

The sentence requires a noun to name the quality she showed. 'Determination' is the correct noun form of the verb 'determine'. The other options are a verb, an adverb, or an incorrect form.

Match each adjective to its correct noun form, paying attention to spelling changes.

• ability

• curious

• curiosity

• able

• happiness

• happy

• possibility

• possible

Answer explanation

Each adjective is matched with its correct noun form. This requires applying spelling rules, such as changing 'y' to 'i' before adding '-ness' (happiness), or changing the ending before adding '-ity' or '-ility' (ability, curiosity, possibility).

Sort these base adjectives by the suffix they take to become a noun: Takes -ance or Takes -ence.

Groups:

(a) Takes -ance

,

(b) Takes -ence

• silent

• important

• tolerant

• distant

• different

• insistent

Answer explanation

These words are sorted by whether they form a noun with the suffix -ance (importance, tolerance, distance) or -ence (difference, silence, insistence).

The adjective brave is correctly changed to which noun?

• braveness

• braverty

• bravery

• bravetion

Answer explanation

'Bravery' is the correct, though slightly irregular, noun form of 'brave'. 'Braveness' is sometimes used but is less common, and the other options are incorrect.

Match each verb to the suffix used to form its noun.

• Takes suffix -ence

• attend

• Takes suffix -ment

• enjoy

• Takes suffix -ance

• celebrate

• Takes suffix -ion

• differ

Answer explanation

Each verb is paired with the specific suffix (-ion, -ment, -ance, -ence) required to transform it into a noun. For example, 'celebrate' becomes 'celebration' by adding -ion, and 'differ' becomes 'difference' by adding -ence.

Which word best completes the sentence? The _____ of the new student was obvious; she didn't know anyone at the school yet.

• lonely

• loneliness

• loneliment

• lonelition

Answer explanation

The sentence needs a noun to name the state of being lonely. 'Loneliness' is the correct noun formed from the adjective 'lonely'.