Reading Skills
Making Use of Word Formation: Suffixation (后缀法)
Suffixes
A suffix is a particle which is added to the end of a root. Generally, suffixes do not change the meaning of the root, but its part of speech.
e.g. lead → leadership（领导权） ill → illness
However, some suffixes add new meanings to the newly formed words.
e.g. meaning → meaningless think → thinker
The following are some of the most commonly used suffixes.
1. Suffixes used as a noun signifier 表示名词的后缀
suffix example
-er (-or) read → reader sail →sailor（水手）
-ist special → specialist
-ee train → trainee （受训者）
-ment punish → punishment（惩罚）
-tion(-sion, -ation) invent→ invention
-ness sick→ sickness
-ance (-ence) attend→ attendance（出席）
-ing build → building
2. Suffixes used as an adjective signifier 表示形容词的后缀
suffix example
-y wind → windy
-ful hope → hopeful
-ous adventure → adventurous（冒险的）
-ic (-ical) hero → heroic
-al nation → national
-ary second → secondary
-able change → changeable
-less care → careless
-some trouble → troublesome（麻烦的）
3. suffixes used as a verb signifier 表示动词的后缀
suffix example
-en broad→ broaden
-fy simple→ simplify
-ize (-ise) modern→ modernize（使现代化）
4. Suffixes used as an adverb signifier 表示副词的后缀
suffix example
-ly clear → clearly
-ward back → backward
-wise clock → clockwise
Note: A root may have two or more than two prefixes and /or suffixes.
e.g. cover → recover （恢复） → revoverable （可恢复的） → irrecoverable （不可恢复的）→ irrecoverably（不可恢复地）
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