Suffixes That Change Part of Speech (-able, -ance, -ful, -ity, -ment, -ous): Fifth Grade English Student Guide

Suffixes attach to the ends of words, serving as grammatical switches that transform verbs into nouns, nouns into adjectives, and concepts into measurable qualities.

The Grammatical Role of Suffixes

Unlike prefixes, which primarily alter the meaning or direction of a word, suffixes often change the word's grammatical part of speech. By adding a specific suffix, you can convert an action verb like "achieve" into a tangible noun like "achievement," or turn a noun like "hazard" into a descriptive adjective like "hazardous."

+--------------------------------------------------------------+
|                 SIX ESSENTIAL DERIVATIONAL SUFFIXES          |
+---------+--------------------+----------------+--------------+
| SUFFIX  | MEANING            | NEW PART OF SP | EXAMPLES     |
+---------+--------------------+----------------+--------------+
| -able   | capable of, fit for| Adjective      | adaptable,   |
|         |                    |                | predictable  |
+---------+--------------------+----------------+--------------+
| -ance   | state or quality of| Noun           | endurance,   |
|         |                    |                | performance  |
+---------+--------------------+----------------+--------------+
| -ful    | full of, having    | Adjective      | resourceful, |
|         |                    |                | bountiful    |
+---------+--------------------+----------------+--------------+
| -ity    | state, condition   | Noun           | velocity,    |
|         |                    |                | curiosity    |
+---------+--------------------+----------------+--------------+
| -ment   | action or result of| Noun           | astonishment,|
|         |                    |                | nourishment  |
+---------+--------------------+----------------+--------------+
| -ous    | possessing, full of| Adjective      | perilous,    |
|         |                    |                | courageous   |
+---------+--------------------+----------------+--------------+

Transforming Verbs into Nouns with -ance and -ment

The suffixes -ance and -ment turn action verbs into nouns naming the result or condition of that action: "Govern" (verb) + "-ment" becomes "government" (noun: the system that governs). "Endure" (verb) + "-ance" becomes "endurance" (noun: the capacity to endure hardships).

Creating Adjectives with -able, -ful, and -ous

To transform a base word into a descriptive adjective, choose the appropriate adjective suffix: Adding "-able" to "navigability" or "navigate" produces "navigable" (waters capable of being navigated). Adding "-ful" to "grace" yields "graceful" (full of grace). Adding "-ous" to "peril" produces "perilous" (full of danger).

+--------------------------------------------------------------+
|                 SPELLING ADJUSTMENTS WITH SUFFIXES           |
|                                                              |
|   1. Dropping Silent E:                                      |
|      fame + -ous  ======> famous                             |
|      cure + -able ======> curable                            |
|                                                              |
|   2. Changing Y to I:                                        |
|      bounty + -ful =====> bountiful                          |
|      rely + -able ======> reliable                           |
+--------------------------------------------------------------+

Exercises and Solutions

Exercise 1: Morphological Transformations. Change each base word into the indicated part of speech by attaching the correct suffix from this chapter, making any necessary spelling adjustments: Word A: "curious" (adjective) -> change to a noun. Word B: "astonish" (verb) -> change to a noun. Word C: "hazard" (noun) -> change to an adjective.

Solution 1: Word A: Attach "-ity" to "curious," adjusting the root to form the noun "curiosity." Word B: Attach "-ment" to "astonish" to form the noun "astonishment." Word C: Attach "-ous" to "hazard" to form the adjective "hazardous."

Exercise 2: Sentence Integration. Select the verb "nourish." First, convert it into a noun using "-ment." Then, write a complete, informative fifth-grade sentence demonstrating the correct use of your newly formed noun.

Solution 2: Adding "-ment" creates the noun "nourishment." Sample sentence: "During their winter hibernation, black bears rely entirely on stored fat reserves to provide essential nourishment until spring."