Практикум по теме "Word Formation"

In a sentence or text you have to change the form of a word, e.g. from a noun to an adjective, or from a verb to a noun. For example:

The _____ was very nervous. (sing)

You have to complete the sentence with the person noun (singer). You change the verb (sing) into the person noun (singer).

·         Look at the word you have to change. Which words do you know that are in the same word family?

·         The beginning of the word is often the same and the end of the word changes.

·         What form is the new word? A verb? A noun? An adjective? An adverb?

·         Nouns often end: -ment, -ion, -ness, -ity.

·         People nouns often end: -er, -or, -ist, -ian.

·         Adjectives often end: -able, -ible, -ive, -al, -ic, -ed, -ing.

·         Some verbs end: -ise, -ate, -en.

·         Adverbs often end: -ly.

·         Is the new word negative? If so, you may need a prefix, e.g. un- (unhappy), im- (impolite), in- (inexperienced), dis- (dishonest), etc.

·         If you don’t know the new word, guess. You may be right!

There are many word beginnings (prefixes) and word endings (suffixes) that can be added to a word to change its meaning or its word class. The most common ones are shown here, followed by examples of how they are used in the process of word formation. More can be found in the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.

Verb Formation

The endings ize and ify can be added to nouns and adjectives to form verbs.

Noun + ize = Verb

American + ize = Americanize Legal + ize = legalize

This will make the factory more modern. This will modernize the factory. Adjective + ize = Verb

 False + ify = Falsify Humid + ify = humidify

These tablets make the water pure. They purify the water.

Adverb Formation

The ending ly can be added to most adjectives to form adverbs.

Adjective + ly = Adverb

Easy + ly = easily His behaviour was stupid. He behaved stupidly

Noun Formation

The endings er, ment, and ation can be added to many verbs to form nouns.

Verb + er = Noun Fasten + er = faster Open + er = opener

John drives a bus. He is a bus driver.

Amaze + ment = amazement Retire + ment = retirement

Children develop very quickly. Their development is very quick.

Admire + ation = admiration Organize + ation = organization

The doctor examined me. The doctor gave me an examination.

The endings ity/ty and ness can be added to many adjectives to form nouns.

 Stupid + ity = stupidity Don’t be so cruel. I hate cruelty

Adjective Formation

The endings y, ic, ical, ful, and less can be added to many nouns to form adjectives. The ending able can be added to many verbs to form adjectives.

Noun + y = Adjective Dirt + y = dirty

That was an awful smell. It was very smelly.

Atom + ic = atomic That was a book of poetry. It was a poetic book.

Hope + ful = hopeful His broken leg caused pain. It was very painful.

Care + less = careless The operation didn’t cause pain. It was painless.

Verb + able = Adjective Love + able = lovable You can wash this coat.

It’s washable Opposites Prefixes added to the front of many words can produce an opposite meaning. un + fortunate = unfortunate I’m not very happy. In fact I’m very unhappy.

 Put the correct form of the word in brackets into the blank .

1. The results were very strange! In fact, they were ___________________ ! (BELIEVE)

2. He has an unfortunate ___________________ to understand people’s feelings (ABLE)

3. Due to the clerk’s ______________________ we missed the train (STUBBORN)

4. What we saw was beyond all ______________________ (EXPECT)

5. She is a student of the ______________________ (HUMAN)

6. The book contains some great ______________________ (ILLUSTRATE)

7. Please give us details of your present ______________________ (OCCUPY)

8. What is the ______________________ of the Danube River (LONG)

9. The ______________________ of our agriculture is important if we want to produce more food (MECHANIC)

10. Drug ______________________ is a problem causing great concern (ADDICT)

11. The ______________________ of the awards is scheduled for next Friday (PRESENT)

12. I have been sworn to ______________________ so I can’t say a word (SECRET)

13. After losing her job she was ______________________ for a month (EMPLOY)

14. Pushing into a queue is considered to be extremely ______________________ (POLITE)

15. The audience gave the violinist a round of ______________________ (APPLAUD)

16. He isn’t happy with his job because he feels he is ______________________ (PAY)

17. We have just been shown another example of ______________________ killing (SENSE)

18. My sister’s ______________________ makes hers social life difficult (SHY)

19. I’m not sure at all I really can’t say with ______________________ (CERTAIN)

20. My ______________________ is the history of Elizabethan England (SPECIAL)

21. The police were told by their ______________________ where to find the criminal (INFORM)

22. He received many medals for his acts of ______________________ during the war (HERO)

23. The ______________________ of the company is said to be dangerous to small firms (EXPAND)

24. For all of us, Marilyn Monroe was the ______________________ of beauty (PERSON)

25. I can guarantee the ______________________ of our new product (RELY)

26. The government is encouraging heavy ______________________ (INVEST)

27. People who suffer from ______________________ should buy themselves a pet (LONELY)

28. George and I have been friends since ______________________ (CHILD)

29. Everybody is worried about the ______________________ of the rain forest (DESTROY)

30. Some MPs are calling for ______________________ without trial (DETAIN)

31. My grandfather was given a medal for ______________________ (BRAVE)

32. My father takes great ______________________ in his work (PROUD)

33. This bag contains all my photographic ______________________ (EQUIP)

34. ______________________ is probably the most useful form of energy (ELECTRIC)

35. John turned up on the wrong day because of a ______________________ (UNDERSTAND)

36. Jake had another ______________________ with his boss (AGREE)

37. The bank robbers were sentenced to twelve years of ______________________ (PRISON)

38. Mary suddenly felt sick, so we needed a ______________________ for her part in the play (REPLACE)

39. Failure to apply in time may result in a ______________________ of benefits (LOSE)

40. Pat was accused of stealing some ______________________ documents (CONFIDENT)

 Put the correct form of the word in brackets into the blank.

1. In the future the public will have a wider __________________ of television programs. (CHOOSE)

2. Looking after the health of 700 children is heavy ______________________ . (RESPONSIBLE)

3. The town spent more money on __________________ and health than ever before (HOUSE)

4. Do you have any particular __________________ where we sit? (PREFER)

5. There’s a __________________ contrast between what he does and what he says. (STRIKE)

6. The party turned out to be a huge ______________________ (DISAPPOINT)

7. He was fined and __________________ for reckless driving (QUALIFY).

8. Is it possible to remove the smell from the books that have been in _______________ for such a long time? (STORE)

9. Many people are interested in job __________________ more than in earning large amount of money (SATISFY).

10. I hadn’t made a __________________ , so I just got on the first flight available. (RESERVE)

11. The anti-doping association believes that all sports must be free of drug __________________ (USE).

12. The country is facing a population __________________ . (EXPLODE)

13. It is __________________ to fasten your seat-belts before take-off (ADVISE)

14. She claimed __________________ benefit for over six months. (EMPLOY)

15. Tax __________________ is one of the biggest problems that face the new country. (EVADE)

16. You can basically wear what you want but there is an _____________ law that says you must not wear jeans. (WRITE)

17. The __________________ course is being paid for by the company. (MANAGE)

18. It’s a __________________ shame that she didn’t have a better chance in life. (CRY)

19. The farm house we stayed in was completely off the __________________ track. (BEAT)

20. The police searched the house _______________________ . (SYSTEM)

21. He is a __________________ -paid senior executive. (HIGH)

22. A full-scale ____________________ of our company is urgently needed (ORGANIZE)

23. Are we going to be saved __________________ by our oil supplies? (ECONOMY)

24. Experts have tried to find a __________________ to the personnel problems. (SOLVE)

25. She’s a specialist in psychology and human __________________ . (BEHAVE)

26. The __________________ of the most important port of the country eliminated all trade. (BLOCK)

27. The __________________ system of some countries used to be based on gold. (MONEY)

28. He recovered from his injuries in the __________________ hospital (NAVY)

29. He has loved her __________________ ever since they first met. (PASSION)

30. The importance of this __________________ has been extremely overrated. (INVENT)

31. He is a convinced __________________ of Chinese communism (FOLLOW)

32. Jane’s party was more of an __________________ test than anything else. (ENDURE)

33. The government has committed itself to developing __________________ sources of energy. (NEW)

34. He took a job as a sales __________________ in a big department store. (ASSIST)

35. The potential benefits of this treatment __________________ the risks. (WEIGH)

36. Make sure the hairdryer is __________________ before you fix the switch. (CONNECT)

37. They say that travel __________________ the mind. (BROAD)

38. Without his teacher’s __________________ he would have given up long ago. (ENCOURAGE)

39. Dickens’s last novel was __________________ The Mystery of Edwin Drood. (TITLE)

40. She has known me for two years now but she still __________________ my name. (PRONOUNCE)