Upper Primary School English Quiz - Vocabulary 19 - Suffixes 1 (Questions)

We have learnt in our English classes about root words or base words. We have also learnt about different parts of speech. We have learnt to convert some of the words from one part of speech into another and use them effectively to communicate better. Also,we have heard of prefixes and suffixes.

You may already have done the two quizzes on prefixes. If so you will know that prefixes are groups of letters that are added before a base word to make a new word. In the same vein suffixes are groups of words that are added after a base word to form new words.

Generally, the meaning of the new word is linked to the root word, although in some cases it may not be. The suffixes that we add each have a meaning and, if we know what it is, we can guess the meaning of the new word.

[readmore]Many suffixes can be added to the same word and the new words formed expand our vocabulary tremendously. A case in point is the word Friend. By adding various suffixes to the word friend we can form the following words:

Friendliest
Friendship
Friendless
Friendlier
Friendlily
Friending
Friended
Friendly

The suffix est means most and you can see what friendliest connotes - most friendly. Similarly, the suffix ship means state or condition and it is easy to see what friendship means - the state between friends. Likewise, other suffixes have their own meanings and by and large those meanings are sacrosanct when used with different words.

Suffixes can be either single letter suffixes or multi-letter suffixes. With a bit of practice and constant usage we can master the use of suffixes and the meaning of words formed by them. The quiz that follows gives you an exposure to the many suffixes that are in use.