Archive for August, 2015

Formation of adjectives

August 14th, 2015 in English Learning

Adjectives are formed from other words. We usually make adjectives by putting suffixes. Suffixes are letters added after a word. Sometimes we have to make some spelling changes to the word before adding the suffix.

You can form adjectives in the following ways.

By adding the suffix –ful

Harm -> harmful
Bliss -> blissful
Hope -> hopeful
Mercy -> merciful (If the word ends in ‘y’ replace the ‘y’ with ‘i’ and then add –ful.)

By adding the suffix –less

Harm – harmless
Mercy -> merciless (If the word ends in ‘y’ replace the ‘y’ with ‘i’ and then add –less.)

By adding the suffix –able

Break -> breakable
Compare -> comparable (If the word ends in ‘e’ drop the ‘e’ and then add –able.)
Work -> workable
Depend -> dependable
Vary -> variable (If the word ends in ‘y’ replace the ‘y’ with ‘i’ and then add –able.)

By adding the suffix –y

Cloud -> cloudy
Haste – hasty (If the word ends in ‘e’, drop the ‘e’ and then add ‘y’.)
Sun – sunny
Fun – funny (Sometimes you have to double the last letter before adding ‘y’.)
Gloom – gloomy
Anger – angry
Hunger – Hungry

By adding the suffix –ous

Courage -> courageous
Advantage -> advantageous
Danger -> dangerous
Space -> spacious (If the word ends in ‘e’ drop the ‘e’ and then add ‘–ious’.)