Suffixes

1 -ish

(i) -ish sometimes means 'with the qualities of' e.g. boyish.

Put each of the following words in its correct place in the sentences below.
childish girlish amateurish piggish monkish
(a) He lives in one small room and he hasn't many needs. He leads an almost ____ life.
(b) He is usually a very fine actor , but last night he was terrible , really ____ .
(c) He’s nearly eighteen but he still has very ____ attitudes and interests.
(d) He behaved very badly at lunch. He really has____ manners.
(e) She still wears rather young, ____ fashions.

(ii) -ish often means 'rather', 'about', 'more or less' e.g. yellowish (more or less yellow), eightish (about eight),
slowish (rather slow). This use of -ish is colloquial, so is not often used in written English.
Put each of the following words in its correct place in the passage below, in which a man who has witnessed a crime
describes to a police officer what he saw.
smallish sevenish twentyish tallish fairish greenish darkish
Well, it happened very quickly, officer. I was just leaving my office. It was fairly late , perhaps (a) ____ and I couldn't see
very well because it was already getting (b) ____ . A man came out of the bank. He had (c) ____ hair. His age, well. he
was (d) ____ or maybe twenty-five. I couldn’t guess his height , but he was (e) ____ . He had a suitcase and he got into a
car , not a very big one , (f) ____ in fact .The colour? I think it was (g) ____ . Sorry I can't be more exact.
 2 –ful -less
-ful means 'having', with' e.g. 'careful, colourful
-less means 'without', 'lacking' e.g. careless, windowless

Put each of the following words in its correct place in the sentences below.

thoughtful successful thoughtless beautiful

harmful friendless harmless waterless

(a) The Sahara Desert is vast ____ area which runs from east to west across Africa.

(b) Smoking is ____ to your health.

(c) This present is just what I want and need. How ____ of you.
(d) I hope you are ____ in your exams.
(e) Don't be afraid of the dog. He’s ____ .
(f) It was very ____ of you to play the radio so loud so late at night.
(g) She' very ____.Three artists have painted her.
(h) I was alone and ____in a strange city.
3 –er -ee
-er usually has active meaning e.g. examiner (a person who examines,
i.e. sets an examination)
-ee usually has a passive meaning e.g. examinee (a person who is examined,
i.e. takes an examination)
Put each of the following words in its correct place in the sentences below.
interviewer trainer employer interviewee trainee employee

(a) I was given a pay rise of £ 1,000 by my ____ .

(b) A football team normally has a ____ to keep the players fit.
(c) A television ____ should always give the ____ a proper chance to express his or her opinions.
(d) That company has 200 people working in its factory. My brother works there and l, too, am an ____ .
(e) At the moment he' a management ____ . If he' successful, he'll be given his first responsible position in January.
 4 -proof
-proof means 'safe against', 'able to resist' e.g. fireproof door.
Put each of the following words in its correct place in the sentences below.
waterproof bulletproof shockproof childproof
foolproof
soundproof heatproof

(a) The windows of the Presidents car were made of ____ glass in case of an assassination attempt.
(b) Our tent wasn't completely ___ and the rain came through.
(c) The soldiers were given ____ watches.
(d) These dishes are ____. You can put them in the oven.
(e) The banks security system is completely ____. It can't possibly go wrong.
(f) The car locks should be ____, otherwise my young sons will open them during a journey and fall out.
(g) The recording studio was completely ____.

5-ful
-ful is often used to indicate quantity e.g. a pocketful (the contents of a pocket) of coins.
Put each of the following words in its correct place in the sentences below.
houseful cupful tankful handful mouthful teaspoonful

(a) Put a large of rice in boiling water, then add a little salt, just a ____.
(b) At Christmas we had a ____ of visitors.
(c) The foreign tourist put a ____of money in front of the taxi driver and said, ‘Is this enough?’
(d) After just one ____ I knew she was a wonderful cook.
(e) A ___ of petrol should take this car over 200 miles.

6 -er -or -ar

From the verbs below make nouns describing people by adding –er, -or or -ar to the end and making any other
necessary spelling changes.

e.g. liberate liberator drum drummer

 (a) teach (h) murder (o) work
(b) direct (i) operate (p) donate
(c) beg (j) demonstrate (q) visit
(d) interpret (k) inspect (r) procedure
(e) translate (l) act (s) travel
(f) collect (m) buy (t) complete
(g) sail (n) edit

7 instructions as above.
(a) sing
(b) govern (h) supply (o) photograph
(c) announce (i) control (p) swim
(d) admire (j) investigate (q) contribute
(e) decorate (k) ski (r) create
(f) rob (l) instruct (s) manage
(g) survive (m) elect (t) lie
(n) write

8 -ist -ian
From the verbs below make nouns describing people by adding –er, -or or -ar to the end and making any other
necessary spelling changes.
e.g. Brazil Brazilian violin violinist
(a) motor (i) art (q) magic
(b) electricity (j) bicycle (r) flower
(c) Paris (k) guitar (s) comedy
(d) Christ (l) politics (t) beauty
(e) piano (m) science (u) journal
(f) history (n) music (v) parachute
(g) Buddha (o) psychiatry (w) language
(h) economy (p) terror (x) archaeology