A suffix is a letter or multiple letters that change the meaning of a word when added at the end of said word. In this article we’re going to learn about Inflectional Suffixes.
A suffix that changes the grammatical properties of the root word’s it is attached to is an Inflectional Suffix.
In this article we’re going do have deeper look into inflectional suffix examples as well as in-depth explanations to get a better understanding of the concept.
Note- Symbols next to words in the sentence examples denote the following:-
- (v)- Verb
- (n)- Noun
- (a)- Adjective
What is an Inflectional Suffix?
Inflectional suffixes are letters added to the end of certain words that change their grammar structure.
Nouns turn into Plurals- -s, -es, -ies
Verbs change tenses- -ed, -en
Adjectives change degree- -er, -est
Examples-
- Bench (n)- There are five benches we can sit on.
- Ask (v)- He asked me to fill his water bottle for him.
- Bless (v)- They were blessed with a great family.
- Big (a)- I have never seen a bigger crowd than at the mall today.
- Ball (n)- He did not miss even one of the tennis balls being shot in his direction.
When to use inflectional suffix?
An Inflectional Suffix may be used when one wants to change the grammatical or syntactical property of a noun, verb, adjective or adverb.
Examples-
- Guess (v)- She guessed we would reach by five and she was correct.
- Act (v)- The team acted poorly after losing the match.
- Polite (a)- Never have a met a politer man before.
- Teacher (n)- Teachers reach school before the students.
- Lecture (n)- We have only three lectures tomorrow.
Why to use inflectional suffix?
An Inflectional Suffix may be used to help change singular nouns to plurals, change verb tenses and degrees in adjectives.
Examples-
- Happy (a)- She is in a much happier place in life than she was before.
- Wait (v)- They waited for us for ten minutes.
- Sad (a)- That was the saddest day of my life
- Home (n)- How many homes does the businessman own?
- Need (v)- We needed glue for our school project.
How to use inflectional suffix?
An Inflectional Suffix may be used by adding a letter or group of letters at the end of a root word, which could be a noun, verb or even an adjective or adverb.
Examples-
- Small (a)- He asked for a smaller piece of cake.
- Cat (n)- I would love to adopt many cats when I grow older.
- Acid (a)- The coffee we had was quite acidic.
- Want (v)- He wanted to leave as soon as he could.
- Soft (a)- Cotton is the softest fabric ever.
Where to use inflectional suffix?
An Inflectional Suffix may be used where a need to change the grammatical property of a sentence arises.
Examples-
- Dog (n)- How many dogs do you own?
- Open (v)- We opened a window to let the smell out.
- Family (n)- The gala will be attended by many rich families.
- House (n)- Take a left after passing the three houses.
- Confuse (v)- The instruction manual had confused her more than it had helped her.
Inflectional suffix Structure
An Inflectional Suffix structure usually consists of a root word plus the inflectional suffix at its end.
Root Word + Inflectional Suffix
Examples-
- Day (n)- It took me days to finish this painting.
- Hard (a)- He was given the hardest task from all his colleagues.
- Garden (n)- This city is known for its beautiful botanical gardens.
- Straight (a)- The art teacher asked her students to draw straighter lines.
- Hand (v)- She handed me the tools as I worked.
Uses Of inflectional suffix
An Inflectional Suffix helps one identify the different forms nouns, verbs and adjectives in a sentence.
It helps one distinguish the different forms and variations of the same root word within the context of their usage.
Examples-
- Cook (v)- The family cooked a delicious meal for us.
- Tall (a)- She has always been tallest in her class.
- Plate (n)- How many plates must we set on the table?
- Cry (v)- The new-born cried all night long.
- Wise (a)- My aunt is the wisest woman I know.
Inflectional suffix examples
1. Bench (n)- There are five benches we can sit on.
The letters ‘es’ from the word ‘benches’ are an inflectional suffix.
2. Ask (v)- He asked me to fill his water bottle for him.
The letters ‘ed’ from the word ‘asked’ are an inflectional suffix.
3. Bless (v)- They were blessed with a great family.
The letters ‘ed’ from the word ‘blessed’ are an inflectional suffix.
4. Big (a)- I have never seen a bigger crowd than at the mall today.
The letters ‘ger’ from the word ‘bigger’ are an inflectional suffix.
5. Ball (n)- He did not miss even one of the tennis balls being shot in his direction.
The letter ‘s’ from the word ‘balls’ is an inflectional suffix.
6. Guess (v)- She guessed we would reach by five and she was correct.
The letters ‘ed’ from the word ‘guessed’ are an inflectional suffix.
7. Act (v)- The team acted poorly after losing the match.
The letters ‘ed’ from the word ‘acted’ are an inflectional suffix.
8. Polite (a)- Never have a met a politer man before.
The letters ‘er’ from the word ‘politer’ are an inflectional suffix.
9. Teacher (n)- Teachers reach school before the students.
The letter ‘s’ from the word ‘teachers’ is an inflectional suffix.
10. Lecture (n)- We have only three lectures tomorrow.
The letter ‘s’ from the word ‘lectures’ is an inflectional suffix.
11. Happy (a)- She is in a much happier place in life than she was before.
The letters ‘ier’ from the word ‘happier’ are an inflectional suffix.
12. Wait (v)- They waited for us for ten minutes.
The letters ‘ed’ from the word ‘waited’ are an inflectional suffix.
13. Sad (a)- That was the saddest day of my life.
The letters ‘est’ from the word ‘saddest’ are an inflectional suffix.
14. Home (n)- How many homes does the businessman own?
The letter ‘s’ from the word ‘homes’ is an inflectional suffix.
15. Need (v)- We needed glue for our school project.
The letters ‘ed’ from the word ‘needed’ are an inflectional suffix.
16. Small (a)- He asked for a smaller piece of cake.
The letters ‘er’ from the word ‘smaller’ are an inflectional suffix.
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17. Cat (n)- I would love to adopt many cats when I grow older.
The letter ‘s’ from the word ‘cats’ is an inflectional suffix.
18. Acid (a)- The coffee we had was quite acidic.
The letters ‘ic’ from the word ‘acidic’ are an inflectional suffix.
19. Want (v)- He wanted to leave as soon as he could.
The letters ‘ed’ from the word ‘wanted’ are an inflectional suffix.
20. Soft (a)- Cotton is the softest fabric ever.
The letters ‘est’ from the word ‘softest’ are an inflectional suffix.
21. Dog (n)- How many dogs do you own?
The letter ‘s’ from the word ‘dogs’ is an inflectional suffix.
22. Open (v)- We opened a window to let the smell out.
The letters ‘ed’ from the word ‘opened’ are an inflectional suffix.
23. Family (n)- The gala will be attended by many rich families.
The letters ‘ies’ from the word ‘families’ are an inflectional suffix.
24. House (n)- Take a left after passing the three houses.
The letter ‘s’ from the word ‘houses’ is an inflectional suffix.
25. Confuse (v)- The instruction manual had confused her more than it had helped her.
The letters ‘ed’ from the word ‘confused’ are an inflectional suffix.
26. Day (n)- It took me days to finish this painting.
The letter ‘s’ from the word ‘days’ is an inflectional suffix.
27. Hard (a)- He was given the hardest task from all his colleagues.
The letters ‘est’ from the word ‘hardest’ are an inflectional suffix.
28. Garden (n)- This city is known for its beautiful botanical gardens.
The letter ‘s’ from the word ‘gardens’ is an inflectional suffix.
29. Straight (a)- The art teacher asked her students to draw straighter lines.
The letters ‘er’ from the word ‘straighter’ are an inflectional suffix.
30. Hand (v)- She handed me the tools as I worked.
The letters ‘ed’ from the word ‘handed’ are an inflectional suffix.
31. Cook (v)- The family cooked a delicious meal for us.
The letters ‘ed’ from the word ‘cooked’ are an inflectional suffix.
32. Tall (a)- She has always been tallest in her class.
The letters ‘est’ from the word ‘tallest’ are an inflectional suffix.
33. Plate (n)- How many plates must we set on the table?
The letter ‘s’ from the word ‘plates’ are an inflectional suffix.
34. Cry (v)- The new-born cried all night long.
The letters ‘ied’ from the word ‘cried’ are an inflectional suffix.
35. Wise (a)- My aunt is the wisest woman I know.
The letters ‘est’ from the word ‘wisest’ are an inflectional suffix.
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