Language
Changing a word's part of speech
Turn a word into a noun, adjective, verb or adverb by changing its ending.
One idea, four shapes. Deep, depth, deepen, deeply — the same meaning doing four different jobs in a sentence. Learning the endings that make each shape is the fastest way to grow a vocabulary, because one root word becomes four.
Endings that make nouns
-ness (darkness), -ment (agreement), -tion (invention), -ity (purity), -dom (boredom), -th (warmth). Notice how often the root changes a little too: pure becomes purity, and warm becomes warmth.
Endings that make adjectives
-ful (truthful), -less (harmless), -ous (mountainous), -ive (attractive), -able (washable), -al (musical).
Endings that make verbs and adverbs
Verbs: -ify (clarify), -en (sharpen), -ate (activate). Adverbs are almost always -ly (slowly, softly, angrily — note that angry loses its y).
The gap tells you the part of speech
Look at what surrounds the blank. After "the", you need a noun. After a form of "be", usually an adjective. Modifying a verb, an adverb. Decide the part of speech first, then pick the ending.
Worked example
Which form fits: "Her ____ surprised everyone." (root: generous)
Look at the gap. It follows "her" and is the subject of "surprised".
A subject is a noun, so the answer must be a noun.
Try it together
Let us fit three words to three gaps.
Each sentence needs one word built from the root in brackets. Read what sits either side of the gap before you decide on an ending — the surrounding words, not the root, tell you which part of speech is wanted.
1."Her ____ of the diagram was clear to everyone." (root: explain)
Have a go
"His ____ to the team was clear." Write the noun form of "loyal".
Ready to practice?
Eight questions on what you have just read. Nothing is timed, and you can play as many times as you like.