Lesson 2: Attaching the Suffix LY, Attaching Suffixes to Monosyllables Ending in a Consonant, Attaching Suffixes to Polysyllables Ending in a Consonant, Troublesome Suffixes

Let's turn adjectives into adverbs! The suffix -ly is your best friend here, but watch out for those tricky words ending in -ic.

Key Words

• To change the adjective solemn into an adverb, you add -ly to get solemnly.
• The adjective nostalgic ends in -ic, so you must add -al and then -ly to form the adverb nostalgically.
• From the noun hero, you can form the adjective heroic and the adverb heroically.

To change most adjectives into adverbs, you simply add the suffix -ly. However, for adjectives that already end in -ic, you need to add -al before adding the -ly. A few words, like public, have alternative forms, but the -ally rule is a great guideline.

One-syllable words have their own set of rules when adding suffixes. It's all about what the word ends with!

Key Words

• The word sail ends in two vowels and a consonant, so you just add the suffix: sailing, sailed.
• The word stop ends in one vowel and one consonant. For a suffix starting with a vowel like -ed, you double the consonant: stopped.
• The word wet becomes wetter (doubling the 't' because '-er' starts with a vowel), but it becomes wetness (no doubling, because '-ness' starts with a consonant).

When adding a suffix to a monosyllable (a one-syllable word), check its ending. If it ends in two consonants (like *halt*) or two vowels plus a consonant (like *kneel*), just add the suffix. But if it ends in one vowel plus one consonant (like *run*), you must double the consonant before adding a suffix that starts with a vowel.

For words with multiple syllables, the rules for adding suffixes can seem tricky. Here's when you can relax and just add the suffix without any changes.

Key Words

• The word conduct ends in two consonants, so you simply add the suffix: conducting, conducted.
• The word appeal ends in two vowels and a consonant, so you just add -ing to get appealing.
• In 'CREdit', the stress is on the first syllable. When you add -ed, the stress stays there, so you get credited without doubling the 't'.

When adding a suffix to a polysyllable (a word with two or more syllables), you often don't need to double the final consonant. This applies if the word ends in two consonants (like *deduct*), two vowels and a consonant (like *contain*), or if the stress moves away from the final syllable in the new word (like in 'REFerence' from re'FER').

Sometimes, polysyllabic words need that final consonant doubled. It's all about where you put the emphasis!

Key Words

• The word is re'PEL'. The suffix is -ent, which starts with a vowel. The new word is re'PELLent', where the syllable is still stressed, so you double the 'l'.
• To combine con'FER' with the suffix -ence, you get 'CONference'. The stress shifts to the front, so you do not double the 'r'.
• To combine trans'MIT' with the suffix -er, you get trans'MITTer'. The stress stays on the last syllable, so you must double the 't'.

Time to double! For a polysyllable ending in one vowel and one consonant (like com'MIT'), you double the final consonant if two conditions are met: the suffix begins with a vowel, AND the final syllable of the original word remains stressed in the new word (like com'MITTing).

Is it believable or 'believible'? These suffixes can be tricky, so let's look at some common examples to help you remember which is which.

Key Words

• The story he told was not very plausible (ending in -ible).
• That old castle on the hill is said to be impregnable (ending in -able).
• The adjective flexible becomes the noun flexibility, keeping the -ibil- root.

There's no simple rule for choosing between -able and -ible; these words often have to be memorized. A helpful tip is that words ending in -able usually form nouns ending in -ability (like navigability), while words ending in -ible form nouns ending in -ibility (like flexibility). When in doubt, always check a dictionary.

Who is a 'possesser' and who is a 'possessor'? Is something 'relevent' or 'relevant'? Let's clear up the confusion between these common suffix pairs.

Key Words

• Someone who contributes to a cause is a contributor (ending in -or), not a 'contributer.'
• The detective asked for only the pertinent facts (ending in -ent), which form the noun pertinence.
• Her nonchalant attitude (ending in -ant) was surprising; this forms the noun nonchalance.