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What are adjective suffixes? 15 common adjective suffixes in English

What are adjective suffixes? What is the most appropriate way to use adjective suffixes in English? Let's have a look at some common adjective suffixes with PREP in the article below!

Adjective suffixes in English
Adjective suffixes in English

I. What are adjective suffixes?

What are adjective suffixes? Adjective suffixes are a group of letters added to the end of a word to turn it into an adjective. For example:

  • The verb “understand” when added with the suffix “-able” becomes the adjective “understandable”.
  • The noun “power” when added with the suffix “-ful” becomes the noun “powerful”.
What are adjective suffixes?
What are adjective suffixes?

For more information, please refer to the following articles:

II. List of the most common adjective suffixes

List of the most common adjective suffixes
List of the most common adjective suffixes

Let's take a look at PREP's list of the 15 most common adjective suffixes below!

Adjective suffixes

Example

Meaning

-able/ -ible

Suitable 

acceptable or right for someone or something

Audible 

able to be heard

-ful

Beautiful 

having an attractive quality that gives pleasure to those who experience it or think about it

-ive

Attractive 

very pleasing in appearance or sound

-ant/ -ent

Observant 

good or quick at noticing things

Dependent 

needing the support of something or someone in order to continue existing or operating

-less

Hopeless 

without hope

-al/ -ial/ -ical

Musical 

related to or connected with music

Partial 

not complete

Identical 

exactly the same, or very similar

-y

Dirty 

marked with dirt, mud, etc., or containing something such as pollution or bacteria

-ish

Childish 

typical of a child

-er/ -est

Taller 

Comparative form of tall

Tallest 

Superlative form of tall

-ed/ -ing

Interesting

Someone or something that is interesting keeps your attention because he, she, or it is unusual, exciting, or has a lot of ideas

Interested 

wanting to give your attention to something and discover more about it

III. Adjective formation in English

How can an English adjective be formed? Read the information below to find the answer!

Adjective formation in English
Adjective formation in English

1. Add a suffix after the verb

Formula:

Verb + adjective suffix = adjective.

For example:

Verb

Adjective suffix

Adjective

Meaning

Access 

-ible

Accessible

able to be reached or easily obtained

Create 

-ive

Creative 

producing or using original and unusual ideas

2. Add a suffix after the noun

Formula:

Noun + adjective suffix = adjective.

For example:

Noun

Adjective suffix

Adjective

Meaning

Faith 

-ful

Faithful 

firm and not changing in your friendship with or support for a person or an organization, or in your belief in your principles

Limit 

-less

Limitless 

without limit

3.  The differences between adjectives ending in “-ed” and adjectives ending in “-ing”

 

Adjectives ending in “-ed”

Adjectives ending in “-ing”

Usage

To describe feelings or emotions

To describe characteristics of a person, a thing or a situation.

Example

I was surprised when receiving the gift. 

She is interested in reading. 

The story is surprising and well-written. 

She is an interesting person. 

IV. Exercises on adjective suffixes with answers

Let's practice the following exercises to gain more knowledge about adjective suffixes!

1. Exercises

Exercise 1: Complete the sentence with the suitable adjective form

  1. The candidate had the_____(suit) skills and experience.
  2. The speaker ensured that her voice was clear and_____(audio).
  3. The garden was filled with vibrant flowers, creating a_____(beauty) atmosphere.
  4. The new product design was so_____(attract) to potential customers.
  5. Robert’s_____(observe) nature allowed him to notice the small details

Exercise 2: Match the following words with the appropriate adjective suffixes to form the correct adjectives

Word

Adjective suffix

  1. Danger
  2. Friend
  3. Hope
  4. Energy
  5. Info
  1. -ive
  2. -ous
  3. -ic
  4. -ful
  5. -ly

Exercise 3: Choose the correct answer

  1. The twins may look alike, but their personalities are quite_______.
    1. Different
    2. Difference
    3. Differentiate
  2.  The museum displayed a vast collection of _______artifacts, offering visitors a glimpse into the rich and diverse past of the region.
    1. History
    2. Historical
    3. Historic
  3. The professor provided _______resources for the students, including extra reading materials and online tutorials.
    1. Addition
    2. Additionality
    3. Additional
  4. The smartphone has become an essential and _______tool, allowing people to stay connected, access information.
    1. Useful
    2. Usage
    3. Useless
  5.  Following the safety guidelines is _______to ensure the well-being of all employees in the workplace.
    1. Important
    2. Unimportant
    3. Importance
  6. I thought she was the most ______woman I’d ever seen.
    1. Beauty
    2. Beautiful
    3. Beautifully
  7. Robert didn't seem very _______in what I was saying.
    1. Interesting
    2. Interested
    3. Interest

2. Answer

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

Exercise 3

  1. Suitable
  2. Audible
  3. Beautiful
  4. Attractive
  5. Observant
  1. Dangerous
  2. Friendly
  3. Hopeful
  4. Energetic
  5. Informative
  1. A
  2. B
  3. C
  4. A
  5. A
  6. B
  7. B

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 V. Start Your IELTS Journey

Through this post, PREP hopes you have gained an understanding of 15 common English adjective suffixes. By familiarizing yourself with these suffixes, you can greatly expand your ability to describe and differentiate various qualities. If Want to learn the secrets to IELTS success? Explore PREP powerful resource today.

Master Tu Pham
Master Tu Pham
Founder/CEO at Prep
Founder of Prep Smart Test Preparation Platform. With over 10 years of experience in teaching and test preparation, Mr. Tú has helped thousands of students achieve high scores in the IELTS exam. In addition, Mr. Tú Phạm is also a consulting expert in British Council programs and a speaker at many leading educational events, programs, and conferences.
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