What is word formation? – It is possible to form multiple words from one word. The act of replacing a part of speech with a prefix or suffix in another part of speech is called word formation or word building. Let’s see examples of English word formation
There are two types of words-
- Primary words – Words that remain in their original form without any prefix or suffix are called primary words or root words. like- books, shoes, play, windows, tables, chairs,s, etc.
- Compound words – Words formed by the combination of two or more words are called compound words. like- Post+master = Postmaster, Beauty + full = Beautiful, etc.
Word formation of nouns from verbs
Nouns are formed by adding ment, tion, use, sy, con, ance, ence, al etc. to the end of the verb. like-
Verb Words | Noun Word |
Arrive | Arrival |
Approve | Approval |
Agree | Agreement |
Arrange | Arrangement |
Appoint | Appointment |
Admire | Admiration |
Admit | Admission |
Appear | Appearance |
Assure | Assurance |
Announce | Announcement |
Attend | Attendance |
Break | Breakage |
Bury | Burial |
Carry | Carriage |
Close | Closure |
Deliver | Delivery |
Develop | Development |
Enter | Entry |
Employ | Employment |
Examine | Examination |
Educate | Education |
Govern | Government |
Hinder | Hindrance |
Inform | Information |
Inherit | Inheritance |
Improve | Improvement |
Invent | Invention |
Interfere | Interference |
lose | loss |
Marry | Marriage |
Mix | Mixture |
Please | Pleasure |
Possess | Possession |
Propose | Proposal |
Prepare | Preparation |
Permit | Permission |
Refuse | Refusal |
Resign | Resignation |
Recover | Recovery |
Stop | Stoppage |
Separate | Separation |
Able | Ability |
Active | Activity |
Bold | Boldness |
Bright | Brightness |
Cleaver | Cleverness |
Eager | Eagerness |
Equal | Equality |
Hard | Hardness |
Heavy | Heaviness |
Loyal | Loyalty |
Noble | Nobility |
Possible | Possibility |
Pure | Purity |
Real | Reality |
Shy | Shyness |
Word building of nouns from Adjectives
Adjective | Noun |
Able | Ability |
Brave | Brevity |
Certain | Certainty |
Cheap | Cheapness |
Deep | Depth |
Excellent | Excellence |
Frank | Frankness |
Generous | Generosity |
Grave | Grief |
Hot | heat |
Immense | Immensity |
just | Justice |
Loyal | Loyalty |
Large | Largeness |
Formation of Adjectives from Nouns
Adding y, full, al, ous, able etc. to the end of the noun becomes an adjective. like-
Noun | Adjective |
Accident | Accidental |
Blood | Bloody |
Condition | Conditional |
Desire | Desirable |
Ease | Easy |
Flower | Flowery |
honor | Honorable |
Hunger | Hungry |
Ice | Icy |
Magic | Magical |
Memory | Memorable |
Milk | Milky |
Nation | National |
Respect | Respectable |
Star | Starry |
Storm | Stormy |
Thirst | Thirsty |
Value | Valuable |
Worth | Worthy |
Formation of Verbs from Nouns
Verbs are formed by adding en, ize, ise, fy, x etc. after the noun. like-
Noun | Verbs |
Apology | Apologize |
Advice | Advise |
Beauty | Beautify |
Bath | Bathe |
Belief | Believe |
Critic | Criticize |
Cloth | Clothe |
Fright | Frighten |
Haste | Hasten |
Half | Halve |
Justice | Justify |
Life | Live |
Light | Lighten |
Memory | Memorize |
Origin | Originate |
Peace | Pacify |
Practise | Practice |
Sale | Sell |
System | Systematize |
Sympathy | Sympathize |
Terror | Terrify |
Term | Terminate |
Threat | Threaten |
Word Formation of Verbs from Adjective
En, ize, ise are added at the end to form a verb from an adjective. to like-
Adjective | Verbs |
Black | Blacken |
Red | Redden |
Equal | Equalize |
Civil | Civilize |
Short | Shorten |
Wide | Widen |
Special | Specialize |
Note: Adding prefix/suffix to the root English word changes the part of speech and meaning.