Suffixes in sentences aid in the meaning or function of a word. For instance by adding -ing to the verb "teach" the noun "teaching" is formed. There are some suffixes that are only used for nouns and others that are used for adjectives, verbs and adverbs.A list of these suffixes, converting nouns to adjectives are -al, -ary, -ful, -ic, -ical, -ish, -less, -like, -ly, -ous, -y. The -al suffix
. means relating to and having the nature of, as in accident to accidental, tide to tidal, comedy to comical, region to regional and person to personal. The -ary suffix means relating to quality or place, as in honor to honorary, second to secondary and custom to customary. The suffix -ful means full, as in beauty to beautiful, peace to peaceful, and master to masterful. The -ic suffix means having the nature of and caused by, as in athlete to athletic, hero to heroic and history to historic. The suffix -ical means having the nature of, as in music to musical, magic to magical and maniac to maniacal. The -ish suffix means origin or nature, as in child to childish and girl to girlish. The -less suffix means without, as in power to powerless and hope to hopeless. The -like suffix means like, as in war to warlike and life to lifelike. The -ly suffix also means like, as in friend to friendly and like to likely. The -ous suffix means quality or nature, as in danger to dangerous and victory to victorious. The -y suffix mean like, as in rain to rainy and dirt to dirty.Suffixes changing verbs to adjectives include -able, -ible, -ant, -ent, -ive, -ing, -ed, and -en. The suffix -able means able and can do and examples include remark to remarkable and agree to agreeable. The suffix -ible means able and can do as well, as in force to forcible. The suffix -ant means performing agent, as in rely to reliant. The suffix -ent also means performing agent, as in excel to excellent. The suffixes -ive, -ing, -ed, and -en means causing effect, as in attract to attractive, amuse to amusing, rag to ragged and dark to darken. More reference links: http://www.grammar-quizzes.com/adj-forms.html http://www.uefap.com/vocab/build/building.htm
