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FORMATION AND TRANSFORMATION OF WORDS

by PROF MUNAWAR ALI MALIK 

English language is immensely rich in vocabulary. And it is growing richereveryday by absorbing words from other languages and coinage ( formation of new

words) by speakers and writers of English all over the world. 

Formation and Transformation of words lends beauty, variety andeffectiveness to expression. We can say the same thing in many different ways byusing a word as a Verb, Noun and Adjective. 

I was able to pass the test by hard work 

( able = Adjective) Hard work gave me the ability to pass the test.

( ability = Noun) Hard work enabled me to pass the test. 

( enabled = Verb) Transformation of words means converting a word into various Parts of

Speech like changing a Noun into Verb, Adjective or Adverb etc. e.g 

Noun Verb Adjective Adverb beauty beautify beautiful beautifully 

Sometimes a word is transformed into an Antonym ( word of opposite meaning) e.g 

understand-----misunderstand 

possible--------impossible 

In most cases of Transformation, a Prefix or Suffix is added to the originalword to make a new word. 

A Prefix means a letter or a group of letters added at the start of a word, e.g 

like----------alike 

able----------unable 

possible------impossible 

lead----------mislead 

A Suffix means a letter or a group of letters added at the end of a word e.g. kind---------kindness 

state---------statement real---------reality 

man---------manhood/mankind 

Sometimes the e at the end of a word is dropped before adding a Suffix. e.g 

write-------writing 

take--------taking 

approve----approval When a Verb ends in a Consonant, and there is a single Vowel before the

Consonant, the Consonant is doubled before adding the Suffix ed or inge.g 

stop stopping stopped run running 

sit sitting 

This rule does not apply to some Verbs that end in en 

open opening opened 

happen happening happenedWhen full is used as a Suffix, the last l is dropped, e.g 

help helpful 

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  respect respectful When a word ends in y , the y is replaced with i before adding ful e.g 

beauty beautiful plenty plentiful 

Use of Important Prefixes and Suffixes 

A) 

Prefixes1. a ------------alike, alive, abate 

2. ab-----------abnormal, aboriginal 

3. ac-----------acclaim, acquit 

4. ad-----------adjoin, adjudge 

5. anti---------antisocial, anticlimax 

6. be-----------belittle, befriend 

7. bi------------bicycle, biannual 

8. by-----------bypass, by-product 

9. counter----counterpart, counter-attack 

10. de-----------decode, defrost, defend 

11. dis----------disbelieve, discharge, displease 

12. en-----------enlarge, endanger, enlist 

13. em----------empower, employ 

14. ex-----------ex-principal, ex-president 

15. extra-------extraordinary, extra-careful 

16. im---------- impossible, immovable, impassable 

17. in----------- inactive, insecure 

18. inter------- internet, intercom 

19.ir----------- irresponsible, irrelevant

 

20. non---------nonsense, non-existent 

21. post---------post-paid, post-colonial, post-graduate 

22. pre----------pre-budget, pre-paid, pre-natal 

23. pro----------pro-people, pro-Islam 

24. sub----------substandard, submerge 

25. un-----------unpleasant, unfavourable, unconscious

B)  Suffixes 

1. ----able respectable, comfortable, serviceable 

2. ----age postage, mileage, breakage 3. ----al verbal, survival, postal 

4. ----ence confidence, absence, presence 

5. ----ance compliance, assistance 

6. ----ary budgetary, supplementary 

7. ----ate doctorate, electorate 

8. ----ative creative, initiative 

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9. ----ator creator, dictator, calculator  

10. ----ee employee, selectee, refugee 

11. ----en golden, wooden 

12. ----er teacher, leader, reader  

13. ----ful respectful, beautiful, awful 

14. ----hood boyhood, childhood, manhood 

15. ----ing reading, playing, walking 

16. ----ion confession, discussion, suppression 

17. ----ish childish, girlish, boyish 

18. ----ism criticism, socialism, feminism 

19. ----ist socialist, imperialist 

20. ----ty/ity cruelty, reality, security 

21. ----less careless, shameless, hopeless 

22. ----ment settlement, statement, 

23. ----ship dictatorship, scholarship 

24. ----some quarrelsome, awesome 

25. ----wise clockwise, otherwise, lengthwise 

Prefixes and Suffixes play a very important role in word formation. They are usedin interchange of Parts of Speech like changing Nouns into Verbs, Adjectives orAdverbs and vice versa. They are also used in making Antonyms e.g 

able unable 

careful careless 

correct incorrect Suffixes are also used to change the Nouns of male gender into female e.g 

lion lioness 

hero heroine Suffixes are added to make Plural Nouns from Singular e.g 

book books 

box boxes 

leaf leaves 

story stories 

Compound Nouns are often used in modern English. They are formed bycombining two Nouns to give a single meaning e.g 

teacup 

schoolmaster  headmaster  

bank manager  

civil judge 

water cooler  

Besides the use of the methods of word formation given above, new words arealways pouring in through adoption of words from other languages and coinage bywriters.