Grammar Fundamentals and Word Formation

Topics Covered

What is Grammar?

• Grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of sentences, phrases, and words in a language
• Grammar provides the framework for proper communication
• Includes rules for syntax, morphology, and semantics
• Essential for clear and effective communication

What is a Word?

• A word is the smallest unit of language that can stand alone and convey meaning
• Words are building blocks of sentences
• Can be categorized into different parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, etc.)
• Words can be simple (one morpheme) or complex (multiple morphemes)

Word Formation through Suffixation

Suffixation is the process of adding a suffix (ending) to a base word to create a new word with a different meaning or grammatical function.

Common Suffixes and Examples:

Noun Suffixes:

• -tion/-sion: act → action, decide → decision
• -ness: happy → happiness, kind → kindness
• -ment: develop → development, enjoy → enjoyment
• -er/-or: teach → teacher, act → actor
• -ist: art → artist, science → scientist

Adjective Suffixes:

• -ful: care → careful, beauty → beautiful
• -less: care → careless, hope → hopeless
• -able/-ible: read → readable, flex → flexible
• -ous: danger → dangerous, fame → famous
• -al: nation → national, music → musical

Verb Suffixes:

• -ize/-ise: modern → modernize, real → realize
• -en: weak → weaken, bright → brighten
• -ify: class → classify, pure → purify

Adverb Suffixes:

• -ly: quick → quickly, slow → slowly
• -ward: back → backward, for → forward

Key Points

1. Grammar is essential for structured communication
2. Words are the fundamental units of language
3. Suffixation is a productive way to expand vocabulary
4. Understanding word formation helps improve both writing and comprehension
5. Different suffixes create different parts of speech

Practice Examples

Additional Notes