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Prefixes
A prefix is a group of two or three letters added to the
beginning of a word to change or qualify the meaning, e.g.
dis-, mis-, pre-, un-.
Rule
When you add a prefix you do not change the spelling of
the original word:
satisfied  dissatisfied
spelling  misspelling
necessary  unnecessary
Key Point
Remember, prefixes never change the root word.
Suffixes
A suffix is a group of two or three letters added to the
end of a word to make a derivative of the original, e.g. –
ed, -ful, -ly, -ment.
Sometimes adding a suffix changes the spelling of the
original word.
Rules
Adding a vowel suffix –ed, -ing and –y
If the word has one syllable, one short vowel and ends in
a single consonant, you double the consonant when you
add the ending:
stop  stopped  stopping
fit  fitted  fitting
mud  muddy
Words with more than one syllable or vowel and words
that end with a double consonant, take the suffix without
changing the root:
boss  bossy
deliver  delivery
focus  focusing
groom  groomed
Suffixes
If the word ends in –e you only add the –d of –ed. You
leave out the –e if you are adding –ing or able:
continue  continued
make  making
excite  excitable
Adding a consonant suffix
In most cases, the root word does not change when you
add a suffix that begins with a consonant. Remember the
following points:
Adding –ful
Rule: Remember, full becomes –ful. You do not change
the original word unless it ends in y (see y ending rule)
fit  fitful
hope  hopeful
Suffixes
Adding –ly
Rule: The original word does not change when you add –ly.
real  really
proper  properly
careful  carefully
Words that end in –le don’t follow the same rule. For
these words, miss out the final –e and add –y.
responsible  responsibly
possible  possibly
Words ending in –y or –f
The rules for adding suffixes to words ending in –y or –f
are the same as the pluralising rules.
fry  fried
beauty  beautiful
happy  happily
play  played
shelf  shelving
Progress Check
How many words can you make from these prefixes and
suffixes?
Prefix
mis
pre
dis
un
Root
appoint
fortunate
view
event
understand
Suffix
ment
ful
ly
ed
ing
Key point
Learning prefix and suffix rules will help you to spell
words.
Parts of Speech
Nouns
A noun is a naming word for a person, a place or a thing.
E.g. boy, river, newspaper.
A proper noun is a person’s or place’s actual name. E.g.
John Smith, Cupar.
Underline the nouns in the list below. Write out the
proper nouns as they should appear:
1. rocky mountains
3. chair
5. mississippi river
7. child
9. uncle ben
2. water
4. accident
6. london
8. noise
10. dundee
Use the nouns in the box below to make 10 sentences of
your own.
cat
girl
shop
trainers
television
shopkeeper
lemonade
schoolbag
laptop
football
canal
car
racehorse
yacht
puppy
field
boy
aeroplane
flower
book
Parts of Speech
Adjectives
An adjective describes a noun. It is a describing word.
E.g. tall, skinny, spotty.
Underline the adjectives in the following sentences:
1. The brown leaves fell from the tall tree.
2. A small dog ran across the busy road.
3. I always watch my favourite programme on
television.
4. The beautiful painting was magnificent.
5. The fat man followed the sweet scent of doughnuts
coming from the warm bakery.
Use the adjectives in the box below to make 10
sentences of your own.
fat
short
dirty
red
spotty
clean
striped
cold
slim
muddy
yellow
hot
pretty
large
gigantic
woolly
blue
smelly
tiny
ragged
Parts of Speech
Verbs
A verb is a type of word that describes an action. It is a
doing word.
E.g. throw, run, swim.
Underline the verbs in the following sentences:
1. James pushed forward to the front of the queue.
2. Katie skipped along the road.
3. Barry climbed the huge oak tree in the park.
4. The teacher shouted at the noisy pupil.
5. The rabbits nibbled some lettuce leaves.
6. I bought a new pair of trainers yesterday.
Use the verbs in the box below to make 10 sentences of
your own.
heaved
whispered
plodded
pointed
hit
prayed
marched
skated
yelled
stalked
abseiled
drove
screamed
crept
bought
scrambled
strolled
paddled
stole
fell
Parts of Speech
Adverbs
Adverbs are words that describe how, when or where
something is done.
E.g. slowly, briskly, menacingly.
Underline the adverbs in the following sentences:
1. Thomas ate his food greedily.
2. Debbie swam quickly from one end of the pool to the
other.
3. The dog ran suddenly into the main road.
4. Ahmed waited anxiously for his Biology test results.
5. Chris sat comfortably in the leather armchair
waiting.
6. The ball that burst was cheaply made.
Use the adverbs in the box below to make 10 sentences
of your own.
quickly
bravely
noisily
hungrily
gently
proudly
accidentally skilfully
patiently truthfully
willingly
sweetly
honestly
carefully
clumsily
feebly
Key point
Many (but not all) adverbs end in the suffix –ly.
brutally
fiercely
lazily
slowly
Parts of Speech
Pronouns
A pronoun is a type of word that replaces a noun or a
proper noun. E.g. She, he, they, it.
Look at this sentence:
While he was off school, Michael missed two important
tests.
 Which word is the proper noun?
 Which word is the pronoun?
Which are the pronouns in these sentences?
1. She told me I had to leave the room immediately.
2. They all boarded the bus bound for Newcastle.
3. It was very smelly indeed!
4. He ranted at the class for nearly fifteen minutes.
5. It was a horrible looking cat.
6. Brian is my best friend and I will always be there
for him.
7. I started a new aerobics class tonight.
8. If we go out tonight I must be home by eleven
o’clock.
Homophones
There are many different words in the English language
that sound the same but are spelt differently and have
different meanings. They are known as homophones.
Read the passage below:
I maid my weigh down the rode. Suddenly eye sore a weight
hoarse.
“Ware are ewe off two?” aye asked
“Too sea the see and watch the son go down.”
“Isle come with yew,” I said.
Sew, I court him and wee road together, wile the wind blue in
hour hare.
There are 25 homophones in this short passage. Can you
find them and say how the words should have been spelt?
Look at the table below.
You must learn the spellings of these words.
are
our
hear
here
their
there
they’re
threw
through
to
too
two
sore
soar
wear
were
we’re
where
who’s
whose
Present form of the verb to be: Where are you
going?
Belonging to us: We’re going to our house.
To perceive sound: Can you hear me?
Referring to place: Come over here!
Belonging to them: We’re going to their house.
Referring to place: It’s over there.
Short form of they are: They’re coming to our
house.
Past tense of throw: He threw the ball.
He went through the door. I read the letter
through from start to finish.
Introduces a noun or a verb: Are you going to
school? I was going to walk today.
Also/ as well: Can we come too? Excessive: It is
too hot!
The number 2: I ate two pieces of cake.
Painful: My leg was sore.
To fly or rise high: Eagles soar high in the sky.
Of clothes, etc.: I wear school uniform.
Past tense of are: We were going to school.
Short form of we are: We’re going to school.
Referring to place: Where is it?
Short form of who is: Who’s going to be first?
Belonging to: Whose bag is this?
Plurals practise – plurals ending in y
If a word ends in ‘y’ and you want to make it a plural, how
do you decide whether to add an ‘s’ or ‘ies’?
E.g. boy = boys
BUT
party = parties
play = plays
battery =
batteries
The Rule
Words ending with a vowel, then y
Add s
boys
boy+s =
Words ending with a consonant (any letter not a vowel)
change y to i + es
Party =
parti=es = parties
Now look at the table on the next page. Try making the
words into plurals. Look back at the rule if you get stuck.
Plurals practise
Word
Country
Boy
Query
Donkey
Try
Redundancy
Journey
City
Subsidy
Decoy
Valley
Vacancy
Dictionary
Delay
Key
Loyalty
Memory
History
Display
Plural
Word
Body
Storey
Laboratory
Treaty
Story
Century
Emergency
Fantasy
Chimney
Osprey
Currency
Diary
Quay
Birthday
Savoury
Array
Photocopy
Galaxy
Accessory
Plural
Tricky words – Learn the spellings!
embarrassment
beautiful
a lot
as well
definitely
does
immediately
business
successful
necessary
discussion
quite
diamond
onomatopoeia
marriage
licence
mystery
obsessive
quay
rhythm
vicious
unfortunately
difficult
spacious
intrigue
interesting
anxious
know
argument
goes
disappear
decision
strength
unfortunately
occasionally
possession
quiet
environment
alliteration
imaginative
jacuzzi
negotiate
receipt
tomorrow
sincerely
surprise
conscience
absolutely
apparently
disappoint