Courseversity

Suffixes

Primary EducationGrade 3English & Language ArtsCV-PRI-G03-ELA-U05-L0645–60 min

You will learn

  • Recognise suffixes.
  • Know what each suffix means.
  • Build new words.
  • Use the suffix to find meaning.

Version 0.2 · expanded edition · built from cited public sources Content is based on the official frameworks and sources listed under Sources and standards. No official endorsement is claimed. Written in the style of common primary school assessments. No exam result is promised.

Student lesson

The lesson in 60 seconds

  1. -er: one who does.
  2. -ness: state of being.
  3. -ment: action or result.
  4. -able: can be done; -ly: in a way.

Words to know

-er
one who does something
-ness
the state of being
-ment
the action or result
-able
can be done

1. Discover: The kindness of the teacher

Ama’s teacher is a great teacher and a famous singer. She shows kindness and speaks gently. Her advice is valuable. She helped the class with their enjoyment of learning and walked slowly through the lesson.

Think: Which words end with suffixes? What do they add?

2. Understand: Word endings that change meaning

Idea 1: -er and -ness

-er means one who: teach+er = a person who teaches. -ness means state of being: kind+ness = being kind.

Idea 2: -ment and -able

-ment shows an action or result: enjoy+ment. -able means can be: value+able, wash+able = can be washed.

Idea 3: -ly

-ly says how: slow+ly = in a slow way. Suffixes can also change the word type.

Remember: A suffix is added at the end of a word and changes its meaning or type.

3. Worked examples

Example 1 (I show you): -er

What is a teacher?

  1. teach + er

Answer: a person who teaches

Example 2 (We do it together): -ness

What does kindness mean?

  1. kind + ness

Answer: being kind

Example 3 (You try): -able

What does washable mean?

Show the steps and answer
  1. wash + able

Answer: can be washed

Did you know?

Suffixes are one of the main ways English builds new words.

Why this matters

Suffixes help you read, spell and understand longer words.

4. Explore: Suffix builder

Build words.

  1. Pick a base word.
  2. Add a suffix.
  3. Say the meaning.
  4. Use it in a sentence.
Think about it: what did you notice?

You can build suffix words.

5. Practise

Say it in a sentence

Use these starters when you talk about the lesson. Say them out loud.

  • The base word is ___.
  • The suffix is ___, meaning ___.
  • So the word means ___.
  • Sentence: ___.

Guided practice

Question 1. The suffix -er means one who ___.

does

Question 2. The suffix -ness means the ___ of being.

state

Question 3. The suffix -ment shows an action or ___.

result

Independent practice

Level 1: Start

  1. The suffix -er means one who ___.
  2. The suffix -ness means the ___ of being.
  3. The suffix -ment shows an action or ___.
  4. The suffix -able means ___ be done.
  5. Ama’s teacher shows ___.

Level 2: Grow

  1. Add -er to sing.
  2. Add -ness to sad.
  3. Add -able to read.

Level 3: Stretch

  1. Is -ly a suffix?
  2. Does a suffix come at the end?
  3. Can suffixes change word type?

Answers are in the answer key below. Try first, then check.

6. Apply: English in everyday life

Find five words with suffixes in a book.

Show a sample answer

five words

Another one. Make five new words with -er, -ness, -ment, -able and -ly.

Show a sample answer

a completed task

7. Common mistakes

Mistake: Rushing without checking.
Fix: Slow down and check your work.
Another mistake: Skipping the worked example.
Fix: Study the example first, then try.

8. Lesson summary and revision card

I can…

  • I can recognise suffixes.
  • I can know what each suffix means.
  • I can build new words.
  • I can use the suffix to find meaning.

9. Check and master

Answer all 14 questions. You will see feedback after each one.

1. A suffix goes at the ___ of a word.

2. -er means one who ___.

3. -ness means the state of ___.

4. -able means ___ be done.

5. What does teacher mean?

6. What does kindness mean?

7. What does washable mean?

8. What does slowly mean?

9. Add -er to paint.

10. Add -ness to happy (change y to i).

11. Add -ment to agree.

12. Add -ly to quick.

Challenge 1. Which word means a person who drives?

Challenge 2. Which word means able to be seen?

Your result appears here after you answer every question.

10. Key takeaways

  • -er: one who does.
  • -ness: state of being.
  • -ment: action or result.
  • -able: can be done; -ly: in a way.

11. Next lesson

Next lesson: Word roots. Keep going with the next idea in this course.

Exam practice

These questions are written in the style of common school and international primary assessments. Try them on your own, without looking back. Then check your answers in the marking guide. The marks are shown in brackets.

  1. What is a suffix? [1 mark]
  2. What does -er mean? Give a word. [2 marks]
  3. What does -able mean? Give a word. [2 marks]
  4. Add -ness to kind and give the meaning. [2 marks]
  5. Explain how to work out a word with a suffix. [3 marks]

Total: 10 marks.

Marking guide and model answers
  1. a word part added at the end [1]
  2. one who [1]; teacher/singer [1]
  3. can be [1]; washable/readable [1]
  4. kindness [1]; being kind [1]
  5. find the base word [1]; know the suffix meaning [1]; combine and check [1]

Score guide: 9 to 10 = secure. 6 to 8 = nearly there, revise the parts you missed. Under 6 = work through the lesson again with a grown-up.

Printable worksheet

  1. The suffix -er means one who ___.
  2. The suffix -ness means the ___ of being.
  3. The suffix -ment shows an action or ___.
  4. The suffix -able means ___ be done.
  5. Ama’s teacher shows ___.
  6. Add -er to sing.
  7. Add -ness to sad.
  8. Add -able to read.
  9. Is -ly a suffix?
  10. Does a suffix come at the end?

Homework

Make five new words with -er, -ness, -ment, -able and -ly.

Answer key and marking scheme

Question Expected response Marks
1. The suffix -er means one who ___. does 1
2. The suffix -ness means the ___ of being. state 1
3. The suffix -ment shows an action or ___. result 1
4. The suffix -able means ___ be done. can 1
5. Ama’s teacher shows ___. kindness 1
6. Add -er to sing. singer 1
7. Add -ness to sad. sadness 1
8. Add -able to read. readable 1
9. Is -ly a suffix? yes 1
10. Does a suffix come at the end? yes 1
Total 10

Independent practice answers. Level 1: 1 does; 2 state; 3 result; 4 can; 5 kindness. Level 2: 1 singer; 2 sadness; 3 readable. Level 3: 1 yes; 2 yes; 3 yes.

Quiz answers: 1 B, 2 C, 3 A, 4 B, 5 C, 6 A, 7 B, 8 C, 9 A, 10 B, 11 C, 12 A, Challenge 1 B, Challenge 2 C.

Mastery and remediation

Objective Bronze (Developing) Silver (Proficient) Gold (Advanced)
O1 Recognise suffixes Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O2 Know what each suffix means Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O3 Build new words Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation
O4 Use the suffix to find meaning Shows this with help from an adult or a picture Does this independently and explains how they know Explains it clearly and uses it in a new situation

Courseversity badge thresholds (overall quiz score): Gold = 90–100%; Silver = 80–89.9%; Bronze = 70–79.9%. A badge is never a full record of progress.

If a learner struggles

  1. Find the misconception: Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.
  2. Explain another way: use real objects, pictures or actions first, then words.
  3. Show a simpler example: Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames.
  4. Guided practice: work through one example together and let the learner try the next one.
  5. Reassess: use the quiz again or the worksheet.
  6. Move on when the learner shows Silver-level evidence independently.

For parents and guardians

In this lesson your child practises a key Grade 3 English skill with clear examples and a quiz. You do not need to be an expert to help.

  • Listen while your child explains the idea.
  • Ask for one new example.
  • Praise effort and careful work.
  • Ask “how do you know?” after each answer, and listen.
  • Praise effort, not only right answers. Mistakes are how we learn.
  • Ten to fifteen minutes a day is better than one long session.

Teacher package

1–5. Objectives, prerequisites, materials, preparation, duration

Lesson objectives. Learners will: recognise suffixes; know what each suffix means; build new words; use the suffix to find meaning.

Prerequisite knowledge. Prefixes.

Materials. Chart paper or board, pencils, picture or word cards, a reading book if available. Low-resource options: use chalk or charcoal on a board or wall, drawings in the sand, and objects from the classroom instead of printed materials.

Preparation. Write the key words and examples on the board or on cards before the lesson.

Suggested duration. 45–60 minutes. It can be split into two shorter sessions.

6–9. Teaching procedure, explanation notes, guided and independent activities

Introduction (5 min). Introduce the idea with the opening example.

Explanation (10 min). Teach the key words.

Guided activity (10 min). Practise together.

Independent activity (10 min). Check understanding with the quiz.

Assessment and reflection (5 min). Ask each learner to say one thing they learned and how they know it.

Key questions. What is the key idea? Can I give my own example?

Teacher explanation notes. Move from the spoken word to pictures and then to print. Read aloud often, point to the words, and let learners hear and say before they read and write.

10–12. Differentiation, formative assessment, common misconceptions

Support. Use the sentence frames and work with a partner. Extension. Create a harder example of your own.

Formative assessment. Listen to learners read and explain, ask “how do you know?”, and check the independent work.

Misconceptions. Rushing without checking. Slow down and check your work.

13–15. Assessment questions, answer keys, marking scheme

Use the quiz, the 10-mark exam practice and the worksheet on this page. All answers and marking guides are in the answer sections above. Re-check every answer before use.

16–19. Remediation, enrichment, homework, teacher reflection

Remediation. Re-read the examples slowly and use the sentence frames. Enrichment. Make up your own example and teach it to someone at home. Homework. See above.

Teacher reflection. After teaching, record: which ideas learners understood; which misconceptions occurred; which activities worked; which learners need more practice; and what to improve next time.

Sources and standards

This lesson is based on the sources below, and no official endorsement is claimed. Reference starting points: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, Cambridge Primary and the IB Primary Years Programme. Where a standard code is named, it points to the official framework.

Official standards for this topic area. Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts (official site): Grade 3 » Language. These pages list the standards that cover this topic area; read them alongside the lesson.

Research used to shape this lesson. Common Core L.3.4b, L.3.4c and L.3.1g (form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs); Cambridge Primary English Stage 3 (vocabulary and spelling). These sources informed the lesson.

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