• Exam: FCE
    • Course:
      SUPPORT DOCUMENTS
    • CONCEPTS: SUFFIXES

Instructions

Complete the sentences by dragging and dropping, or typing the correct word, or its corresponding letter, into the answer box.

Once all the sentences have been completed, click on CHECK to identify mistakes.

If the word chosen is correct, it will show in green.

If the word chosen is not correct, it will show in red, and when that happens, try another word and press the CHECK button again until all the answers show in green.

SUFFIXES 1 - THE FORMATION OF NOUNS

Theory

A suffix is a letter or a group of letters attached to the end of a word to form a new word.
This is how NOUNS, ADJECTIVES, VERBS and ADVERBS are created.
For example:
The verb READ can be made into the noun READER by adding the suffix -ER.
READ can be made into the adjective READABLE by adding the suffix -ABLE.

Common suffixes used to make NOUNS are:
ACY - which is used to change the adjective ACCURATE to the noun ACCURACY.
AL - which is used to change the verb PROPOSE to the noun PROPOSAL.
ANCE - which is used to change the verb ALLOW to the noun ALLOWANCE.
ENCE - which is used to change the adjective ABSENT to the noun ABSENCE.
DOM - which is used to change the adjective WISE to the noun WISDOM.
ER - which is used to change the verb TEACH to the noun TEACHER.
OR - which is used to change the verb COLLECT to the noun COLLECTOR.
ISM - which is used to change the adjective FASCIST to the noun FASCISM.
IST - which is used to change the verb COPY to the noun COPYIST.
ITY - which is used to change the adjective AGILE to the noun AGILITY.
MENT - which is used to change the verb ALIGN to the noun ALIGNMENT.
NESS - which is used to change the adjective HAPPY to the noun HAPPINESS.
SHIP - which is used to change the verb CENSOR to the noun CENSORSHIP.
SION - which is used to change the verb CONFESS to the noun CONFESSION.
Y - which is used to change the adjective ABLE to the noun ABILITY.
TION - which is used to change the verb ADD to the noun ADDITION.

TYPICAL FCE EXERCISES
(Use the words given on the right to generate the words needed for the spaces.)

The mystery of pigeons

Pigeons demonstrate behaviour that is extremely interesting according to a recent (1) which details a new role for pigeons. Asked by a pharmaceutical company to measure the effects of drugs on animal (2) , Jones noticed one day that some 70 women were employed to check flawed capsules. "That is a job any pigeon could do," he said, because he knew about the pigeon's learning (3) . On (4) , capsules left the production line. There, Jones arranged for a bright, narrow beam of light to pass through them. If a capsule was perfect, the light showed a single spot; if it was imperfect, the light showed a double spot. In their training, two pigeons were rewarded with food every time they correctly identified a wrong capsule. The experiment worked. A conveyor belt carried the capsules as fast as two a second past the pigeon (5) , who achieved 99 per cent success within a week. But the (6) rejected (7) of the pigeons on a permanent basis. They feared (8) that might be bad: The public might think pigeons were not as reliable as humans. "A main obstacle to progress," commented Jones sadly, " remains man's obstinate belief in his (9) over other creatures."



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