Word formation list

Adjectives: Negative prefixes

un-
unclear impatient
uncommon imperfect
unconcerned impersonal
unhappy impolite
unknown impossible
unlikely impractical
unlucky improbable
unpleasant
unreliable ir-
unselfish irrational
unsociable irregular
unsure irrelevant
unusual irresponsible

in-
People
inaccurate
-ant
incapable
Verb Person
incompetent
apply applicant
incorrect
assist assistant
indirect
contest contestant
inefficient
immigrate immigrant
inexperienced
inhabit inhabitant
informal
participate participant
insensitive
insignificant
-ee
insincere
Verb Person
insufficient
employ employee
intolerant
interview interviewee
dis- train trainee

disabled
-eer
dishonest
Noun Person
disobedient
engine engineer
dissatisfied
mountain mountaineer
il-
-er
illegal
Verb Person
illegible
box boxer
illiterate
employ employer
illogical
entertain entertainer
im- interview interviewer
listen listener
immature
organise organiser
immodest
perform performer
immoral

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 Word formation list
photograph photographer Nouns
play player -al
research researcher
Verb Noun
ride rider
(dis)approve (dis)approval
run runner
arrive arrival
support supporter
deny denial
teach teacher
propose proposal
train trainer
refuse refusal
walk walker
rehearse rehearsal
win winner
remove removal
survive survival
-ian
Noun Person -ance
comedy comedian
Verb Noun
electricity electrician
(dis)appear (dis)appearance
history historian
annoy annoyance
library librarian
assist assistance
magic magician
enter entrance
mathematics mathematician
perform performance
music musician
tolerate tolerance
politics politician
Adjective Noun
distant distance
-ist
important importance
Noun Person
relevant relevance
bicycle cyclist
biology biologist -ence
economy economist
Verb Noun
novel novelist
exist existence
psychology psychologist
occur occurrence
science scientist
refer reference
tour tourist
Adjective Noun
absent absence
-or
(in)convenient (in)convenience
Verb Person
(in)dependent (in)dependence
act actor
different difference
collect collector
evident evidence
compete competitor
innocent innocence
construct constructor
intelligent intelligence
direct director
(dis)obedient (dis)obedience
instruct instructor
(im)patient (im)patience
invent inventor
present presence
spectate spectator
violent violence

-ation
Verb Noun
adapt adaptation
admire admiration
apply application

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 Word formation list
combine combination persuade persuasion
communicate communication pollute pollution
consider consideration predict prediction
explain explanation prescribe prescription
identify identification react reaction
imagine imagination reduce reduction
inform information satisfy (dis)satisfaction
inspire inspiration solve solution
oblige obligation substitute substitution
observe observation
occupy occupation -ight
present presentation Verb Noun
publish publication fly flight
qualify qualification see sight
recommend recommendation weigh weight
reserve reservation Adjective Noun
resign resignation high height

-ion -ing
Verb Noun Verb Noun
accommodate accommodation advertise advertising
associate association be being
collect collection build building
compete competition live living
complete completion meet meeting
complicate complication record recording
concentrate concentration say saying
conclude conclusion set setting
confuse confusion surround surroundings
congratulate congratulation
connect connection -ity
convert conversion Adjective Noun
decide decision (un)able (in)ability
describe description (in)active (in)activity
divide division (un)available (un)availability
expand expansion complex complexity
explode explosion curious curiosity
extinct extinction (un)equal (in)equality
fascinate fascination (in)formal (in)formality
graduate graduation generous generosity
imitate imitation hostile hostility
instruct instruction intense intensity
intend intention major majority
invade invasion minor minority
investigate investigation (un)original (un)originality
locate location personal personality
object objection (un)popular (un)popularity
operate operation (im)possible (im)possibility
permit permission
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 Word formation list
prosperous prosperity -ness
(im)pure (im)purity Adjective Noun
real reality aware awareness
(ir)responsible (ir)responsibility careful carefulness
(in)secure (in)security careless carelessness
(in)sensitive (in)sensitivity conscious consciousness
severe severity fit fitness
similar similarity friendly friendliness
(in)sincere (in)sincerity happy happiness
stupid stupidity hopeless hopelessness
ill illness
-ment
lonely loneliness
Verb Noun mad madness
achieve achievement sad sadness
(dis)agree (dis)agreement serious seriousness
amaze amazement sore soreness
amuse amusement thick thickness
announce announcement tired tiredness
argue argument useful usefulness
arrange arrangement weak weakness
commit commitment
develop development -ship
disappoint disappointment Noun Noun
discourage discouragement champion championship
embarrass embarrassment friend friendship
employ (un)employment leader leadership
encourage encouragement member membership
enjoy enjoyment partner partnership
entertain entertainment
equip equipment -th
excite excitement Verb Noun
govern government die death
improve improvement grow growth
invest investment Adjective Noun
involve involvement deep depth
judge judgement/judgment long length
manage management strong strength
measure measurement true truth
move movement warm warmth
pay payment wide width
punish punishment young youth
replace replacement
require requirement -ure
retire retirement Verb Noun
state statement depart departure
treat treatment fail failure
please pleasure
press pressure

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 Word formation list
proceed procedure avoid (un)avoidable
sculpt sculpture bear (un)bearable
sign signature believe (un)believable
consider considerable
-y enjoy (un)enjoyable
Adjective Noun forget (un)forgettable
certain certainty imagine (un)imaginable
difficult difficulty notice noticeable
honest honesty predict (un)predictable
poor poverty prefer preferable
safe safety rely (un)reliable
Verb Noun remark (un)remarkable
discover discovery respect respectable
enter entry suit (un)suitable
injure injury understand understandable
Noun Adjective
Miscellaneous nouns comfort (un)comfortable
Verb Noun fashion (un)fashionable
advise advice knowledge knowledgeable
analyse analysis memory (un)memorable
behave behaviour profit (un)profitable
believe belief reason (un)reasonable
complain complaint value valuable/invaluable*
choose choice
give gift *invaluable: extremely useful
e.g. invaluable advice/experience/help
know knowledge
laugh laughter
lose loss -ible
practise practice Noun Adjective
prove proof access (in)accessible
receive receipt sense sensible
relieve relief Verb Adjective
respond response resist (ir)resistible
rob robbery respond (ir)responsible
sell sale
speak speech -al/-ial
succeed success Noun Adjective
try trial accident accidental
Adjective Noun addition additional
hot heat benefit beneficial
Noun Noun centre central
scene scenery commerce commercial
controversy controversial
criticism critical
Adjectives
culture cultural
-able
education educational
Verb Adjective
emotion (un)emotional
accept (un)acceptable
environment environmental
advise (in)advisable
exception (un) exceptional
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 Word formation list
experiment experimental -ent
fiction fictional Verb Adjective
finance financial appear apparent
globe global confide confident
industry industrial depend (in)dependent
influence influential differ different
intention (un)intentional (dis)obey (dis)obedient
nation national Noun Adjective
nature (un)natural absence absent
occasion occasional (in)convenience (in)convenient
origin (un)original (in)efficiency (in)efficient
person (im)personal evidence evident
politics political (in)frequency (in)frequent
practice (im)practical innocence innocent
profession (un)professional intelligence (un) intelligent
residence residential (im)patience (im)patient
sensation (un)sensational presence present
society social violence violent
tradition traditional
universe universal -ful/-less
Noun -ful/-y -less/un___ful/un___ed
-ical
beauty beautiful ————
Noun Adjective breath ———— breathless
alphabet alphabetical care careful careless
biology biological cheer cheerful cheerless*
chemistry chemical colour colourful colourless
ecology ecological delight delightful ————
economy (un)economical effort ———— effortless
geography geographical end ———— endless
history historical* event eventful uneventful
psychology psychological fault faulty faultless
gratitude grateful ungrateful
*historic: famous or important in history harm harmful harmless
e.g. a historic event/monument/building help helpful helpless*/unhelpful*
historical: belonging to or typical of the study of history home ———— homeless
e.g. a historical document/film/novel
hope hopeful hopeless
limit ———— limitless/unlimited
-ant meaning meaningful meaningless
Verb Adjective motion ———— motionless
ignore ignorant pain painful painless
please (un)pleasant peace peaceful ————
resist resistant point ———— pointless
signify (in)significant power powerful powerless
tolerate (in)tolerant price pricey/pricy priceless*
Noun Adjective skill skilful*/skilled* unskilled
distance distant sleep sleepy sleepless
importance (un)important stress stressful unstressful
vacancy vacant success successful unsuccessful

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 Word formation list
taste tasty*/tasteful* tasteless -ive
thank thankful thankless Noun Adjective
thought thoughtful* thoughtless aggression (un)aggressive
use useful useless effect (in)effective
wonder wonderful ———— expense (in)expensive
worth ———— worthless* mass massive
secret secretive
*cheerless: used mainly to describe the weather or a sense (in)sensitive
room which is not bright or pleasant Verb Adjective
helpless: unable to do anything to help or attract (un)attractive
protect yourself
communicate (un)communicative
unhelpful: not willing to help other people
compete (un)competitive
priceless: used to describe an object which has
construct (un)constructive
a very high value; it is worth so much money that
the price cannot be calculated (compare with create (un)creative
worthless below) decide (in)decisive
skilful/skilled: both can be used to describe a person defend defensive
who has the necessary ability, experience and/or describe descriptive
training to do something well.
explode explosive
e.g. He’s a skilful footballer. This work was done by
extend extensive
skilled craftsmen.
imagine (un)imaginative
skilled: can also be used to describe a job or piece of
work that requires special skill and training impress (un)impressive
e.g. Nursing is a skilled job. inform (un)informative
tasty: used to describe food with a strong and include inclusive
pleasant flavour invent inventive
tasteful: used to describe clothes, decoration etc offend (in)offensive
which is attractive and shows good taste persuade persuasive
thoughtful: a) to describe a person who is quiet and possess possessive
serious because they are thinking about something produce (un)productive
b) to describe someone who thinks and cares about protect protective
the feelings and needs of other people
receive (un)receptive
worthless: used to describe an object with no value in
represent (un)representative
money (compare with priceless above)
support (un)supportive
-ing/-ed
-ous
The following verbs can be used to form participle
adjectives: Noun Adjective
e.g. amazing/amazed ambition (un)ambitious
amaze, amuse, annoy, astonish, bore, confuse, advantage (dis)advantageous
convince, depress, disappoint, disgust, embarrass, anxiety anxious
entertain, excite, exhaust, fascinate, frighten, frustrate,
caution cautious
increase, interest, irritate, motivate, move, relax,
satisfy, shock, surprise, terrify, thrill, tire, worry curiosity curious

-ed adjectives describe how we feel (about something danger dangerous

or someone) disaster disastrous
e.g. I’m tired after the journey. generosity (un) generous
-ing adjectives describe the thing or person that humour humorous
produces the feeling infection (un)infectious
e.g. The journey was very tiring. marvel marvellous
mystery mysterious
nerve nervous

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 Word formation list
number numerous -ly (after l)
poison poisonous Similarly, -ly is added to all adjectives ending in -l to
religion (ir)religious form adverbs.
suspicion suspicious Adjective Adverb
variety various accidental accidentally
careful carefully
-y
eventual eventually
Noun Adjective
gradual gradually
anger angry
original orginally
cloud cloudy
total totally
fault faulty
fog foggy -ly (after e)
frost frosty
-ly is added to many adjectives ending in -e to form
fun funny adverbs.
grass grassy Adjective Adverb
guilt guilty complete completely
hair hairy (in) effective (in) effectively
health healthy extreme extremely
hill hilly (un)fortunate (un)fortunately
hunger hungry late lately
ice icy sole solely
luck (un) lucky
mist misty -y (replacing e)
mud muddy However, -y replaces -e in most adjectives ending in -le to
noise noisy form adverbs.
price pricey/pricy Adjective Adverb
rain rainy gentle gently
rock rocky humble humbly
sleep sleepy regrettable regrettably
storm stormy remarkable remarkably
sun sunny simple simply
thirst thirsty subtle subtly
wealth wealthy
wind windy -ally
-ally is added to most adjectives ending in -ic.
Adjective Adverb
Adverbs
automatic automatically
-ly
dramatic dramatically
The most common way to form adverbs is by adding -ly to
energetic energetically
the adjective.
enthusiastic enthusiastically
Adjective Adverb
historic(al) historically
apparent apparently
scientific scientifically
nervous nervously
pleasant pleasantly
proud proudly
short shortly

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 Word formation list
-ily high heighten
-y is deleted and –ily added to all adjectives ending in –y to less lessen
form adverbs. long lengthen
Adjective Adverb loose loosen
angry angrily sad sadden
extraordinary extraordinarily sharp sharpen
happy happily short shorten
healthy healthily soft soften
(un) lucky (un) luckily stiff stiffen
noisy noisily straight straighten
strong strengthen
-ingly sweet sweeten
A number of common adverbs can be formed from thick thicken
present participle adjectives.
tight tighten
Verb Adjective Adverb
weak weaken
annoy annoying annoyingly
wide widen
astonish astonishing astonishingly
worse worsen
increase increasing increasingly
Noun Verb
interest (un) interesting interestingly
threat threaten
surprise (un)surprising (un)surprisingly
worry worrying worryingly en-
Adjective Verb
Miscellaneous adverbs
able enable
Adjective Adverb
large enlarge
full fully
rich enrich
public publicly
sure ensure
shy shyly
Noun Verb
true truly
courage encourage
whole wholly
danger endanger
Verb Adverb
force enforce
expect (un)expectedly
repeat repeatedly
report reportedly
suppose supposedly
Noun Adverb Adjective
day daily

Verbs
-en
Adjective Verb
bright brighten
broad broaden
dark darken
deaf deafen
deep deepen
fat fatten
flat flatten
hard harden

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