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Lesson 16 - The Suffix -Ment

Suffixes

I sure do get enjoyment out of going to the amusement park! Do you notice the two words ending in '-ment'? This part of a word is called a suffix. Suffixes are groups of letters that are added to the end of a base word, which is a word that can stand alone and has its own meaning. A suffix cannot be used as a word all by itself; it must be attached to a base word.

Another way of looking at it is that, while a suffix cannot stand alone, the base word must be able to stand alone. For example, in the word 'cement', the '-ment' in this word is not a suffix because the letters 'c' and 'e' do not make up a base word. Don't let words like this trick you!

The base word may be a noun, which is a person, place, or thing, or could be a verb, which shows action. However, when you add the suffix to the end of a base word, you change how the word looks, what the word means and could even change the form of the word. Suffixes are powerful!

Let's look specifically at the suffix '-ment.'

The Suffix '-Ment'

The suffix -ment is known as a noun suffix because when it's added to end of a base word, which is usually a verb, the new word gets used as a noun. It's important to know the definition of suffixes so that you will know what the new word means.

Definition of suffix -ment: the action of doing something or the result of an action.

Let's take a look at some examples!

1. Enjoyment

The base word here is 'enjoy' and it carries the suffix '-ment.' Together, they mean 'the act of enjoying.' An example sentence looks like this: 'My friend and I watched a movie with great enjoyment!'

2. Amusement

The base word in amusement is the word 'amuse.' Again, we add our suffix and create a new word that means 'the result of amusing.' For instance, 'We laughed with amusement at the circus clown.'

Some other example words that end in the suffix '-ment' include:

  • Commitment: the act of committing

  • Achievement: the result of achieving

  • Encouragement: the result of encouraging

  • Punishment: the result of punishing

  • Embarrassment: the result of embarrassing

  • Excitement: the act of exciting

Making New Words

Now it's your turn. Use this list of base words to create new words using the suffix '-ment.' You can pause the video once you get through the list of three words, create the new words yourself, and then resume the video. Ready?

  1. pay

  2. attach

  3. agree

Go ahead and pause the video now, so you can work on your new words. All done? Did you get these new words?

  1. payment

  2. attachment

  3. agreement

Nice job! Let's look at the meanings of these new words and see how they're used in a sentence.

  1. payment - the result of paying; 'I made my payment of $10 for movie tickets.'

  2. attachment - the act of attaching; 'My sister's attachment to her teddy bear was so strong she slept with it every night.'

  3. agreement - the result of agreeing; 'The final agreement between my sister and I was that we would share our toys.'

Finding '-Ment' Words

It's time for you to test your skills! Can you find a word with the suffix '-ment' in each sentence and figure out what the base word is? Again, I'll read the sentences and then you can pause the video to try to find the '-ment' words.

  1. Our commitment to the basketball team led us to win the championship.

  2. Mom and dad made arrangements for a family trip to Disney World.

  3. My teacher's acknowledgement of my success made me feel wonderful.

Okay, pause the video now and look at the sentences on the screen to see if you can find the '-ment' words and their base words. Were you able to locate these words?

  1. commitment - base word: commit

  2. arrangements - base word: arrange

  3. acknowledgement - base word: acknowledge

Congratulations! You're becoming an expert with the suffix '-ment'!

Lesson Summary

When you are using any suffix, remember it gets added to the end of a base word. The suffix '-ment' means the act of doing something or the result of an action. When you add '-ment' to the end of a base word, you create a brand new word!

Suffixes Explained

Suffixes are like little word pieces that we add to the end of a base word to change its meaning or form. They can't stand alone but need a base word to attach to. For example, in 'enjoyment,' 'enjoy' is the base word, and '-ment' is the suffix that changes it into a noun.

The Suffix '-Ment'

  • Definition: The action of doing something or the result of an action.

  • Examples:

    • Enjoyment: the act of enjoying

    • Amusement: the result of amusing

    • Commitment: the act of committing

    • Achievement: the result of achieving

    • Encouragement: the result of encouraging

    • Punishment: the result of punishing

    • Embarrassment: the result of embarrassing

    • Excitement: the act of exciting

Making New Words

  • Examples:

    • Payment: the result of paying

    • Attachment: the act of attaching

    • Agreement: the result of agreeing

Finding '-Ment' Words

  • Examples:

    • Commitment - base word: commit

    • Arrangements - base word: arrange

    • Acknowledgement - base word: acknowledge

Remember, suffixes are like word superheroes that change the meaning and form of words!

Mind Map: Suffixes

Central Idea: Suffixes

  • Suffixes are groups of letters added to the end of a base word.

  • Base words can stand alone and have their own meaning.

  • Suffixes cannot stand alone and must be attached to a base word.

Main Branches

  1. Types of Base Words

    • Nouns

    • Verbs

  2. Power of Suffixes

    • Change word appearance

    • Alter word meaning

    • Modify word form

Sub-Branch: Suffix '-Ment'

The Suffix '-Ment'

  • Known as a noun suffix

  • Added to verbs to create nouns

  • Definition: the action of doing something or the result of an action

Examples

  1. Enjoyment

    • Base word: enjoy

    • Meaning: the act of enjoying

  2. Amusement

    • Base word: amuse

    • Meaning: the result of amusing

Other '-Ment' Words

  • Commitment

  • Achievement

  • Encouragement

  • Punishment

  • Embarrassment

  • Excitement

Making New Words

  • pay -> payment

  • attach -> attachment

  • agree -> agreement

Finding '-Ment' Words

  1. Commitment

    • Base word: commit

  2. Arrangements

    • Base word: arrange

  3. Acknowledgement

    • Base word: acknowledge

Remember, suffixes like '-ment' can transform words and add depth to language!