Affixes are added to words to form new words. These grammatical elements transform a root word into a different multi-syllable word that could have an entirely different meaning. As the third-grader begins to learn about different affixes and how they change words, his vocabulary and understanding of language will greatly develop.
One type of affix is the suffix, a grammatical element placed at the end of a root word to change that word or form a word with a new meaning. These consist of endings such as -ise, -en, -ate, -fy, -age, -ism, -ship, -er, -ment, -ant, -ent, -ence, -ance, -sion and -tion. For example, adding the suffix -ship to the word friend transforms the word into friendship, a close personal relationship.
Another type of affix is the prefix, a grammatical element added to the beginning of a root word to change the meaning of the whole word. Some prefixes include anti-, auto-, bi-, co-, dis-, ex-, hyper-, in-, mal-, mono-, poly-, re-, sur-, ultra- and vice-. For example, adding the prefix mal- to the word nutrition creates malnutrition, the condition that results from an unhealthy diet, which changes the entire meaning of the word.
The third type of affixes are combining forms, and are sometimes prefixes and sometimes suffixes. Combining forms are elements that have a meaning. One example is the word intense, an adjective that means acute, extreme or of a high degree. It transforms into words such as intensive and intensively, both of which are adjectives that mean of or pertaining to an intense nature.