Here are some examples of inflectional endings in English:
Nouns:
* -s (plural): "cat" becomes "cats"
* -'s (possessive): "cat" becomes "cat's"
Verbs:
* -ing (present participle): "walk" becomes "walking"
* -ed (past tense): "walk" becomes "walked"
* -s (third person singular present tense): "walk" becomes "walks"
Adjectives:
* -er (comparative): "big" becomes "bigger"
* -est (superlative): "big" becomes "biggest"
Examples:
* "The cat walks quickly." (The "-s" on "walks" indicates third person singular present tense)
* "The cats are sleeping." (The "-s" on "cats" indicates plural)
* "The boy's book is on the table." (The "'s" on "boy's" indicates possessive)
Key points about inflectional endings:
* They are grammatical markers.
* They don't change the core meaning of the word, just its function.
* They are usually added to the end of the word.
* They are essential for understanding the grammar of a sentence.
Let me know if you would like more examples or want to explore specific types of inflectional endings!