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Primary English · Year 5Chapter 1 · Suffixes: -cious, -tial, -ant, -able and -ation
Year 5 · Chapter 1

Suffixes: -cious, -tial, -ant, -able and -ation

By the end of this chapter you will be able to

  • Use the root word to decide between -cious and -tious
  • Choose between -cial and -tial by looking at the root word
  • Choose between -ant, -ance and -ancy, and between -ent, -ence and -ency
  • Drop or keep the e before -able, and use -ible for shorter root words
  • Form adverbs ending -ably and -ibly from adjectives ending -able and -ible
  • Change an -e or -ate ending to -ation

You should already know

  • Adding suffixes to words, including dropping the e (Year 4, Chapter 3)
  • Finding the root word and using it to spell related words (Year 4, Chapter 3)

Where this leads

  • Prefixes with their meanings, and using a dictionary to check (Chapter 2 of this book)
  • The Year 5-6 word list, silent letters and the thesaurus (Chapter 3 of this book)

National Curriculum for England, Key Stage 2 English, Year 5. Content: Spell words ending -cious and -tious, where the root word is a clue (SP-Y5a), Spell words ending -tial and -cial (SP-Y5b), Spell words ending -ant, -ance, -ancy, -ent, -ence and -ency (SP-Y5c), Spell words ending -able, -ably, -ible and -ibly (SP-Y5d), Spell words ending -ation, with the e dropped or the -ate changed (SP5).

Exercise P  Do you remember?

1
FAdd -ly to the adjective quick to make an adverb. Write the word.
2
FWrite the plural of the noun city.
3
FAdd the prefix un- to the adjective happy. Write the word.
4
FChoose the correct spelling: necessary or neccessary?
5
FAdd the prefix im- to the adjective possible. Write the word.
1.1

Words ending -cious and -tious

Year 5
Spell words ending -cious and -tious, where the root word is a clue (SP-Y5a)
Video lesson: Words ending -cious and -tiousComing soon
Story. Ruby is writing a school newsletter about the summer fair. She wants to describe the cake stall, the cautious ways the children carried their trays and the delicious smell of the bakery. She checks each long word carefully.

Many adjectives end with the sound shus, and they are spelt -cious or -tious. The root word is the best clue.

Key pattern

If the root word ends in ce, drop the e and add -ious: vice becomes vicious, grace becomes gracious.

If the root word ends in -tion, remove -ion and add -ious: caution becomes cautious, ambition becomes ambitious.

Some words are learned as they are, such as delicious, so check a dictionary when you are unsure.

Key ideas

  • A root word ending in ce uses -cious: malice, malicious.
  • A root word ending in -tion uses -tious: nutrition, nutritious.
  • Always look at the root word first, then add the ending.
  • Check a dictionary for words that do not follow the pattern.
Worked example 1.1.1
Write the adjective made from the root word malice.

Method. The root word ends in ce, so drop the e and add -ious.

  1. Find the ending of the root word. Malice ends in ce.
    malice
  2. Drop the e and add -ious. The c stays, and the ending is -ious.
    malic + ious
  3. Write the answer.
    malicious

Check. Malicious has the -cious ending. ✓

Worked example 1.1.2
Write the adjective made from the root word ambition.

Method. The root word ends in -tion, so remove -ion and add -ious.

  1. Find the -tion ending. Ambition ends in -tion.
    ambition
  2. Remove -ion and add -ious. Taking away the -ion leaves ambit, and the ending becomes -ious.
    ambit + ious
  3. Write the answer.
    ambitious

Check. Ambitious uses -tious. ✓

Watch out. Do not write ambitous. The t is kept before -ious.

Worked example 1.1.3
Which word is spelt correctly: vicious or vitious?

Method. The root word is vice, which ends in ce, so the ending is -cious.

  1. Find the root word. Vicious comes from vice.
    vice
  2. Check the spelling. The root ends in ce, so the ending is -cious.
    vic + ious
  3. Write the answer.
    vicious

Check. Vice ends in ce, so vicious is correct. ✓

Exercise 1A  Practice: -cious and -tious

1
FWrite the adjective made from grace.
2
FWrite the adjective made from space.
3
FWrite the adjective made from vice.
4
FWrite the adjective made from nutrition.
5
FWrite the adjective made from infection.
6
FWrite the adjective made from caution.
7
FWrite the adjective made from ambition.
8
FWrite the adjective made from malice.
9
FWrite the adjective made from superstition.
10
FWhich word is spelt correctly: delicious or delicous?
11
PSAli writes nutritous in his story. Is he right? Write the correct spelling.
12
RWrite two adjectives that end in -cious or -tious. Say the root word for each.
1.2

Words ending -cial and -tial

Year 5
Spell words ending -tial and -cial (SP-Y5b)
Video lesson: Words ending -cial and -tialComing soon
Story. The head teacher asks Noah to write an official letter about the school trip. He looks at the word official and wonders why it does not end in -tial, like partial. He decides to check the root words before he writes.

Key pattern

Many words ending -cial come from a root word that ends in ce: office becomes official, commerce becomes commercial, finance becomes financial.

Many words ending -tial come from a root word that ends in t or nt: part becomes partial, confident becomes confidential, potent becomes potential.

Key ideas

  • For -cial, the root word usually ends in ce, and the e is dropped: office, official.
  • For -tial, the root word usually ends in t or nt: part, partial; confident, confidential.
  • Look at the root word first, then decide.
  • If you are not sure, check a dictionary.
Worked example 1.2.1
Write the adjective made from office.

Method. The root word ends in ce, so the ending is -cial.

  1. Find the root word. Office ends in ce.
    office
  2. Drop the e and add -ial. The ending is -cial because the root ends in ce.
    offic + ial
  3. Write the answer.
    official

Check. Official uses -cial. ✓

Worked example 1.2.2
Write the adjective made from part.

Method. The root word ends in t, so the ending is -tial.

  1. Find the root word. Part ends in t.
    part
  2. Add -ial. The t stays, and the ending is -tial.
    part + ial
  3. Write the answer.
    partial

Check. Partial uses -tial. ✓

Worked example 1.2.3
Which word is spelt correctly: financial or financtial?

Method. The root word finance ends in ce, so the ending is -cial.

  1. Find the root word. Financial comes from finance.
    finance
  2. Choose the ending. The root ends in ce, so the ending is -cial.
    financ + ial
  3. Write the answer.
    financial

Check. Finance ends in ce, so financial is correct. ✓

Exercise 1B  Practice: -cial and -tial

1
FWrite the adjective made from commerce.
2
FWrite the adjective made from finance.
3
FWrite the adjective made from office.
4
FWrite the adjective made from part.
5
FWrite the adjective made from potent.
6
FWrite the adjective made from resident.
7
FWrite the adjective made from confident.
8
FWhich word is spelt correctly: official or offical?
9
PSCorrect the spelling: commertial should be spelt how?
10
PSSam says the word initial ends in -cial. Is he right? Explain your answer.
11
RWrite one word ending in -cial and one ending in -tial. Say the root word for each.
1.3

Words ending -ant, -ance, -ancy, -ent, -ence and -ency

Year 5
Spell words ending -ant, -ance, -ancy, -ent, -ence and -ency (SP-Y5c)
Video lesson: Words ending -ant, -ance, -ancy, -ent, -ence and -encyComing soon
Story. Mia has a job as a helper at the library. Her manager writes a note: "Your confidence and patience have been excellent." Mia wants to spell the nouns correctly on her certificate, so she thinks about the adjectives they come from.

Many nouns end in -ance or -ence, and their adjectives end in -ant or -ent. The -ancy and -ency endings follow the same pattern. The adjective is a clue to the noun.

Adjective (-ant or -ent)Noun (-ance or -ence)Noun (-ancy or -ency)
brilliantbrilliance-
toleranttolerance-
vacant-vacancy
confidentconfidence-
urgent-urgency
frequent-frequency

Key ideas

  • Adjectives ending -ant or -ent often change to a noun ending -ance or -ence.
  • Some adjectives ending -ant change to -ancy: vacant, vacancy.
  • Some adjectives ending -ent change to -ency: urgent, urgency; frequent, frequency.
  • Words ending -ient change to -ience: obedient, obedience.
Worked example 1.3.1
Write the noun made from the adjective confident.

Method. Confident is an adjective ending -ent, so the noun ends -ence.

  1. Find the adjective. Confident describes a person.
    confident
  2. Change -ent to -ence. The noun for this adjective ends -ence.
    confid + ence
  3. Write the answer.
    confidence

Check. Confidence is the noun. ✓

Worked example 1.3.2
Write the noun made from the adjective vacant.

Method. Vacant ends in -ant, and this adjective changes to -ancy.

  1. Find the adjective. Vacant means empty or free.
    vacant
  2. Change -ant to -ancy. The noun for vacant ends -ancy.
    vacan + cy
  3. Write the answer.
    vacancy

Check. Vacancy is the noun. ✓

Worked example 1.3.3
Which word is spelt correctly: importance or importants?

Method. The adjective is important, so the noun ends -ance.

  1. Find the adjective. Important is an adjective.
    important
  2. Change -ant to -ance. The noun ends -ance.
    import + ance
  3. Write the answer.
    importance

Check. Importance is the noun. ✓

Exercise 1C  Practice: -ant, -ance, -ancy, -ent, -ence and -ency

1
FWrite the noun made from excellent.
2
FWrite the noun made from urgent.
3
FWrite the noun made from frequent.
4
FWrite the noun made from tolerant.
5
FWrite the noun made from vacant.
6
FWrite the noun made from brilliant.
7
FWrite the noun made from obedient.
8
FWrite the noun made from decent.
9
FWhich word is spelt correctly: assistance or assistence?
10
PSTom writes innocense in his story. Correct the spelling.
11
PSElla says that important and importance have different endings because one is an adjective and one is a noun. Is she right? Explain.
12
RWrite one adjective ending -ent and its noun ending -ence or -ency.
1.4

Words ending -able, -ably, -ible and -ibly

Year 5
Spell words ending -able, -ably, -ible and -ibly (SP-Y5d)
Video lesson: Words ending -able, -ably, -ible and -iblyComing soon
Story. Jade is writing a list of things for the class trip. She wants to write that the bus is comfortable, that the path is manageable and that the view will be visible from the top. She checks each ending carefully.

Key pattern

With a root word that ends in a silent e, usually drop the e before -able: adore becomes adorable.

Keep the e after a soft c or g, so the sound stays soft: notice becomes noticeable; manage becomes manageable.

Many words ending -ible have a root that is not a whole word: vis in visible, poss in possible.

For adverbs, -able becomes -ably and -ible becomes -ibly: comfortable becomes comfortably; possible becomes possibly.

Key ideas

  • Drop the silent e before -able: adore, adorable.
  • Keep the e after soft c or g: notice, noticeable; manage, manageable.
  • Use -ible for many root words that are not whole words: visible, possible.
  • Change -able to -ably and -ible to -ibly for adverbs.
Worked example 1.4.1
Write the adjective made from adore.

Method. The root word ends in a silent e before a vowel suffix, so drop the e.

  1. Find the silent e. Adore ends in a silent e.
    adore
  2. Drop the e and add -able. The e is dropped before -able.
    ador + able
  3. Write the answer.
    adorable

Check. Adorable has -able and no e in the middle. ✓

Worked example 1.4.2
Write the adjective made from notice, with the e kept.

Method. Keep the e after a soft c, so the ending is -eable in the word.

  1. Find the soft c. Notice ends in ce, which keeps the c soft.
    notice
  2. Keep the e and add -able. The e is kept so that the c stays soft.
    notice + able
  3. Write the answer.
    noticeable

Check. Noticeable keeps the e. ✓

Worked example 1.4.3
Write the adverb made from possible.

Method. An adjective ending -ible becomes an adverb ending -ibly.

  1. Find the adjective. Possible is an adjective ending -ible.
    possible
  2. Change -ible to -ibly. Remove the e and add -ly.
    possibl + y
  3. Write the answer.
    possibly

Check. Possibly is the adverb. ✓

Exercise 1D  Practice: -able, -ably, -ible and -ibly

1
FWrite the adjective made from enjoy.
2
FWrite the adjective made from adore.
3
FWrite the adjective made from notice.
4
FWrite the adjective made from manage.
5
FWrite the adjective made from vis, the root of visit and visual, with the ending -ible.
6
FWrite the adjective made from poss, with the ending -ible.
7
FWrite the adverb made from reliable.
8
FWrite the adverb made from sensible.
9
FWhich word is spelt correctly: comfortably or comfortabley?
10
PSElla wrote possibley in her list. Correct it.
11
PSBen says that manageable should drop the e, like adorable. Is he right? Explain.
12
RWrite one adjective ending -able and one ending -ible. Say which rule you used for each.
1.5

Words ending -ation

Year 5
Spell words ending -ation, with the e dropped or the -ate changed (SP5)
Video lesson: Words ending -ationComing soon
Story. The class is planning a visit to the science museum. Each child writes one sentence about their observation, their exploration and their preparation. Tara notices that each noun ends in -ation.

Key pattern

If the verb ends in a silent e, drop the e and add -ation: prepare becomes preparation; observe becomes observation.

If the verb ends in -ate, change the -ate to -ation: create becomes creation; educate becomes education.

If the verb ends in a consonant, add -ation without any change: inform becomes information.

Key ideas

  • Drop the silent e before -ation: prepare, preparation.
  • Change -ate to -ation: create, creation.
  • -ation starts with a vowel, so the silent e is dropped.
  • Check the spelling with a dictionary if you are not sure.
Worked example 1.5.1
Write the noun made from prepare.

Method. The verb ends in a silent e, so drop the e and add -ation.

  1. Find the silent e. Prepare ends in a silent e.
    prepare
  2. Drop the e and add -ation. The e is dropped before -ation.
    prepar + ation
  3. Write the answer.
    preparation

Check. Preparation drops the e. ✓

Worked example 1.5.2
Write the noun made from create.

Method. The verb ends in -ate, so change -ate to -ation.

  1. Find the -ate ending. Create ends in -ate.
    create
  2. Change -ate to -ation. The noun ends in -ation.
    creat + ion
  3. Write the answer.
    creation

Check. Creation has -ation. ✓

Watch out. Do not write creatation. The -ate is replaced by -ation.

Worked example 1.5.3
Which word is spelt correctly: information or informasion?

Method. The verb inform ends in m, so add -ation.

  1. Find the verb. Inform is the verb.
    inform
  2. Add -ation. Add -ation with no change.
    inform + ation
  3. Write the answer.
    information

Check. Information is correct. ✓

Exercise 1E  Practice: -ation

1
FWrite the noun made from observe.
2
FWrite the noun made from imagine.
3
FWrite the noun made from explore.
4
FWrite the noun made from celebrate.
5
FWrite the noun made from demonstrate.
6
FWrite the noun made from educate.
7
FWrite the noun made from inform.
8
FWrite the noun made from invite.
9
FWrite the noun made from organise.
10
PSCorrect the spelling: exploraton should be spelt how?
11
PSMax writes preperation for the noun from prepare. Correct it.
12
RExplain why the e is dropped in imagination.

Chapter summary

SkillMethod
-cious and -tiousLook at the root word. ce: drop the e, add -ious. -tion: remove -ion, add -ious.
-cial and -tialRoot ends in ce: -cial (official). Root ends in t or nt: -tial (partial, confidential).
-ant, -ance, -ancyAdjective -ant changes to noun -ance (brilliance) or -ancy (vacancy).
-ent, -ence, -encyAdjective -ent changes to noun -ence (confidence) or -ency (urgency).
-able, -ably, -ible, -iblyDrop the silent e before -able; keep it after soft c or g. -able becomes -ably; -ible becomes -ibly.
-ationDrop the silent e (prepare, preparation) or change -ate to -ation (create, creation).

Can you…?

  • I can use the root word to choose -cious or -tious
  • I can choose -cial or -tial, and check the root word
  • I can change -ant to -ance or -ancy, and -ent to -ence or -ency
  • I know when to drop the e before -able, and when to keep it
  • I can make an adverb ending -ably or -ibly
  • I can change -e or -ate to -ation

Key terms

root word
the word that other words are built from, such as office in official
suffix
a group of letters added to the end of a word, such as -ation
adjective
a word that describes a noun, such as vicious
adverb
a word that describes a verb, such as comfortably
noun
a word that names a person, place, thing or idea, such as preparation
silent e
an e at the end of a word that is not sounded, such as the e in adore

Exercise 1Z  Check-up

1
Write the adjective made from nutrition.
2
Write the adjective made from office.
3
Write the adjective made from confident with -tial.
4
Write the noun made from brilliant.
5
Write the noun made from urgent.
6
Write the adjective made from notice, with the e kept.
7
Write the adverb made from sensible.
8
Write the noun made from create.
9
Write the noun made from prepare.
10
Which word is spelt correctly: vicious or vitious?

Total 16 marks. Allow about 16 minutes.

Exercise 1X  Practice test questions

1
FWrite the adjective made from space.[1 mark]
2
FWrite the adjective made from finance.[1 mark]
3
FWrite the noun made from excellent.[1 mark]
4
FWrite the noun made from vacant.[1 mark]
5
FWrite the adverb made from comfortable.[1 mark]
6
PSWrite the noun made from observe, and say what happens to the e.[2 marks]
7
PSSpell the noun made from confident, and explain the change to the ending.[2 marks]
8
PSRuby says that delicious ends in -tious. Is she right? Explain.[2 marks]
9
PSWrite the noun made from urgent, and the adverb made from sensible, and say which ending each uses.[3 marks]
10
PSWrite the noun made from invite, and say why the e is dropped.[2 marks]
Chapter 2: Prefixes: in-, dis-, de-, re-, auto- and bi- →

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