SKILL: Inflectional Ending/ Suffix

An inflectional ending or suffix is a letter or letters added to the end of a base word.

*The endings –ed, –ing, and –s may be added to verbs to change the tense. You can use endings to help you figure out the meaning of an unfamiliar word.

1. The endings –s and –es can be added to singular nouns to make them plural.
2.  The endings –s, -ed, and –ing can be added to verbs to change the tense.
3. The endings –er and –est can be added to adjectives to use them to compare.

Rule to remember: Some base words drop the final –e before adding an ending.

Example: rustle + ing = rustling                      ignore + ing =ignoring