Adjective Suffixes: -OUS, -IVE, -ABLE, -AL

Recognize suffixes that make describing words and what each one adds.

Adjective suffixes tell you a word describes something, and each adds a slightly different meaning. -ous means full of or having: dangerous (full of danger), courageous, nutritious. -ive means tending to or having the quality of: creative (tending to create), protective, decisive. -able and -ible mean can be or worthy of: breakable, flexible, admirable, edible. -al and -ial mean relating to: musical, natural, financial, industrial. -ic is similar: historic, scientific. Use these to unlock words.

'The berries are inedible. ' Strip it down: in- (not) + ed (from a Latin root meaning eat) + -ible (can be). Cannot be eaten. 'She gave a persuasive speech. ' Persuade + -ive (tending to): it tended to convince people. A useful habit is to hear the suffix's meaning as you read: 'poisonous' becomes 'full of poison', 'portable' becomes 'can be carried'. The base word plus the suffix's meaning usually gives you the whole definition.

• 1-OUS means full of; -IVE means tending to.
• 2-ABLE and -IBLE mean can be.
• 3-AL, -IAL, and -IC mean relating to.