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Year 5 - English

Spelling words with the suffix -ible

Verb, adjective and noun suffixes

Unit Summary

In this unit, pupils learn spelling and grammar conventions associated with certain verb, adjective and noun suffixes like -ing, -ed, -s, -ies, -es, -ves, -ate, -en, -ify and -less. Pupils review and learn more examples of how the addition of a suffix can affect the grammar of a word.

Lesson Summary

You will learn to spell words using the suffix -ible.

Key Notes

  • The suffixes -ible and -able create adjectives.
  • Removing the -ible suffix does not usually leave a recognisable root word in English, e.g. visible - vis.
  • Adjectives ending in the suffix -ible and adverbs ending in the suffix -ibly are connected in spelling and meaning.
  • How to spell the curriculum words: possible, material and straight.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • suffix: a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning
  • root word: the base word from which other words are formed often by adding prefixes or suffixes
  • adjective: describes a noun
  • adverb: describes a verb

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • Pupils may assume all words ending in -ible do not have a root word.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.

The suffixes -ible and -able create adjectives. Removing the -ible suffix does not usually leave a recognisable root word in English, e.g. visible - vis.

2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'suffix'

a letter or group of letters added to the end of a word to change its meaning.

3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.

Mistake: Pupils may assume all words ending in -ible do not have a root word. Correction: Demonstrate that some words such as sensible do have a recognisable root word in English (sense). However, other -ible words do have roots (stems) but not whole 'words' from English, they may be Latin roots, such as 'vis'.

More Lessons In This Unit

Browse all guides in the Year 5 English guide library.