Year 6 - English
Spelling words with the superlative suffix -est
Homophones and tense
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This pupil-friendly study guide includes a unit summary, clear notes, common mistakes, and quick questions with answers.
Unit Summary
In this unit, pupils build and review a range of spelling patterns with a focus on homonyms, homophones and a wide range of suffixes, including -ed, -ing, -er, -est, -s, -ies, -es, -ves, -le, -el, -il, -al, -cian, -tion, -sion, -ssion, -ous, -tious, -cious, -cial and -tial.
Lesson Summary
You will learn to apply spelling rules to spell words with the superlative suffix -est.
Key Notes
- If the root word ends in 'y', remove the 'y' and add -iest.
- If the root word ends in 'e', remove the 'e' and add -est.
- If the root word contains a short vowel sound, double the consonant and add -est.
- 'Most' is irregular because it does not follow the same pattern. The comparative 'more' becomes 'most'.
- How to spell the curriculum words: secretary and controversy.
Vocabulary To Learn
- suffix: a letter or group of letters added to the end of a root word
- root word: the base word from which other words are formed often by adding prefixes or suffixes
- superlative: the form of an adjective or adverb that indicates the highest degree of a quality when comparing three or more things
Common Mistakes To Avoid
- Pupils can think the -est suffix is spelt 'ist' or 'st' because that is what you can hear.
3 Quick Questions (With Answers)
1. Explain this English learning goal in two key points.
If the root word ends in 'y', remove the 'y' and add -iest. If the root word ends in 'e', remove the 'e' and add -est.
2. Define this language term and use it in a sentence. 'suffix'
a letter or group of letters added to the end of a root word.
3. Correct this common English misunderstanding.
Mistake: Pupils can think the -est suffix is spelt 'ist' or 'st' because that is what you can hear. Correction: Review pupils' misconceptions after practice tasks. Even though the word can sound different, -est is always spelt in the same way.
More Lessons In This Unit
- Forming irregular plural nouns Study Guide
- Forming plural nouns using the suffix -es and -ves Study Guide
- Forming plural nouns using the suffix -s and -ies Study Guide
- Spelling further homophones Study Guide
- Spelling further near-homophones and homophones Study Guide
- Spelling homonyms Study Guide
- Spelling more homophones Study Guide
- Spelling words including the suffix -al Study Guide
- Spelling words with the comparative suffix -er Study Guide
- Spelling words with the spellings -le, -el and -il Study Guide
- Spelling words with the suffix -ous and -cious Study Guide
- Spelling words with the suffix -ous and -tious Study Guide
- Spelling words with the suffixes -cial and -tial Study Guide
- Spelling words with the suffixes -sion and -ssion Study Guide
- Spelling words with the suffixes -tion and -cian Study Guide
- Using and applying the suffixes -cial and -tial Study Guide
- Using the suffix -ed to form the past tense Study Guide
- Using the suffix -ing to form the progressive tense Study Guide
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